Am I a rider or a pretender?

I've been thinking about a story I read recently that discussed how in North America motorcycles are mostly considered expensive toys for the men and women who baby them in their garages, but in Europe (Asia too I presume) they are something people use to get where they are going. Bikes aren't kept indoors at night. They are out in the elements for ever. Who has a garage?! Rich American's (and Canadians) spend more time polishing and looking at their bikes than riding them. If the air is cold or wet, then it's not a time to ride. There are a few generalizations going on here, but the story got me thinking about what kind of rider I am.

I don't polish my bike. I wash it when the bugs get too thick and there's no promise of a good rain storm to ride through. (I rode in the rain yesterday and washed my riding gear, saved me a half hour of work.) I ride to and from work when the roads are free of ice (Tourmaster electric jacket and gloves keep me warm in anything). I rarely ride for no good reason. Like for fun. I don't remember the last time I took my bike out on a Sunday.

So I guess I'm a rider and not a recreational motorcycle owner. Good for me, I thought. Hardcore. I don't care what I ride as long as it gets me from A to B.

It's time to put this attitude to the test. Today I dropped my bike (2008 bought new in 2010). I took a corner too slow -- one of those deep tippy corners in a parking lot -- the front wheel turned in too quick, and over she went with a 6 inch slide across the cement and grit. Nothing broke except the feeler thing on the foot peg (who cares), but my baby is scratched from ass to tea kettle. Deep scratches into the plastic. Not just paint. Sigh. Now I have to decide whether I am really a "rider" or if I do in fact have a bit of the "pretty toy" syndrome that the story I read was referring too. I feel terrible that my beautiful bike is scratched up. Mortified! I guess I ain't so cool after all.

I'm not going to fix the scratches, but part of me wishes I had the cash to run her into an autobody shop tomorrow and get her shiny and new again. But I can't. I'll just have to get used to riding a bike that looks a little rough, but still makes me laugh with joy when I crank her up to the rev limiter just to hear her roar and feel that speed. When I'm rich some day (ha ha), I'll buy a second bike. A pretty bike to park in my garage and admire when I come home from riding my VFR.

 

+1 and a hearty laugh as a bonus!

 

Mike,

You are a rider, not a poser.

As for the scratches just get a can of body putty, fill em and use a rattle can of paint. It may not look professional but is better than beat up. When my son dumped his CBR1100XX we did some backyard repair since he couldn't afford new parts. It really didn't look bad.

 

dropped my 07 sitting still. had the exact same thought process with the same result. I'm leaving it like it is!

and if you think about it a little, if you really ride a bike a lot, SOMETHING is going to happen somewhere along the line, right?

 

Sorry to hear about that. How about a pic of the damage?

Rollin

 

they are called "hero-blobs" me thinks.
I rode with rashed up body work for at least ten years maybe. A friend finally shamed me into painting it cause, "you love that thing so much, might as well make it nice." Best damn thing I did was do that.

When it gets to you enough, you will troll Ebay for a part or invest in some ColourRite paint and have it done professionally. Paint for my upper, mids and lowers was $100.00/a friend that had a paint booth charged me $25.00 a panel.

Nothing worse than a durty bird motorycle IMHO, doesnt take long after a rain ride to wipe your ride down with a towel. Plus its good bonding time for you and your steed. You may even catch a fastener that backed out or is'nt even there!

 

I suppose this is OK on one's bike but if it extends to personal hygiene then IMO this is not a good way to get laid with most of la chicas.

 

Mike, I too ride every day to work, and do shopping and everything with my bike. I have a truck that gets used only if I have something too large to transport on the bike. I DO whimp out on rain here in Vegas, but it's only because it rains so little here, that when it DOES rain, the oil slicks are too scary to walk on, let alone ride on. When I lived in CA, I rode rain or shine. Yes, I do long road trips to the coast fairly frequently but often they are trips I could do in my truck... I go to visit friends. I just prefer to take the bike for economic reasons.

I dropped my bike a couple months after I first bought it (flat tires) and dropped it again a couple years later on the other side. Slow drops, minor scratches. I agree that "something" is going to happen eventually when ya ride every day, so I've never replaced my plastics. Even after more scratches from my sideswipe incident and getting money from the insurance company to replace them, I'm not going to do it. I've known too many people that spiff up their bikes with new paint or plastics and a week later something happens and their bike is totalled. Clean bike, bad luck? I don't know, but I don't wanna find out either. :tongue:

I clean up my bike periodically, and I have a couple friends who love to detail bikes and cars, so once in a while we swap bikes and they take mine for a day and detail it for me while I ride theirs for the day. If it wasn't for them, my bike would not be "pretty".

My bike is ridden and it shows if you look up close. The scratches and dings don't show up in pictures, so what little vanity I have concerning photos is a non-issue. You definitely sound like a rider, not a poser to me, but ultimately, who cares what anyone thinks? It's your bike, you ride it how and when you want for your reasons. Fix her up, clean her up if you want to. If you don't want to and you're happy with her being scratched and dirty, that's fine too. You're not looking at her when you're riding!!!

