The real charity and freedom of motorcycle riding

In the past the image of a motorcycle rider was an image of a Hell’s Angel – long beards, and wild hair on an imposing frame as wild as their chopper bikes. It’s an image immortalized in movies and television. But that is a past image and it doesn’t tell the full story.

That 1970’s image of a biker changed as did the bikes, with the growth of Harley Davidson and hordes of baby boomers hitting the roads in the late 80’s and 90’s. By the mid-90’s teens and young adults took up the 2-wheel freedom of biking, and as social networking sites became popular so did the dumb (but difficult) tricks these kids would perform. And that is really not the full story.

Now with the cost of crude oil pushing gasoline prices to levels never imagined during the Oil Embargo Crisis, sales of motorcycles are racing higher and women (who look great on a bike) are gaining licenses faster than ever before. The concept of motorcycles is at a level never before seen in this nation. And almost all of these new or young riders fail to really understand what it’s all about.

One of the things I’ve always been upset with are reports on bike clubs (or gangs if you prefer) and stupid people tricks in the major media. Its a fact that the news rarely discusses the positives of the culture in motorcycle riding that is as important as the road itself. When was the last time you heard a national news organization discuss a positive about motorcycles besides the fact they save gas?

As an example there is this item from Southington about the eighth annual Multiple Sclerosis Motorcycle Ride provided by Myrecordjournal.com. Roughly 900 motorcycle enthusiasts got together and rode 50 miles in an effort to raise money for MS research and aid. Think about that and consider this, many of those riders don’t even know anyone with MS.

And that isn’t a fluke. This is the 8th time that the National Multiple Sclerosis Society has done this run, hopefully raising some $50,000 this year. And the bikers did it just because it might help someone. Which is hardly uncommon.

Of course many have heard of the Love Ride. This is the 25th year of the Love Ride and it will include performances by the Foo Fighters and ZZ-Top and Jay Leno as it’s Grand Marshall. The Love Ride has over 25,000 riders that come to help raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Yet that is not the only charitable event bikers are involved with. There is Bikers Against Drunk Driving, Bikers 4 Kids (missing children), Bikers Against Diabetes, Bikers Against Child Abuse, and the list goes on. And that’s just a few of the well known events.

All of that says nothing of the local or statewide events held for children, the disabled, the sick, and other causes. And that is really the big story.

I was told a long time ago, when I was first riding, that being on a motorcycle was not about how fast you can go, or trying to look cool. I’ve never had the need to speed and show off since. I’ve been reminded many times about how bikers will gather to donate blood in a heartbeat if another biker, that they’ve never met, is in an accident. I’ve lived through bikers I’ve never seen since or before coming to my aid because my bike broke down and I was on the side of the road.

That’s what being on a motorcycle is about. Anything else, everything else is crap and ruins what the culture is about. It’s about freedom and enjoying life, and having the charity to help others enjoy their lives as well.

So if you are getting on a bike to save a few dollars, or to try to do some trick, remember this. When you are on the side of the road, with a broken down bike or body, the people who will stop to help you out really understand what it is to be a motorcycle rider. If you can’t have respect for that, or to be that as well, ride a bicycle or just get a smaller car.

That’s my 2 cents on it.