I’m a biker. That doesn’t mean I’m a thug or uneducated. It means I choose to ride a motorcycle. And I choose to live life a little more fully and little more dangerously. My friend Raven sent this Biker’s Code to me and I liked it. So I’m going to republish it here. I think it’s pretty solid advice. Try to follow it.
The Bikers Code:
It used to be that all bikers shared a common bond, an unspoken code of ethics and behavior that transcended words and was built on actions. There was never a bible written on this Biker’s Code of the West and there was no need for such to me. But the times are a-changin’ and there seems to be a lot of new riders out there. These days the riders you see blastin’ down the tarmac are just as likely to be clad in shorts and sneakers as jeans and engineer boots. And the roughest, toughest-looking biker you pull up next to could be your doctor or lawyer and may be wearin’ a Rolex watch under his leathers. There’s nothing wrong with that, so long as these new riders learn the Code of the West just as we old-timers did.
Being a biker used to be about using your creativity to take a basket case old hawg and using only grit and ingenuity, turning it into a one of a kind eye dazzler, then risking your life on the asphalt on a bike you made yourself out of pride. Bikers wore leather and grease because they knew cagers would just as soon run them down as look at them, so they had to be intimidating. We were a breed unto ourselves with no union, no support group, and in many cases, no family (they threw us out). We had to make it in the world of our own, against all rules, against mainstream society, and against all odds. You know, we survived and prospered because of the Biker Code of the West and we never took shit from anybody. As an old scooter tramp named Jug once said, “It’s every tramp’s job to school the young. How else are they gonna know a Panhead from a bed pan?” With that in mind, we bring you a primer on the basic two-wheeled Code of the West. Take heed, brothers and sisters, for our Code is a hallowed one filled with honor and loyalty, the likes of which have not been since the days of knighthood.
The Biker Commandments
* Don’t take any shit. This is an essential part of being a biker. It has to do with respect and honor. Anyone can be a brash, quick- tempered lout. Be cool, stand tall and backup what you say with action.
* Never lie, cheat or steal. Another way of saying this is to always tell the truth. Bikers are always the greasy bad guys in the movies, but every real biker knows that his word is his bond. Your word is all you have in life that is truly yours.
* Don’t Snivel. Absolutely no one likes or respects a sniveler. Another way to think of it is, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” Most of life’s little inconveniences work themselves out whether you snivel or not.
* Never say die and never give up. Whether it’s in a fight, a debate, or a business deal, no matter how bad it gets, a biker never gives up. That’s why you see a lot of wealthy bikers these days, ’cause they don’t know how to quit in any element of their lives. In the biker world of rugged individualists, only the strong survive.
* Help others. Even moral support, if that is all you can give, is better than riding on by. Remember life is about the journey, the ride, not getting there. You already are there. And don’t just help bikers, show the world that we are better than our image portrays us. Courtesy costs you nothing and gives you everything.
* Stick to your guns. Do what you say you’ll do, be there when you say you will. This is called integrity.
* Life is not a drill. Yeah, this ain’t no dress rehearsal. This is life-go out and take big bites of it. You’ve got no time to lose and bikers don’t stand around waiting for the party to come to them. You only go around once. Tomorrow you could be road kill, thanks to a chain smoker asleep at the wheel of his Caddy. Live life now, make the most of each moment.
- Author Unknown