How to Look Like a Biker

My friend and I were having lunch yesterday talking about various folks we know in the local motorcycle riding community.

The subject of "wannabes" came up.

These days, I ride my motorcycle wearing the same clothes that I wear anywhere else, which is a t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and my pair of Wolverines. I don't wear a leather jacket, in fact I don't wear any leather, except for my Wolverines.

I do wear a leather jacket when its cold outside, however.

I don't wear a doo-rag. I would never wear a doo-rag at work, or eating out with my wife, or visiting my mom. So why would I wear one on a motorcycle? Some guys say that it protects you from getting "helmet hair". But so what, I'm married and I'm not trying to win a beauty contest. I know guys with bald heads that wear them, and they say it helps keep the sweat out of their helmets. I suppose there are logistical reasons for wearing a doo-rag, but I just don't wear them.

I don't wear chaps either. I know they keep your legs warm and dry, I realize there is a practical reason for them. I don't like having to put on a lot of gear, it's enough to just to have to wear a helmet.

I don't stick ride pins all over my vest. Some guys think wearing a hundred ride pins is a badge of honor. I don't really care to tell people how many times I've attended a particular rally or poker run. The only I wear on my vest is my club patch.

And as far as vests are concerned, I don't wear those either. I do wear my vest when I'm riding with my club, or any other function where I want to represent my club. Outside of the club, I don't wear a vest. Like I said earlier, I would never wear a vest in any other capacity or event, so why would I wear one on my motorcycle?

I don't have stickers on my helmet as well. I do have the "DOT" sticker, because that's the law in California.

I don't hang a whip from my clutch lever. I know a lot of guys think it's cool, but whoever uses them anyways? It's purely for looks. I know one guy who burned out his clutch plates because the wind pulled the whip back just enough.

How many Harley riders do you know, who go around saying, "metric sucks", only to find out later that they used to own metric bikes? I know some of these guys! They originally bought a metric bike because they realized you get a better quality bike, with more power, for less money. But later on they realized that if you want to be cool, you have to have a Harley.

If you want to look like a biker, take a look at the guys who practically live on their motorcycles. These are the folks who ride 40,000 miles each year and up. You're not going to see thousands of dollars worth of leather and steel adorning their persons. With some of these people, you'd never know they were motorcycle riders unless you saw them on a motorcycle. They just wear the same clothes that the rest of the world wears.

That's because people who take riding seriously, are not concerned about image. Most of these guys are loners and prefer to be that way. They're concerned about comfort, and ease. And if you ride that many miles each year, you gotta save up your money for tires and gas.

For me, I guess it goes back to my college days, before there was a helmet law in California. If I needed to go somehwere, I just jump on my Kawasaki, with my t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops, and go. No preparations necessary.

If you consider yourself a "newbie" rider, my advice is to be yourself. If the doo-rag truly is part of your being, then go for it. But don't wear it just because other bikers wear it. Trying to be someone that you're not is probably one of the most "un-biker-like" things you can do.

Posted:   Friday, February 29, 2008