“Biker boy”. To most these two words mean someone crazy about bikes, non serious about life and generally a very casual person. They wouldn’t be too wrong and they couldn’t be way off the mark either!
A biker, as everything else, is highly misunderstood. In fact, the very notion of a biker is understood by very few, including those who ride bikes! I will be putting across very very briefly who a real biker is and what differentiates bikers from those who prefer cars over bikes. For this particular piece, “bikes” = motorcycles. And what is the evidence? My experiences and my life.
A biker is not just someone who rides a bike. He/she rides a bike, respects it and is passionate about just being astride on it. A biker is NOT someone who rides fast, zips through traffic, drinks beer, smokes, curses, has tattoos- basically a real biker is NOT irresponsible nor is he immature.
Bikes are huge responsibility. A real biker always keeps his bike clean, knows how to enjoy the ride even within speed limits, follows traffic rules, wears his attitude on his lid, keeps the engine running clean and always has a steady head every time he/she’s on the bike. In short, a biker respects his bike because he knows that only then will his bike respect him back.
So what separates the bikers from car lovers? The “edge”.
The foremost excuse for any person who prefers cars over bikes is the “safety” factor. I know more people who have been killed in car crashes and in any case, nothing’s really safe if you have to get statistical.
I know more people who really drive their cars like dogs and think its safer speeding in their tin boxes. There is hardly any love, let alone respect for their cars. It’s just the comfort factor you see. Comfort- ah, because one doesn’t have to shift their butts every time a corner comes and not get “scorched” by the summer sun or “frozen” in the winter winds or “drenched” in the rains.
Life isn’t really comfortable but bikers enjoy any type of weather as long as they get to ride their machines. They dont care if they have dirt across their faces or bugs crushed on their visors. They don’t need anything else in the world as long as they can do this. And that is reason enough for them to have a stupid smile plastered across their face. Nothing less, nothing more.
Isn’t that what contentment is about?
Life is the biggest metaphor. That’s why it’s never simple.
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