What's up friends!? I hope the last few days been treating you good! I've seen a few Brothers suffering through life's punishment the last few days and I've heard twice as many complaining that the worst is yet to come...! What do I think..?? Ya might wanna grab a cup of coffee and set down a minute. You might be surprised at my answer!
Now, "What DO I think..?". Well, I think life CAN be brutal, I understand why Brothers struggle. I also TOTALLY agree. The WORST IS yet to come. But don't forget where the Hell ya landed when momma popped your egghead out! You wound up here in the "Biker Corner" with the rest of us Bike Trash! So, STOP whining and let me remind you of a couple things!
Does anyone still remember the 70's? Pretty Groovy Chops, and one more fact: Used to be that you could go riding in your jeans and a t-shirt. (Shit, you could ride around in a Toga if ya wanted too, ask John Belushi!) My point is that you didn't have to wonder what color you were ALLOWED to wear while cruising your Chop, no one cared! Your Bike was just your hobby and a mode of travel! When the AMA attempted to recruit all those boys coming home from Europe, they let a lion out of the bag! Clubs were formed just to screw with the AMA and logo's are as American as Baseball and Apple Pie! I really don't think the Clubs even got squirrelly with each OTHER until the mid '70's and DRUGS.
(For the Record): I did a four year Federal bit in '90 for drugs. It didn't really hold me back at all and it gave me huge insight into life. (I never went to prison after that and I'm cool with life now!) Let's also say this: "DON'T get all jugemental because someone MIGHT get "drunk" in a different way than you do!" Let's be honest, on a Ride, at a Rally or camping with friends, there are usually several methods of killing the pain when ya stop... You take a collection and let the Prospects go shopping. It just makes more sense to have one person go to the store, right? In that same respect, if your Club Brother would prefer a three inch line of "pleasure " rather than attempting to DROWN their problem, money is usually collected before the Rally and the "goodies" are at the Campsite when ya get there also. Work's pretty good all the way around! You never tell your Brothers HOW to have fun.....
Well, the 70's turned into the 80's and all the Adults burrowed in for the rise in Drugs, Crime and Gang Violence. I'm gonna cut this to the core and say that it seemed like Outlaw Clubs drew in their members and Outlaw ways got shared less and less at that time. Maybe some Club members got into selling shit, maybe not, but money was made to keep the doors open and 1%ers NEVER Rat on Club Brother! Only some of the members are going to know details anyway, so it was PERFECT. To support your Club, you came up with ideas on your own to make money to contribute to your Outlaw Family, you didn't worry about what everyone else was doing!
Anyhow, that's how it seemed, growing up back then. I doubt all my assumptions are correct, but I nailed a few! So, to sum it up.. The Outlaws splintered into several more groups within themselves. Bikers went through a rough few decades because Hollywood gained one more "Bad Guy" image to cast against all the Cop movies of the 60's-2000! No one stuck up for Bikers and everyone on a Chopper was asking to be glared at.
But through the 90's, Bikes were still inexpensive in comparison to a car and Riders were enjoying a rise in public awareness that cleaned up some of the bad image. Hell, by the New Millennium EVERYONE wanted to be a Biker! An Outlaw Biker at that!!
Outrageously inflated prices and a bunch of new rules come with the package. You have to ride a $36,000 "Official" Motorsickle now. You gotta have it insured and inspected! If your Jacket didn't cost five bills then you ain't drinkin' beer at the front table in THIS Tavern! The Yuppies just smashed our solitude and ground us up... Lawmakers have taxed the fun and savings right outta Motorcycles and now we're gonna have to REALLY watch it because of the Media referring to us as "Motorcycle Gangs" for 20yrs now! "What do I THINK..?"
I think we just fade into the obscure corners that real Bikers have always kept to. We never asked to be singled out anyhow! And with everyone blending in together, maybe we can go back to NOT caring so much about what all the Bikers are doing! I live for Motorcycles, ALWAYS have. I'm just not wanting to be a Biker anymore.. too DAMN many rules!
Well, think on that and let me know what ya think. Im curious to hear what YOU think lol! I'll catch ya next time! 👍🏻