 

I unfortunately have verbally unloaded on the American riders from time to time who the article refers, often forgetting I once started out shining my machine all the time and never really taking the whole motorcycling experience in as it was meant to be. Part of me is ashamed I have coped an attitude with those who do not share the passion the way I do; yet on other days I felt no guilt in shaming people.

For about the past 2 years though I have realized my verbal assaults don’t accomplish anything except they make me feel better afterward and in the end, they don’t really shame anyone except myself. The reality is Americans have had a very long history of taking some earthly pleasures that evoke high emotions, throw a fashion look on it, a certain belief or attitude, all of which can be owned for the bargain basement price of whatever we are willing to pay, which then causes a backlash from those who dearly love said earthly pleasure. I had that epiphany that I am guilty of raising something to a “cult status” just like the very people I’d attack. Just because I may take motorcycling more serious from a certain standpoint doesn’t make me special in and of itself.

Now this doesn’t mean I go hang with the poseurs, I just find it more piece of mind to “leave’em be unless they purposely cross me” kind of philosophy. What I have found is I am much more relaxed and people take me more serious when I discuss motorcycling which has led to the enlightening moment that the reason many Americans buy motorcycles for toys is because we can! We can own these machines for whatever purpose we please be it dirt riding, commuting, mountain climbing, desert riding, track days, road racing, posing, stunting, you joined a 1% motorcycle gang, you have money to burn and want to look cool and the list goes on. In reality no other country probably has such a diverse group of riders who ride for such a myriad of reasons. Although some of the reasons are poor reasons, the sheer volume of choice, amongst some additional things, causes such a culture.

Just some thoughts on a Tuesday morning.

BZ

 

BZ states it well. I think I am going to take what he said, then C$P it into his blank space about golf.


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Anybody know if this rattlecan roadgrunge is still available from these folks?

 

If you're a poser than so am I. I use my VFR as a means of transportation out of need and fun as often as possible. Screw the haters, ride on sir!!

 

A couple of years ago I rode to Idaho with a buddy. He was on a Tiger (it was a Tiger rally) & I was on my ST1300. One of the rides was on a muddy dirt road & I went along for awhile. We had quite a bit of mud on the bikes but never thought about washing them.

On the way home after riding through Glacier & Yellowstone we camped next to a group of four riders who head to the carwash every day right after setting up camp. We kind of gave them a bad time about their clean bikes especially when we found out they only rode on interstates.

We were bummed though when we got caught in a thunderstorm by Sturgis and washed most of our evidence off. Why waste time cleaning it.

 

Nice folks, having a good chuckle over it all, especially Billy's contribution. Mike's question is easily answered, we are on VFR's! Look at the average miles a VFR rider puts on and that settles it right there. I have an '08, also bought new in '10 (end of September) and there is over 16K on it and I live in the great white north.
Hit the east coast of the US this spring (in the wet for 8 days) and am planning on the other coast next summer.

If that still doesn't answer it for you, go on your next purely fun ride (I know a lot of us commute, myself included) and see how many of the poseurs you pass at doughnut shops (likely there talking about the latest piece of chrome they installed and what doughnut shop they are riding to next to talk at for the next two hours).

For another related chuckle on the subject, check out South Park's, The F Word episode. I probably watch it once a month. Even they get it and had the parts to put it out there!

 

May 18-20 2012 - SabMag Spring Fling returns! PUT IT ON YOUR CALENDAR!

find out more here: http://vfrworld.com/forums/usa-west...gold-country-ride-event-may-18-20-2012-a.html

 

I passed a Ferrari today on my EX 500. I even gave a toot on the horn. Not that I could hear it, but I did.

 

Michael,

While we appreciate your efforts, you are not a true rider until you've ridden through a Hurricane or tornado. Pics would of course be required.

Rollin

 

Kinda reminds me of people that I used to race against. If they got new leathers they would go to the finish line at the track and throw them down on the tarmac. This act served the purpose of them leathers already hitting the deck, (no-stranger to the ass-fault) then they could get on with the racing.

I have used duct tape, safety wire (stiched body work together) and zip ties for my race bikes just to make em pass tech. On the street if your riding around with that shit on your bike you kinda look like a mental patient or a homeless person IMHO :smile:

As far as a deterent, giving the general motoring public credit for recognizing your rashed up bike and equating you to bad mamma-jamma, me thinks that your wrong. I got one simple rule when I am out on two wheels. Fuck four wheelers, cops and even other bikes. Thats my Rambo/Camando Attitude.

 

Well at least the roadgrunge rattlecan shit is bio-degradable and "green" .

Seen a few dudes smack thier new leathers against one of those concrete lightpoles to get the "effect" Some of them duct tape the labels so that the sartorial effect is not lost. Kind of makes me wonder about some dudes and some bikes when I see a scooter with about 347 sticky labels pasted on it.

 

I would not think it necessary to defend either riding around on a rat bike or owning a trailer queen. Its your bike. The only opinion that matters is yours.

 

:whiteflag: