Definition of a "hard core biker" vs a "Yuppy biker", as told by itchymoche. What kind of biker are you? Watch - Like- Share - Subscribe! Follow Us! ItchymocheProductions the_adventure_road / theadventurero1
What IS a "hard core biker"? A hard core biker is a guy or gal that rides their bike, every chance they get. You ride it to work, you ride it to play... you ride it to buy f'ng groceries. You may own a truck (or car), but you really hate driving it unless absolutely necessary. But most of all, you just absolutely love being upright on just two wheels... and you (hopefully) feel some kind of connection to the other folks who feel the same. That's what a "hard core biker" is... another more, nothing less.
You'll never know whether you're a hard core biker until the end. Or near the end. Appearance has nothing to do with it. When you've been riding Harleys for almost fifty years, one of them the same one you've owned for 30 yrs., and you find yourself on a back road hundreds of miles from home in the cold, pouring down rain and you wonder why in the hell you keep doing this to yourself, you mite be hard core. When your lifestyle has cost you three marriages and countless jobs, you mite be hard core. When you have the same "brothers" you have had for the past 30 or 40yrs., the ones who survived, and no friends, you mite be hard core. When you lose count of how many nights you've spent skinning your knuckles to keep your machine and your brothers machines running, you might be hard core. When you can remember when a Harley shop was a comfortable place and not a "boutique", and when everything was" real" you mite be hard core. And if everything, especially "bikers" and the whole culture seem to be a cheap imitation of what it used to be, and people just seem to be "going thru the motions" because no one knows how to be "real" anymore, you mite be hard core. It really ain't what you ride, what you wear, how many tattoos you have, or how bad you think you are, its what's in yer heart that counts!
Kronos Spectre, pure poetry, you are spot on. I go out of my way to not call myself a biker let alone a "real" biker. I don't feel the need to justify myself to anyone. The more people want to pigeon hole the less I want to be a pigeon. Other pastimes, hobbies and lifestyles don't define who is "real" or not half as much as the biker community. Too busy being awesome for that.
Well I been riding for 60 years not all Harley Davidson tho. On my 5th H.D. now live to ride now but health is being a bitch to me. When I get to the point I can't ride just let me die.
Had to commute through the winter due to relocation of my place of work. Had no choice in the matter. I don't have a car, only motorcycles. Hated every bad weather journey. No badge of honour sought. No peer acceptance sought. Dressed to avoid hyperthermia. Adapted motorcycle for bad weather on dark busy motorway. Hated putting reflective surfaces on my bike lest the cars and trucks don't see me and squash me flat. Jumped at the chance of getting a lift to work in a comfortable car. Might have saved my life by swallowing my pride by taking the lift. Just watch who you call a fairweather bike. No intelligent arguement for choosing "hero" option. If you can ride purely for fun, what's wrong with that?
I got my 98 sportster. Got 16 in apes. Whitewall tires decent rims. Has an s&s carb. Still have a peanut tank for a few more weeks until I get a double tank. Mostly chrome except the original primary cover. That's fixing to change too. I've only had this bike since July and still out well over 5000 miles on it. Just had my drive belt break a couple weeks ago so that when I parked it because I've got plans to tear it down and add some new shit before spring gets here. Just buying parts a little at a time until I got it the way I want it. I'm not gonna lie. I'm proud of my 1200 sportster. Probably won't ever get rid of it. Will I eventually add bigger bike to my collection. Well I sure hope so. But this bike is the first bike I spent my own money to buy so it won't ever go anywhere. I've had other bikes but I had help in buying them back when I was younger. I liked that bike but it's not the same as spending your own hard earned dollars on one.
While I do own expensive boots and expensive leathers (protecting my fine young ass is important), I was probably the only rider at the last rally I went to who slept under a tarp right next to his bike. Every hotel in town was packed to the gills with HD baggers.
Elvirth24 ..That's fine for you younger guy's.. When you're in your mid 60's , a nice hot shower and soft bed, feels really good after riding 8, 9, 10, hours ... LOL
I guess I might fit the hardcore description by that standard. The bike I primarily ride is a 90 sportster chopper that I built from the ground up (drivetrain and rolling chassis) with parts that I could get my hands on and parts that I made. I still have to work on it on a regular basis, but I love to tinker with it and ride it everywhere. One of my favorite things to do with it other than ride long distances is to park it outside the local Harley dealership, sit on the porch while drinking a cup of coffee, and watch all the yupsters from a distance eyeball the thing trying to figure out what model Harley it is. I've never been one to go with the flow. Never was happy with a stock motorcycle either.
I rode in from Reading PA in the middle of winter all the way to MI Florida straight through on a rigid frame chopper I built with my own 2 hands and a lot of blood with a quote in mind “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, ‘Wow! What a Ride!”‘ - Hunter S. Thompson
I'm late to this discussion, just catching up on itchy's videos If I label myself it would be hard core enthusiast. I ride whenever my other obligations are covered. If my wife or daughter need me I don't ride. If my parents need help I help them. That's the commitment I made when I started a family. If you want to label me for that fine.
My bike is in my garage cleaned and polished after every ride, that's my o.c.d. And I try to ride in nice weather ,that's my mature age .other than that it's jeans and t-shirt and I work on my own bike .not sure what that makes me . What I do know is that life is all about the ride and that keeps me alive
Well, you have to spend at least ten percent of your income at the local HD shop buying HD merchandise. I really hate the term "biker". I was just a guy that liked to ride. And that was from my bicycle days. When I was thirteen, I wanted to go faster so me an a friend got an old English heavy frame bike and had the guy at the corner gas station braze a piece of diamond plate on it. We drilled holes in it and mounted a lawnmower engine in it. We used to raid the city dump for parts and found the perfect pulley from an old washing machine and mounted it to the rear wheel. Yea we went a little faster. I was paralyzed in 1988 by a hit and run driver, BTW. But hardcore guys have actually held the flywheel assembly in their hands. They literally know every nut and bolt on their bike because the cleaned them off, replaced some damaged or broken ones. Tore the wiring harness out and wired a simpler clean system. They know how to set up a star hub and how to adjust a mousetrap. After getting the cylinders bored at the local engine rebuilding shop, they know how to hone a nice crosshatch into the newly bored cylinders. How to check and lap valve seats. I could go on and on, you get the drift. I wore the same clothes to work that I wore working on my bike. I hated going to the Harley dealer but I had to check each one to see if they had any NOS to keep my '60 Duoglide running. I was hardcore. But I was hardcore in everything I did. Heavy duty construction, I was a paratrooper, Black Hawk test crew chief. You name it, if I did it, I was hardcore at it. It just so happens I rode a Harley also. Not a "Biker", just a dude that built and rode his own bikes.
I've been riding for 54 years I rode a 360 Yamaha Enduro from New Jersey to Florida when I was younger with my woman behind me I've been riding Harleys for many years now had a lot of Japanese motorcycles before that Was a member of a legitimate motorcycle club in Jersey for many years been hit by two cars it down a few other times I'm willing to die doing something I love I think I'm a hardcore biker brother LOL
coldest I ever rode was 12F*. ROde to work everyday, all winter long save for ays it snowed/iced. Tried that once though. Didn't work out well. Once rode in rainstorm to get home from work, 2 towns away from home on 220N. It was raining so hard cars had pulled over to wait for it to stop. My friend/co-worker and I kept on bikin' on home. Thank goodness we both carried a bandana to tie across our face to help the sting of the drops as they hit our face. At one point we barely stopped in time to miss a huge oak tree that uprooted and fell across 220N. Finally did make it home.True H-D story.
Bottom line is... know yourself and you'll know others..... My ride is my ride and yours is yours......One word covers it all.... RESPECT...... Give it and you will recieve it...... As Bobby Dylan said Keep on keeping on........
Itchy, I started riding at 8 yrs old, I have ridden in every state but 11. I have owned 14 different bikes. There have been times in my life when the bike was my only transportation, even in the winter in El Paso. I have 3 sons and we all ride together. I have just got on the bike and rode over 1000 miles in less than 24 hrs, twice. I have 11 grandchildren and I am a clean cut, retired old man. When the grandkids call to chat I may answer the phone while on the bike in the mountains while riding. I have built and raced several bikes. I now ride a luxury Tourer. I don't even own a pickup or a trailer. I might be HARDCORE, LOL!
just had a guy tell me i wasnt a real biker. i was wearing a red chevy t shirt my work jeans and my work boots. covered in dirt and grease. prolly had bugs all over me too, i ride along the susquehanna river alot. i acknowledged his ballbusting... i told him "man im still young, i just dont got the leatherface yet. he shook his head and walked away. everyones gotta start somewhere, eh?
There is a million videos on who and what is a real biker. It makes me wonder why? Why do people want to know? To see if they measure up maybe? To see if they can conform maybe? So they can put down people who they think are less of a biker than they are? Why do people even really care?
You got some right, you got some wrong. A hardcore biker is someone who rides all the time, period. Thats my defition. Its their main mode of transport, rain or shine, theyll jump on the bike, even if its just commuting yet they put on thousands of miles all the time. To me, the ones who care about image (not wearing gear cause its considered cool, riding harleys only cause thats what they do in the movies, chasing that sons of anarchy look with long hair, sleevless leather vests etc) are the posers! If you ride for the image, then you dont ride at all, thats being a poser. A hardcore biker can look any way they want, as long as their main mode of transport is the bike and they use it all the time in all conditions.
I think you covered this touchy subject pretty well Itchy. Although, the straight up "Biker or Not" question is a bit harder to define. Been riding on the road for 44 years, including cross country trips. Have had at least one road bike since I was 16 without exception. I also perform all my bike maintenance, which includes, yeah you guessed it, keeping my bike clean. I just prefer it that way...can't stand riding a dirty bike, so I guess I'm out of the hard core club ha ha.
I'll call myself a motorcycle enthusiast. I like to do all the work on my motorcycle, i ride to work everyday except rain days ( dont need the aggravation) and i try to get in a 3 hour ride on the weekend. When i retire i'll get a big touring machine that the wife will be comfortable on and we will tour Canada and the US.
Biker: someone who rides, who knows everything about their bike and can fix almost anything, someone who's daily transportation is a scoot, and someone who just lives out side of society bullshit..
Way to go Itchy! You really set it straight about what a hardcore biker is and is all about. One poit I do think youre a bit amiss to though. You said you were a hardcore biker at one time.. I beg to differ with you. I can tell just by the way you handle the presentation of your vid. Youve ridden in the rain, th sleet, more than likely snow as well, high winds and ao much other shit. I bet that came as a "have to" situation, but at the end of the day, YOU WERE THERE. You never quit being a hardcore biker if you're still riding, because if that same situation prevailed on you again.. you'd still do it. I told a citizen that said I didn't look like a hardcore biker... You don't have to be a 1%er to be hardcore. but you have to be hardcore to be a 1%er. They are usually the hardest of the hardcore. Ive ridden for 50 yrs, got splattered once, I do almost all my own wrenchwork, I love my bike, (just FYI its not a Harley) but I NEVER stop riding for the weather unless its totally impossible to ride, then.. I just stay home. I couldn't have said it better. Thanx again, and stay safe!
I dont own a bike yet and never been to a bike rally. But I enjoy your stories and look forward to going to Sturgis and Daytona in future. Thanks for sharing!!!
I've been riding for over 40 yrs and rode all over TX,OK,SC,NC, plus all the other states going thru to get to rallies, rode thru all types of weather, rode with a club for a few yrs, and rode independently for more than a few yrs, but I belive that a "hard core" biker, rides because they love the ride! They ride because THIER bike is THIER main form of transportation. They ride because it seems more natural and free and ALOT more enjoyable. I've rode many Harleys, a couple Triumphs back in the day, and even had a Honda once. The bike I have now is 20 yrs old and wouldn't trade it for a new one. If that ain't HARD CORE y'all can kiss my A$$! LMAO!!!
@@randyhutchinson9910 cool! My 20yr old bike is a heritage softtail and feel the same as you and your road king. Wouldn't trade it for anything! Ride safe brother!
can change my oil ,can inflate my tires , change spark plug,check if tyre wear is bad or good ,check lights are working,check if bearings are ok by shaking wheel on the bike stand,make sure clutch cable is correct tightening,know some more but trying to think
Hey itchy I just like to say I'm a Spaniard with Italian or Yaqui Indian I used to date a bartender named Bridget at the blue fox here in San Diego she was German and taught me to speak German here I am speaking with her and people just drop their jaw when they got a look at me just thought I'd mention it all right then🕶"
Wie geht ist ihnen? Hi from a Scot of German origin,I just recently discovered your channel and like your no-nonsense informational approach to bikes and biking.
I hate labels like "Biker" I get sick of hearing people say you aren't a real____ fill in the blank unless you do something they feel like is required to be that particular thing.. I have ridden bikes throughout my life off and on and love to ride but im not that hardcore guy.. im a fairweather rider.. I tell people im not a biker, Im a computer geek with a motorcycle.. I really feel like if I need to prove to you who or what I am by meeting your standards, i don't really care.. I am me and my friends are who they are .. they dont need labels for me and vice versa.. I just do me and let others do them..
@@itchymoche oh no I appreciate your videos. I watched a few of them yesterday.. I was just talking about people judge in general in the biker culture.. not unlike many other cultures lol people like to put some kind of rules on what it takes to wear some certain label.. like Biker or Cowboy or hell any number of things.. like saying Real Men blah blah blah.. I run several biker groups on facebook and you always have those people who want to judge people based on certain things... My personal attitude is, ride what you want how you want, be safe and be respectful of others.. I have had my run-ins with patch holders and I avoid them.. (mostly 1%) they have their lifestyle and I respect it.. like you said in one of your videos, leave them be and usually they will leave you be.. Anyway.. I like your videos and didn't mean to sound like I was criticizing you or your video... well done and thanks..
one of my favorite scenes in the wild hogs movie was when Peter Fonda tells them to just get back on their bikes and hit the road and ride until you remember why you started riding in the first place.. lol..
A hard-core biker has nothing to do with image. And everything to do with the bike. Do you ride? Often? For long? Can you fix it? Mod it? Is it your life?
I can do all that stuff. But I dont label myself as "hard core" ... When i think of hard core riders i think of crazy fools jumping through fire rings or the dirt bike guys doing back flips. I'm just a normal guy that rides a motorcycle as his main transportation. There is nothing "hard core" about it.
I rode over 8k miles last year, riding 1000 miles to daytona in March, have a big beard, covered in tattoos, put about $10k into my bike. I work on my own bike. but I guess I'm not a hardcore biker cause I have a harley jacket.
Every time I think of Harley jacket I think of a guy I worked with a couple of years back. He had a Harley jacket, Harley boots and a Harley wallet. Didn't (correction: never had) have a motorcycle but he wore his costume proudly out on weekend nights. Me, 66 years, been riding street since 14, ridden on 3 continents thru 13 countries. Current bike is a Dyna bought new in the US and brought over to Europe when I moved. Now got about 120K miles on the clock. Gotta lift in the garage, manuals, a bunch of special tools and pull most maintenance. Mostly ride solo taking at least one 3000-5000 mile trip a year. Manageable beard, no tats, no Harley jacket/boots and no desire to fit in a group calling me a hardcore biker.
Renagade,, Me. Just one HD t-shirt, given to me by a lady friend... My view on buying HD merch... With what they charge for all their shit, they should be giving that shit for free. AND they pay million of dollars a year, to big advertising company's. Why would I pay them. to advertise for them ???? Maybe i'm just cheap... LOL ***Ride Safe***
I bought my bike from a yuppie biker, bought it in November 2017 it’s a 2010 fat boy lo, had 6870 miles on it, he put about 1000 miles a year on it, it’s over 10,000 now, but I do have a harley jacket and it’s a damn warm jacket and the sleeves zip off to a vest, only reason I bought it, also have harley boots, most comfortable boots I have owned. I ride my bike daily, haven’t drove my truck since I bought my bike. Getting ready to ride to Sturgis from KY. I don’t think imma yuppie at all
hay buddy, I really enjoy riding. From minibikes to my current goldwing and everything in between. I've worked with club members in construction, they have regular jobs to. They were hard core, 3rd Street ny. Just wasn't my thing. Always good to me, wasn't us against them, I considered them friends. EVERYBODY'S LIFE TAKES A DIRECTION. no regrets. I enjoy your vids.
#2 is an experienced biker not necessarily hardcore. Wrenching on ur bike doesn't make u hardcore either what if ur rich, have 7 bike and would rather ride than wrench (let the shop do that shit). Non conformist reflex outlaw more than biker. Some bikers are outlaws some are not. Job thing is bs, I conform at work because $ enables me to be hardcore biker (shit cost $) not 2 mention feed my family. Skin thing is bs certain ethnicities handle sun better. Hardcore biker and hardcore person who is also biker is VERY different.
im on a 50cc 4 stroke scooter that said i ride it over 100 miles a day 3-4 times a week on gravel roads mostly and i have hand rebuilt the thing several times no colors no club i consider myself a "biker" as for being "hard core" im Airborne Infantry all the way i figure thats hard core enuff lol
I’m just going to go we’re I go and do what I do , and wear what I need to wear to get where I’m going , don’t need a title or anyone’s opinion of who they think I am , thanks for the video
A hard core biker cares more about riding his bike than he does about being seen on his bike or what somebody else is going to think about him when they see him. It's pretty subjective, and there are going to be a lot of different opinions on what makes a biker "hard core." I log a lot of miles on my bike, and typically only drive a cage when I need to transport something I can't possibly carry on a bike. I ride year round in all weather, and I do all my own maintenance and repairs. Does this make me "hard core?" I don't really give a shit.
After about the 5th or 6th day in the saddle of 600-800 mile days, I'd say yep I am a biker. After 50 yrs of riding and too many bikes to count from all kinds of manufactors and probably several hundreds of thousands of miles, yep I am prob a biker. I have raised a family of three boys, all riders and I am a retiree from two different corporations but yep I am a BIKE RIDER!!
hey at minute 10:26, you're standing right in front of a poster on your wall there that looks like a blue rigid frame custom,, the one right below the small American flag can you tell me what bike that is and where you got that picture from I love that ride.. tank's
After 30 years in the military, you can bet I keep my hair cut and faced shaved!! And I ride a lot!! I can also afford to ride!! Hardcore nooo! I enjoy my creature comforts!! My idea of camping is a mint on the pillow!!
Nice job and love the honesty. I wish you made a shout out to my call name, it would've put me over the top!! You gave a great definition off a hard core biker. I might be guilty of the yuppie, although I have done some wrenching on the bike (although not too much in depth).. I hate to admit, but I might be towards you yuppie end of the scale. But is this a big deal? I don't know. I know that I love to ride, be around other bikers, and enjoy meeting folks. At the end of the day, riding is what it is about. Being comfortable, being confident on the bike is a must, enjoying the ride, and being around like minded people at the end of the day is what it is all about (IMHO). Now, for those that try too hard in portraying an image is pretty transparent and entertaining.. May I now ask: Why do you ride? It would make a great video, might be obvious, but it is a different answer for everyone. Great video, your are salt of the earth, and I find much character to your videos. thank you
Hey Itchy. I ride to sometimes escape the stresses of everyday life, which I am sure you can relate to. There is nothing like the feeling of freedom and independence of being on a motorcycle. You're so much more intimate with the road and surroundings than being in a cage, the smells, the wind, and sometimes the rain. The feeling that comes with nothing but your thoughts, the bike, and the open road is what really makes riding fun. Riding in groups brings a feeling of camaraderie and belonging that a person doesn't really get in normal day life. Hoping on the bike to just run up to the store is just fun as shit, why the hell go in a car? Anyway, thats the gist of it. Take care and I'll be watching for the new video!!
Hog Tyd good point I ride my bike to work every day and I ride to the store every day rain or shine now don't get me wrong I'm not no outlaw biker I ride with a group we go on rides every Tuesday
itchymoche you are correct about hard core bikers I have all kinds of family that are in mc outlaw clubs my grandpa opened one of the biggest outlaw clubs here in Michigan my cousin owns a club my uncle was a President of a outlaw club actually my grandpa built my first bike years ago a 1972 Harley Davidson sportster 900 chopper 7 foot springer front end witch I still have to this day right now it's at my grandparents in the shop so I ride my Suzuki gsx600f for the time being I am not part of a outlaw club but I do have a group I ride with we ride every Tuesday and a lot of us ride our bikes every day I ride my bike to work and to the store I even ride my bike to my DR's
Define " hardcore", i'd describe myself as a fair weather motorcycle enthusiast, i'm a self employed truck driver in the uk who works every hour god sends for six months a year, i don't ride to work as i have too much tackle to carry round, the current bike, a Triumph, i've had for 18 years, i work on it myself and get out on it when i have the time. It goes in the garage end of Oct not to be seen again till April, during that time i head off to india for the winter which i've been doing for 35 years where i have two enfields in storage, one in Manali in the himalayas and one in goa, down in the southwest of the country, i spend six months riding round the himalayan mountains of the north, the central deserts and the tropics of the south, i've been in situations and over mountain passes ( not roads) in all conditions that many self proclaimed hardcore bikers would shit themselves at the thought of undertaking.
@@itchymoche If you ever have the opportunity to ride in the himalayas don't pass it up. i've ridden all over Europe, 26 states in America, from the west coast of Australia to the east coast crossing the nullarbor, all amazing fantastic trips but theres nowhere quite like the himalayas for true adventure.
Ya know..... I agree with some of the things you said and some of them I don't. I do agree there is a lot of ( BIKERS ) out there that spent 20K on a bike and leathers and get it out when its nice out. but appearance doesn't have anything to do with it in my opinion. a real biker doesn't judge someone by what they look like and wear, they judge by how you act , treat people and ride. I might look like a poser. that's fine. im 23 , I have a 15K dollar bike. im bald with a beard and I wear American Eagle jeans. I keep my bike spotless but I ride it every single day its not a total pouring down wash , even though I have been known to go out in the rain on purpose some days. I go to bike nights. I buy HD shirts. but I ride my bike. im a mechanic for a living so nobody touches my bike but me. you said a lot of nice good things. but I don't think we can use appearance to decide on how ( BIKER ) someone is. hats off to the BMW guys who ride hard core. I respect those guys so much. being a biker isn't about the bike. its about what kind of person you are.
I hope i am gonna be somewhat of a hardcore biker! I got a lot of things checked already. 1 Non conformist, 2 bike as main vehicle (car is for long distances, not city trips) 3 Refuse to wear protective clothing (cause to warm, don't like it, constricting etc) I still have to get my license but i didn't wear the clothing once, i only put the chaps on once since it was raining (regretted it since it became dry and warm...) 4, i already find it pointless to spend money on expensive clothing, why in the world would i spend big money to advertise Harley? 5 trailering your bike? Hell when i buy my first bike i want to ride it home to! I don't care, if i get cramp in my leg i will just pause for like 10m and smoke a cigarette! 6 Main stream was never my think, i don't want to follow the stuck-up yuppie sheep. 7... Well i want a bobber, so.. yeah, my opinion is a hardcore biker should have a bobber/chopper, anything custom really, is good. By the way having this summed all up, i don't really care for labels, i just think that i am gonna be ''hardcore'' Even though my bike is probably going to be a 80s Suzuki Vs700 bobber. I don't think owning a Harley is necessarily hardcore. Anyway, enough with the labels, the video pretty much sums it up. Yuppies wear full protective clothing, have a full helmet on probably drive something boring like a sportstourer or something and don't get their hands dirty on the bike either. And... they probably work as an accountant or something other financial and/or nerdy.. Whaha.
I ride a BMW r1200rt with all the ce level 2 protection, from head to toe, which I like, "All the gear all the time". I couldn't give shit what "real bikers "think.. I ride for myself and my enjoyment. Who cares what others think, anyway?
I'm one of those " dirty bikers" of the 70s. It's not a fad. It's my lifestyle. My scooter is not a material possession or a status symbol. My scooter is the reason I do what I do. Imitation is a sincere flattery?
Oh shit ! I wear jeans (bought new blue and faded for real), a wrangler long sleeve shirt. And I wear cowboy boots (all my adult life). And a helmet and jacket when needed. Now everybody is going to think I am a hard core biker poser ! Oh what am I gonna do now ? I know, a ballerina tutu with 5" spike heels !!! Yea that's it !
I am afraid i am Yuppie for sure, I ride Super Sport and i do not ride in wet/cold weather and garage my shit. I only put 400 miles on it last season. I only wear metal band shirts/jeans and i work and own a shop, only other thing i wear on me when i ride is my sidearm. I never clean my bike and it is matte black and shows dirt. I have the long hair/scruff and muscles and i have ink, but i also have a family and i only finish shit i do not start it.
I am becoming. It's my only mode of transportation, I ride rain, snow, or shine. I'm a truck driver during the week. I work on my own bike because I want to know my ride inside and out. I still get nervous on the road though.. bunch of fricken idiots ya gotta watch for but, I'm used to it being a trucker. LMAO 2 wheels or 18 wheels, the only way I roll.
Oh shit, from what you described I'm a hardcore Biker! Oh the shame, how can I ever hold my head up again?! What the hell would my mom think if she knew??? Oh wait a moment, she already knew that before she passed.... But on the flip side she respected me and loved me unconditionally regardless of what her friends used to say, in fact she laid into their lame asses when they ran their mouths off and told them that she was proud of me regrardless of their ridculously ignorant opinions! God bless ya Mom, sure do miss you, you were the best I could ever ask for and more, much love for you, they broke the mold when you were born, but my wonderful loving wife and terrific 5 year old daughter are carrying on where you left off, I just wished you lived long enough to meet them, I'm sure you'd approve wholeheartedly! RIP Harriett, you can rest assured they aren't remotely like my ex wife or daughter was from my first marriage! I know my wife and daughter would've loved you dearly as much as I did.... 😁
Yeah. I guess it's a little late, but thanks for posting this video! Where I live other people wear chaps. And they usually don't wear pants underneath. So. no. I don't wear chaps. White T-shirt. LOLOL I got a white T-shirt from a Coast Guard poker run. I do have the fonzie jacket though. In Texas I get to wear it a couple of days a year! My Valkyrie Just flipped the odometer. I got 101,000 miles. I put about 60 or so on it. I work on my own bike as much as I can. God made Valkyries, so luckily, that isn't much. Even though I've had experience with mororcycles since the '70s, I really became a "hard core biker" about 10-11 years ago. Not because of some mid-life crisis. Not because of a an addiction to Sons of Anarchy. It was because of the gas price spike. I have a 60 mile work commute in the 4th largest city in America. I went from a 1400 intruder (now a project bike) to a Valkyrie. LOL my wife's Toyota gets better mileage. But it still beats my suburban. What's really scary is you're basically describing....me. Tools.... yeah. Carrying a wrench around I even have an air compressor. You have another video out about clubs. The one percenters. Why would anyone in their right mind want to get involved in that? That's a bunch of drama I don't need. Plus I have this thing about people that try to tell me what I can and can't do. It's one thing to have to put up with some asshole telling you what to do to get a paycheck. I'll be damned if I'll pay monthly dues to have to put up with that in real life too. And if I want to ride a crotch rocket, I will. Actually crotch rockets are fun. Wouldn't want to have depend on one for daily usage though. Too uncomfortable after a while and their maintenance makes an AMF hog look good.. Trailering..... One of the problems with going long distances on a bike versus a car is the distance you can go in a day. I live in Houston. If I want to go on the one (california's highway) on my bike, I'd HAVE to trailer it just to get it there and back within a vacation schedule. The most miles I've done in one day on a bike is 450. A car? over 1,000. Factor in one or even two week's worth of vacation time and....trailer. Thanks again for the video.
I must not be a hardcore biker then because I'm an over-the-road truck driver so yeah I have to pay somebody to fix my bike when something is wrong with it I'm only home three days a month so I'm not going to spend those three days working on my motorcycle I spend them riding
Hmm, I currently ride a yamaha fjr, average about 14,000 miles a year, have riden from key west to bar harbor maine, from the grand canyon to the top of pikes peak, from 25 degrees to 100+ degrees. I do ride with a motorcycle jacket because I dont stop if it starts raining. You say appearance is last, but you sure talk about it alot. I work on it when needed, but one reason I ride a fjr is so that I don't have to tear it apart every week! One thing is, I ride, I don't worry about what others say.
Can I be a hardcore biker, huh, can I can I, huh, can I? I bought the costume and all the accessories; chaps, vest, engineer boots, bandana, black sunglasses, even knocked a couple teeth out my mouth for the look plus a fake limp like I crashed once. I don't shave anymore and only bathe once a week in the backyard with a garden hose and substitute my vocabulary with swear words so can I be a hardcore biker boy? I'll even trade my moped for a Cushman.
the pic at 7.18 has to be one of the scariest photo's of a MC member ever! I have the hair cut & my chains are less then half the size plus my arms haha. Ride hard roll free people....
Its the Miles you ride the weather the kind of clothing you wear , I carry a old Duster for rain gear the oil skin is better than the slicker Harley has , I do not go POOF in the wind look like a marshmallow man Most times I hit rain I just have on my leather it gets wet I get wet , Hang it on a fence it will dry out overnight, I was with B&B sowing when I did AIM set up booth next to them Had Barb design a Harley embroidered patch for my leather she hung it up so everyone could see it and sold 40 patches in 3 days . I had more miles backing up than most have going forwards from 1990 to 2017 only thing I road was my bikes , I had a truck to get firewood and lumber . But road to work any day I could ride was a good day I still ride the bike to go get small stuff in 2 years I have put more miles on the bike than the truck , neither have went more that 10 thousand miles in 2 years Truck 750 miles Bike 8 thousand . I use to do 20 thousand a year in 2002 - 2012 . I was hard core 57 years old I will still ride the bike all winter go to the Dr office or store to get milk -20 You see me out on the bike , my Brother told ABATE JC is the only real biker here he rides his bike every day no matter the weather you all drive your cars to meetings, i jumped in said only thing i have is my bike the truck needs a clutch lol my old farm truck ran but for him to tell 20 drunk guys they are not bikers I seen a old man going to get beat lol . i sold my farm in 2017 i moved into town , so im 2 blocks from the store , not 20 miles . i quit drinking in 2014 no longer go to the bar or run to every weekender or poker run . I still do trips plan on one 2020 to yellowstone for 10 days july. you meet some good people on the road and some bad . life is a journey Ride Free .
Let me simplify it for you. A biker rides for the love of riding and probably rides as much as they can and when they can. A poser "rides" for some kind of social acceptance and only on the nicest of days. I've got the best gear I can afford and some if it says Harley and some doesn't, that's got nothing to do with it.......I turned the video off shortly after that statement...
299 lol i paid 500 for my jacket but i never had a nice jacket, never had a new bike only ever rode shovelheads always carried tools , changed points on the side of the road many times , now i only really ride in fair weather , so i guess i was on the fence , but after i broke my back at the t4t5 level completely paralyzed from my upper chest down i got me an old shovel with a servi car rear end completely tore it down with help from my bros i made it my own completely one of a kind i would have to say im still hard core ,,, ride on ,,, ride on ,, #liferollson
Ronnie Ron anderson I ride wearing my full leather cow hide duster coat. Looking fuckin bad ass. With the leg straps concealing my sawed off shotgun. Don't Fuck with me.
I don't feel the need to justify myself to anyone. The more people want to pigeon hole the less I want to be a pigeon. Other pastimes, hobbies and lifestyles don't define who is "real" or not half as much as the biker community.
Damn i just about fit the bill, till you got to the fair weather part, i wreek yuppie LMAO. I got more face wrinkles than my parents, stick to night riding during the summer these days.
What IS a "hard core biker"?
A hard core biker is a guy or gal that rides their bike, every chance they get. You ride it to work, you ride it to play... you ride it to buy f'ng groceries.
You may own a truck (or car), but you really hate driving it unless absolutely necessary.
But most of all, you just absolutely love being upright on just two wheels... and you (hopefully) feel some kind of connection to the other folks who feel the same.
That's what a "hard core biker" is... another more, nothing less.
LaneSpltr G.....Hardcore comment man. So true and well said.
You'll never know whether you're a hard core biker until the end. Or near the end. Appearance has nothing to do with it. When you've been riding Harleys for almost fifty years, one of them the same one you've owned for 30 yrs., and you find yourself on a back road hundreds of miles from home in the cold, pouring down rain and you wonder why in the hell you keep doing this to yourself, you mite be hard core. When your lifestyle has cost you three marriages and countless jobs, you mite be hard core. When you have the same "brothers" you have had for the past 30 or 40yrs., the ones who survived, and no friends, you mite be hard core. When you lose count of how many nights you've spent skinning your knuckles to keep your machine and your brothers machines running, you might be hard core. When you can remember when a Harley shop was a comfortable place and not a "boutique", and when everything was" real" you mite be hard core. And if everything, especially "bikers" and the whole culture seem to be a cheap imitation of what it used to be, and people just seem to be "going thru the motions" because no one knows how to be "real" anymore, you mite be hard core.
It really ain't what you ride, what you wear, how many tattoos you have, or how bad you think you are, its what's in yer heart that counts!
Wow best answer yet!
Kronos Spectre....That was fucking deep. Hardcore comment man. Thanks
Kronos Spectre, pure poetry, you are spot on. I go out of my way to not call myself a biker let alone a "real" biker. I don't feel the need to justify myself to anyone. The more people want to pigeon hole the less I want to be a pigeon. Other pastimes, hobbies and lifestyles don't define who is "real" or not half as much as the biker community. Too busy being awesome for that.
Well I been riding for 60 years not all Harley Davidson tho. On my 5th H.D. now live to ride now but health is being a bitch to me. When I get to the point I can't ride just let me die.
Well said ! Peace ... (2001 Road King)
I'm a black man and I wrench on my bike and ride hard. But I don't have long hair or a crazy beard. I so ride a Harley!!!
And u wont look weathered til ur 80.....
Had to commute through the winter due to relocation of my place of work. Had no choice in the matter. I don't have a car, only motorcycles. Hated every bad weather journey. No badge of honour sought. No peer acceptance sought. Dressed to avoid hyperthermia. Adapted motorcycle for bad weather on dark busy motorway. Hated putting reflective surfaces on my bike lest the cars and trucks don't see me and squash me flat. Jumped at the chance of getting a lift to work in a comfortable car. Might have saved my life by swallowing my pride by taking the lift. Just watch who you call a fairweather bike. No intelligent arguement for choosing "hero" option. If you can ride purely for fun, what's wrong with that?
My sportster, all I have, all I can afford.
majorlifts I hear ya, your doin good man
I got my 98 sportster. Got 16 in apes. Whitewall tires decent rims. Has an s&s carb. Still have a peanut tank for a few more weeks until I get a double tank. Mostly chrome except the original primary cover. That's fixing to change too. I've only had this bike since July and still out well over 5000 miles on it. Just had my drive belt break a couple weeks ago so that when I parked it because I've got plans to tear it down and add some new shit before spring gets here. Just buying parts a little at a time until I got it the way I want it. I'm not gonna lie. I'm proud of my 1200 sportster. Probably won't ever get rid of it. Will I eventually add bigger bike to my collection. Well I sure hope so. But this bike is the first bike I spent my own money to buy so it won't ever go anywhere. I've had other bikes but I had help in buying them back when I was younger. I liked that bike but it's not the same as spending your own hard earned dollars on one.
While I do own expensive boots and expensive leathers (protecting my fine young ass is important), I was probably the only rider at the last rally I went to who slept under a tarp right next to his bike. Every hotel in town was packed to the gills with HD baggers.
Elvirth24 ..That's fine for you younger guy's.. When you're in your mid 60's , a nice hot shower and soft bed, feels really good after riding 8, 9, 10, hours ... LOL
I guess I might fit the hardcore description by that standard. The bike I primarily ride is a 90 sportster chopper that I built from the ground up (drivetrain and rolling chassis) with parts that I could get my hands on and parts that I made. I still have to work on it on a regular basis, but I love to tinker with it and ride it everywhere. One of my favorite things to do with it other than ride long distances is to park it outside the local Harley dealership, sit on the porch while drinking a cup of coffee, and watch all the yupsters from a distance eyeball the thing trying to figure out what model Harley it is. I've never been one to go with the flow. Never was happy with a stock motorcycle either.
I rode in from Reading PA in the middle of winter all the way to MI Florida straight through on a rigid frame chopper I built with my own 2 hands and a lot of blood with a quote in mind “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, ‘Wow! What a Ride!”‘ - Hunter S. Thompson
I'm late to this discussion, just catching up on itchy's videos
If I label myself it would be hard core enthusiast. I ride whenever my other obligations are covered. If my wife or daughter need me I don't ride. If my parents need help I help them. That's the commitment I made when I started a family. If you want to label me for that fine.
My bike is in my garage cleaned and polished after every ride, that's my o.c.d.
And I try to ride in nice weather ,that's my mature age .other than that it's jeans and t-shirt and I work on my own bike .not sure what that makes me . What I do know is that life is all about the ride and that keeps me alive
If you run into a hard core biker, say "mornin" and then go on about your day.
Well that's a fine howdy doo! I've been thinking I was a motorcycle enthusiast only to find out I'm a 62yr old yuppie! WTF?
Well, you have to spend at least ten percent of your income at the local HD shop buying HD merchandise.
I really hate the term "biker". I was just a guy that liked to ride. And that was from my bicycle days. When I was thirteen, I wanted to go faster so me an a friend got an old English heavy frame bike and had the guy at the corner gas station braze a piece of diamond plate on it. We drilled holes in it and mounted a lawnmower engine in it. We used to raid the city dump for parts and found the perfect pulley from an old washing machine and mounted it to the rear wheel. Yea we went a little faster. I was paralyzed in 1988 by a hit and run driver, BTW.
But hardcore guys have actually held the flywheel assembly in their hands. They literally know every nut and bolt on their bike because the cleaned them off, replaced some damaged or broken ones. Tore the wiring harness out and wired a simpler clean system. They know how to set up a star hub and how to adjust a mousetrap. After getting the cylinders bored at the local engine rebuilding shop, they know how to hone a nice crosshatch into the newly bored cylinders. How to check and lap valve seats. I could go on and on, you get the drift. I wore the same clothes to work that I wore working on my bike. I hated going to the Harley dealer but I had to check each one to see if they had any NOS to keep my '60 Duoglide running.
I was hardcore. But I was hardcore in everything I did. Heavy duty construction, I was a paratrooper, Black Hawk test crew chief. You name it, if I did it, I was hardcore at it. It just so happens I rode a Harley also. Not a "Biker", just a dude that built and rode his own bikes.
John Brady Motorcyclists..
I thought I was but,found out I wasn't even close.
I've been riding for 54 years I rode a 360 Yamaha Enduro from New Jersey to Florida when I was younger with my woman behind me I've been riding Harleys for many years now had a lot of Japanese motorcycles before that
Was a member of a legitimate motorcycle club in Jersey for many years been hit by two cars it down a few other times I'm willing to die doing something I love I think I'm a hardcore biker brother LOL
coldest I ever rode was 12F*. ROde to work everyday, all winter long save for ays it snowed/iced. Tried that once though. Didn't work out well.
Once rode in rainstorm to get home from work, 2 towns away from home on 220N. It was raining so hard cars had pulled over to wait for it to stop. My friend/co-worker and I kept on bikin' on home. Thank goodness we both carried a bandana to tie across our face to help the sting of the drops as they hit our face. At one point we barely stopped in time to miss a huge oak tree that uprooted and fell across 220N. Finally did make it home.True H-D story.
I rode a1200 sporty through a ice storm👍
You were bringing it home for your wife right??
ultimately its the number of miles you put in. (Went to Sturgis from Maryland to attend Trailer Week)
Bottom line is... know yourself and you'll know others..... My ride is my ride and yours is yours......One word covers it all.... RESPECT...... Give it and you will recieve it...... As Bobby Dylan said Keep on keeping on........
Itchy, I started riding at 8 yrs old, I have ridden in every state but 11. I have owned 14 different bikes. There have been times in my life when the bike was my only transportation, even in the winter in El Paso. I have 3 sons and we all ride together. I have just got on the bike and rode over 1000 miles in less than 24 hrs, twice. I have 11 grandchildren and I am a clean cut, retired old man. When the grandkids call to chat I may answer the phone while on the bike in the mountains while riding. I have built and raced several bikes. I now ride a luxury Tourer. I don't even own a pickup or a trailer. I might be HARDCORE, LOL!
just had a guy tell me i wasnt a real biker. i was wearing a red chevy t shirt my work jeans and my work boots. covered in dirt and grease. prolly had bugs all over me too, i ride along the susquehanna river alot.
i acknowledged his ballbusting... i told him "man im still young, i just dont got the leatherface yet. he shook his head and walked away.
everyones gotta start somewhere, eh?
There is a million videos on who and what is a real biker. It makes me wonder why? Why do people want to know? To see if they measure up maybe? To see if they can conform maybe? So they can put down people who they think are less of a biker than they are? Why do people even really care?
Just ride and have fun feel the freedom of the open road and the wind whipping at your face.
You got some right, you got some wrong.
A hardcore biker is someone who rides all the time, period. Thats my defition. Its their main mode of transport, rain or shine, theyll jump on the bike, even if its just commuting yet they put on thousands of miles all the time.
To me, the ones who care about image (not wearing gear cause its considered cool, riding harleys only cause thats what they do in the movies, chasing that sons of anarchy look with long hair, sleevless leather vests etc) are the posers! If you ride for the image, then you dont ride at all, thats being a poser.
A hardcore biker can look any way they want, as long as their main mode of transport is the bike and they use it all the time in all conditions.
Hi Itchy. Your post much appreciated. It is the most honest post of what it means to be a biker that I have seen in a long time. I have subscribed.
I wear chaps when it’s below 40 degrees. 😂😂😂 Im not afraid to admit that.
Mike Danaher I wear chaps when I'm gonna go over 100 mph, I know, I plan on it
I think you covered this touchy subject pretty well Itchy. Although, the straight up "Biker or Not" question is a bit harder to define. Been riding on the road for 44 years, including cross country trips. Have had at least one road bike since I was 16 without exception. I also perform all my bike maintenance, which includes, yeah you guessed it, keeping my bike clean. I just prefer it that way...can't stand riding a dirty bike, so I guess I'm out of the hard core club ha ha.
I'll call myself a motorcycle enthusiast. I like to do all the work on my motorcycle, i ride to work everyday except rain days ( dont need the aggravation) and i try to get in a 3 hour ride on the weekend. When i retire i'll get a big touring machine that the wife will be comfortable on and we will tour Canada and the US.
Hardcore bikers ride 400, 500, 600 miles or more on their road trips. Not 3 miles to a sports bar, and drop the kickstand.
Biker: someone who rides, who knows everything about their bike and can fix almost anything, someone who's daily transportation is a scoot, and someone who just lives out side of society bullshit..
Way to go Itchy! You really set it straight about what a hardcore biker is and is all about. One poit I do think youre a bit amiss to though. You said you were a hardcore biker at one time.. I beg to differ with you. I can tell just by the way you handle the presentation of your vid. Youve ridden in the rain, th sleet, more than likely snow as well, high winds and ao much other shit. I bet that came as a "have to" situation, but at the end of the day, YOU WERE THERE. You never quit being a hardcore biker if you're still riding, because if that same situation prevailed on you again.. you'd still do it.
I told a citizen that said I didn't look like a hardcore biker... You don't have to be a 1%er to be hardcore. but you have to be hardcore to be a 1%er. They are usually the hardest of the hardcore.
Ive ridden for 50 yrs, got splattered once, I do almost all my own wrenchwork, I love my bike, (just FYI its not a Harley) but I NEVER stop riding for the weather unless its totally impossible to ride, then.. I just stay home.
I couldn't have said it better. Thanx again, and stay safe!
I dont own a bike yet and never been to a bike rally. But I enjoy your stories and look forward to going to Sturgis and Daytona in future. Thanks for sharing!!!
jeans, boots & a tee shirt, skull cap, I'm on & gone, live to ride , ride to live
If I have to explain people just wouldn't understand.
I've been riding for over 40 yrs and rode all over TX,OK,SC,NC, plus all the other states going thru to get to rallies, rode thru all types of weather, rode with a club for a few yrs, and rode independently for more than a few yrs, but I belive that a "hard core" biker, rides because they love the ride! They ride because THIER bike is THIER main form of transportation. They ride because it seems more natural and free and ALOT more enjoyable. I've rode many Harleys, a couple Triumphs back in the day, and even had a Honda once. The bike I have now is 20 yrs old and wouldn't trade it for a new one. If that ain't HARD CORE y'all can kiss my A$$! LMAO!!!
Michesgqlle Dobbiln89 I just bought a 99 RoadKing a year ago, and I love it, my Cadillac on 2 wheels
@@randyhutchinson9910 cool! My 20yr old bike is a heritage softtail and feel the same as you and your road king. Wouldn't trade it for anything! Ride safe brother!
Michesgqlle Dobbiln89 thanks, you to
can change my oil ,can inflate my tires , change spark plug,check if tyre wear is bad or good ,check lights are working,check if bearings are ok by shaking wheel on the bike stand,make sure clutch cable is correct tightening,know some more but trying to think
i ride year around in Michigan. HD in spring, summer and fall. Kawasaki KLR650 in the winter. But I'm not a biker. I just like riding them.
Ya those other guys just join the clubs for the cool jackets real biker just wear white t shirts I feel you brother I’m taking notes
Does riding every day except for snow count? [btw I live in So Cal] I have two bikes, no car.... 17 Road King and an 06 GSXR750.
Yeah, the only time I trailer my bike is to get it to the shop. Otherwise, I'm riding it.
Hey itchy I just like to say I'm a Spaniard with Italian or Yaqui Indian I used to date a bartender named Bridget at the blue fox here in San Diego she was German and taught me to speak German here I am speaking with her and people just drop their jaw when they got a look at me just thought I'd mention it all right then🕶"
I knew a little German. Took a few classes when I was in school, but I probably forgot most of it now.
Wie geht ist ihnen? Hi from a Scot of German origin,I just recently discovered your channel and like your no-nonsense informational approach to bikes and biking.
Welcome!
I hate labels like "Biker" I get sick of hearing people say you aren't a real____ fill in the blank unless you do something they feel like is required to be that particular thing.. I have ridden bikes throughout my life off and on and love to ride but im not that hardcore guy.. im a fairweather rider.. I tell people im not a biker, Im a computer geek with a motorcycle.. I really feel like if I need to prove to you who or what I am by meeting your standards, i don't really care.. I am me and my friends are who they are .. they dont need labels for me and vice versa.. I just do me and let others do them..
@@itchymoche its really not an issue for me. It just gets old hearing people judge like that like it somehow does make a difference..
@@itchymoche oh no I appreciate your videos. I watched a few of them yesterday.. I was just talking about people judge in general in the biker culture.. not unlike many other cultures lol people like to put some kind of rules on what it takes to wear some certain label.. like Biker or Cowboy or hell any number of things.. like saying Real Men blah blah blah.. I run several biker groups on facebook and you always have those people who want to judge people based on certain things... My personal attitude is, ride what you want how you want, be safe and be respectful of others.. I have had my run-ins with patch holders and I avoid them.. (mostly 1%) they have their lifestyle and I respect it.. like you said in one of your videos, leave them be and usually they will leave you be.. Anyway.. I like your videos and didn't mean to sound like I was criticizing you or your video... well done and thanks..
one of my favorite scenes in the wild hogs movie was when Peter Fonda tells them to just get back on their bikes and hit the road and ride until you remember why you started riding in the first place.. lol..
A hard-core biker has nothing to do with image.
And everything to do with the bike.
Do you ride? Often? For long? Can you fix it? Mod it? Is it your life?
I can do all that stuff. But I dont label myself as "hard core" ... When i think of hard core riders i think of crazy fools jumping through fire rings or the dirt bike guys doing back flips. I'm just a normal guy that rides a motorcycle as his main transportation. There is nothing "hard core" about it.
I rode over 8k miles last year, riding 1000 miles to daytona in March, have a big beard, covered in tattoos, put about $10k into my bike. I work on my own bike. but I guess I'm not a hardcore biker cause I have a harley jacket.
Every time I think of Harley jacket I think of a guy I worked with a couple of years back. He had a Harley jacket, Harley boots and a Harley wallet. Didn't (correction: never had) have a motorcycle but he wore his costume proudly out on weekend nights.
Me, 66 years, been riding street since 14, ridden on 3 continents thru 13 countries. Current bike is a Dyna bought new in the US and brought over to Europe when I moved. Now got about 120K miles on the clock. Gotta lift in the garage, manuals, a bunch of special tools and pull most maintenance. Mostly ride solo taking at least one 3000-5000 mile trip a year. Manageable beard, no tats, no Harley jacket/boots and no desire to fit in a group calling me a hardcore biker.
I noticed he wore a Harley T shirt this means he is not a hard core biker :)
No, you aren't a real biker, because you have to give us details, YUPPIEEEEEE !
Europe --- So, what is your fucking point?
Renagade,, Me. Just one HD t-shirt, given to me by a lady friend... My view on buying HD merch... With what they charge for all their shit, they should be giving that shit for free. AND they pay million of dollars a year, to big advertising company's. Why would I pay them. to advertise for them ???? Maybe i'm just cheap... LOL ***Ride Safe***
Wow you just triggered something when you said trailer your bike.that makes me crazy.
U wont understand until u have back and knee surgery...
Don't forget about the raccoon eyes
Ive had the same bike for 40yrs., Blaa blaa blaa. I just don't give a shit what other people do. They don't pay my rent.
I’m rideing my bike up to the Truman boarder
Extreme heat kicks my old ass ! Little Wing is her name, 1984 FXRS till death do us part, Troy in Ohio !!!
Okay so far I'm a yuppie I love riding my bike still love your videos I'll keep watching
I bought my bike from a yuppie biker, bought it in November 2017 it’s a 2010 fat boy lo, had 6870 miles on it, he put about 1000 miles a year on it, it’s over 10,000 now, but I do have a harley jacket and it’s a damn warm jacket and the sleeves zip off to a vest, only reason I bought it, also have harley boots, most comfortable boots I have owned. I ride my bike daily, haven’t drove my truck since I bought my bike. Getting ready to ride to Sturgis from KY. I don’t think imma yuppie at all
hay buddy, I really enjoy riding. From minibikes to my current goldwing and everything in between. I've worked with club members in construction, they have regular jobs to. They were hard core, 3rd Street ny. Just wasn't my thing. Always good to me, wasn't us against them, I considered them friends. EVERYBODY'S LIFE TAKES A DIRECTION. no regrets. I enjoy your vids.
#2 is an experienced biker not necessarily hardcore. Wrenching on ur bike doesn't make u hardcore either what if ur rich, have 7 bike and would rather ride than wrench (let the shop do that shit). Non conformist reflex outlaw more than biker. Some bikers are outlaws some are not. Job thing is bs, I conform at work because $ enables me to be hardcore biker (shit cost $) not 2 mention feed my family. Skin thing is bs certain ethnicities handle sun better. Hardcore biker and hardcore person who is also biker is VERY different.
Testy, testy people !!! Defense mechanism's aside you have to ride A LOT. Period.
im on a 50cc 4 stroke scooter that said i ride it over 100 miles a day 3-4 times a week on gravel roads mostly and i have hand rebuilt the thing several times no colors no club i consider myself a "biker" as for being "hard core" im Airborne Infantry all the way i figure thats hard core enuff lol
My son was 82nd Airborne paratrooper in Iraq
I’m just going to go we’re I go and do what I do , and wear what I need to wear to get where I’m going , don’t need a title or anyone’s opinion of who they think I am , thanks for the video
A hard core biker cares more about riding his bike than he does about being seen on his bike or what somebody else is going to think about him when they see him. It's pretty subjective, and there are going to be a lot of different opinions on what makes a biker "hard core." I log a lot of miles on my bike, and typically only drive a cage when I need to transport something I can't possibly carry on a bike. I ride year round in all weather, and I do all my own maintenance and repairs. Does this make me "hard core?" I don't really give a shit.
That yuppy biker anything like a metro cyclist? RIDE SAFE!!!!!
After about the 5th or 6th day in the saddle of 600-800 mile days, I'd say yep I am a biker. After 50 yrs of riding and too many bikes to count from all kinds of manufactors and probably several hundreds of thousands of miles, yep I am prob a biker. I have raised a family of three boys, all riders and I am a retiree from two different corporations but yep I am a BIKE RIDER!!
hey at minute 10:26, you're standing right in front of a poster on your wall there that looks like a blue rigid frame custom,, the one right below the small American flag can you tell me what bike that is and where you got that picture from I love that ride.. tank's
And down under they question 'what is a hard core bikie"
After 30 years in the military, you can bet I keep my hair cut and faced shaved!! And I ride a lot!! I can also afford to ride!! Hardcore nooo! I enjoy my creature comforts!! My idea of camping is a mint on the pillow!!
Does my moped count I wanna join your gang
Nice job and love the honesty. I wish you made a shout out to my call name, it would've put me over the top!! You gave a great definition off a hard core biker. I might be guilty of the yuppie, although I have done some wrenching on the bike (although not too much in depth).. I hate to admit, but I might be towards you yuppie end of the scale. But is this a big deal? I don't know. I know that I love to ride, be around other bikers, and enjoy meeting folks. At the end of the day, riding is what it is about. Being comfortable, being confident on the bike is a must, enjoying the ride, and being around like minded people at the end of the day is what it is all about (IMHO). Now, for those that try too hard in portraying an image is pretty transparent and entertaining.. May I now ask: Why do you ride? It would make a great video, might be obvious, but it is a different answer for everyone. Great video, your are salt of the earth, and I find much character to your videos. thank you
Hey Itchy. I ride to sometimes escape the stresses of everyday life, which I am sure you can relate to. There is nothing like the feeling of freedom and independence of being on a motorcycle. You're so much more intimate with the road and surroundings than being in a cage, the smells, the wind, and sometimes the rain. The feeling that comes with nothing but your thoughts, the bike, and the open road is what really makes riding fun. Riding in groups brings a feeling of camaraderie and belonging that a person doesn't really get in normal day life. Hoping on the bike to just run up to the store is just fun as shit, why the hell go in a car? Anyway, thats the gist of it. Take care and I'll be watching for the new video!!
Hog Tyd good point I ride my bike to work every day and I ride to the store every day rain or shine now don't get me wrong I'm not no outlaw biker I ride with a group we go on rides every Tuesday
itchymoche you are correct about hard core bikers I have all kinds of family that are in mc outlaw clubs my grandpa opened one of the biggest outlaw clubs here in Michigan my cousin owns a club my uncle was a President of a outlaw club actually my grandpa built my first bike years ago a 1972 Harley Davidson sportster 900 chopper 7 foot springer front end witch I still have to this day right now it's at my grandparents in the shop so I ride my Suzuki gsx600f for the time being I am not part of a outlaw club but I do have a group I ride with we ride every Tuesday and a lot of us ride our bikes every day I ride my bike to work and to the store I even ride my bike to my DR's
Damn my t-shirt has been the wrong color all these years.
Define " hardcore", i'd describe myself as a fair weather motorcycle enthusiast, i'm a self employed truck driver in the uk who works every hour god sends for six months a year, i don't ride to work as i have too much tackle to carry round, the current bike, a Triumph, i've had for 18 years, i work on it myself and get out on it when i have the time. It goes in the garage end of Oct not to be seen again till April, during that time i head off to india for the winter which i've been doing for 35 years where i have two enfields in storage, one in Manali in the himalayas and one in goa, down in the southwest of the country, i spend six months riding round the himalayan mountains of the north, the central deserts and the tropics of the south, i've been in situations and over mountain passes ( not roads) in all conditions that many self proclaimed hardcore bikers would shit themselves at the thought of undertaking.
@@itchymoche If you ever have the opportunity to ride in the himalayas don't pass it up. i've ridden all over Europe, 26 states in America, from the west coast of Australia to the east coast crossing the nullarbor, all amazing fantastic trips but theres nowhere quite like the himalayas for true adventure.
Interesting..but I only show loyalty to myself..been screwed over by too many so called friends & ex-wifes
Curtis Zwilling yup
Ya know..... I agree with some of the things you said and some of them I don't. I do agree there is a lot of ( BIKERS ) out there that spent 20K on a bike and leathers and get it out when its nice out. but appearance doesn't have anything to do with it in my opinion. a real biker doesn't judge someone by what they look like and wear, they judge by how you act , treat people and ride. I might look like a poser. that's fine. im 23 , I have a 15K dollar bike. im bald with a beard and I wear American Eagle jeans. I keep my bike spotless but I ride it every single day its not a total pouring down wash , even though I have been known to go out in the rain on purpose some days. I go to bike nights. I buy HD shirts. but I ride my bike. im a mechanic for a living so nobody touches my bike but me. you said a lot of nice good things. but I don't think we can use appearance to decide on how ( BIKER ) someone is. hats off to the BMW guys who ride hard core. I respect those guys so much. being a biker isn't about the bike. its about what kind of person you are.
I hope i am gonna be somewhat of a hardcore biker! I got a lot of things checked already.
1 Non conformist, 2 bike as main vehicle (car is for long distances, not city trips) 3 Refuse to wear protective clothing (cause to warm, don't like it, constricting etc) I still have to get my license but i didn't wear the clothing once, i only put the chaps on once since it was raining (regretted it since it became dry and warm...)
4, i already find it pointless to spend money on expensive clothing, why in the world would i spend big money to advertise Harley?
5 trailering your bike? Hell when i buy my first bike i want to ride it home to! I don't care, if i get cramp in my leg i will just pause for like 10m and smoke a cigarette!
6 Main stream was never my think, i don't want to follow the stuck-up yuppie sheep.
7... Well i want a bobber, so.. yeah, my opinion is a hardcore biker should have a bobber/chopper, anything custom really, is good.
By the way having this summed all up, i don't really care for labels, i just think that i am gonna be ''hardcore'' Even though my bike is probably going to be a 80s Suzuki Vs700 bobber. I don't think owning a Harley is necessarily hardcore.
Anyway, enough with the labels, the video pretty much sums it up. Yuppies wear full protective clothing, have a full helmet on probably drive something boring like a sportstourer or something and don't get their hands dirty on the bike either. And... they probably work as an accountant or something other financial and/or nerdy.. Whaha.
I ride a BMW r1200rt with all the ce level 2 protection, from head to toe, which I like, "All the gear all the time". I couldn't give shit what "real bikers "think.. I ride for myself and my enjoyment. Who cares what others think, anyway?
I'm one of those " dirty bikers" of the 70s. It's not a fad. It's my lifestyle. My scooter is not a material possession or a status symbol. My scooter is the reason I do what I do. Imitation is a sincere flattery?
Oh shit ! I wear jeans (bought new blue and faded for real), a wrangler long sleeve shirt. And I wear cowboy boots (all my adult life). And a helmet and jacket when needed. Now everybody is going to think I am a hard core biker poser ! Oh what am I gonna do now ? I know, a ballerina tutu with 5" spike heels !!! Yea that's it !
while wearing an HD shirt... LOL :v love your vids
I am afraid i am Yuppie for sure, I ride Super Sport and i do not ride in wet/cold weather and garage my shit. I only put 400 miles on it last season. I only wear metal band shirts/jeans and i work and own a shop, only other thing i wear on me when i ride is my sidearm. I never clean my bike and it is matte black and shows dirt. I have the long hair/scruff and muscles and i have ink, but i also have a family and i only finish shit i do not start it.
Clothing, cash, Harley/Honda/Ktm/Enfield, beard/no beard, tattoos, whatever; A hard core biker wouldn't have a 4 wheeled vehicle. That is all.
BMW stickers or Harley stickers on my moped make up your mind dam it
Cozy Rules no
I am becoming. It's my only mode of transportation, I ride rain, snow, or shine. I'm a truck driver during the week. I work on my own bike because I want to know my ride inside and out. I still get nervous on the road though.. bunch of fricken idiots ya gotta watch for but, I'm used to it being a trucker. LMAO
2 wheels or 18 wheels, the only way I roll.
And smoking too
Hard/Core inside n out dress the part not the role. Lifestyle is your personal. 🌛♥️🌜
Oh shit, from what you described I'm a hardcore Biker! Oh the shame, how can I ever hold my head up again?! What the hell would my mom think if she knew??? Oh wait a moment, she already knew that before she passed.... But on the flip side she respected me and loved me unconditionally regardless of what her friends used to say, in fact she laid into their lame asses when they ran their mouths off and told them that she was proud of me regrardless of their ridculously ignorant opinions! God bless ya Mom, sure do miss you, you were the best I could ever ask for and more, much love for you, they broke the mold when you were born, but my wonderful loving wife and terrific 5 year old daughter are carrying on where you left off, I just wished you lived long enough to meet them, I'm sure you'd approve wholeheartedly! RIP Harriett, you can rest assured they aren't remotely like my ex wife or daughter was from my first marriage! I know my wife and daughter would've loved you dearly as much as I did.... 😁
Yeah. I guess it's a little late, but thanks for posting this video!
Where I live other people wear chaps. And they usually don't wear pants underneath. So. no. I don't wear chaps. White T-shirt. LOLOL I got a white T-shirt from a Coast Guard poker run. I do have the fonzie jacket though. In Texas I get to wear it a couple of days a year! My Valkyrie Just flipped the odometer. I got 101,000 miles. I put about 60 or so on it. I work on my own bike as much as I can. God made Valkyries, so luckily, that isn't much. Even though I've had experience with mororcycles since the '70s, I really became a "hard core biker" about 10-11 years ago. Not because of some mid-life crisis. Not because of a an addiction to Sons of Anarchy. It was because of the gas price spike. I have a 60 mile work commute in the 4th largest city in America.
I went from a 1400 intruder (now a project bike) to a Valkyrie.
LOL my wife's Toyota gets better mileage. But it still beats my suburban. What's really scary is you're basically describing....me. Tools.... yeah. Carrying a wrench around I even have an air compressor. You have another video out about clubs. The one percenters. Why would anyone in their right mind want to get involved in that? That's a bunch of drama I don't need. Plus I have this thing about people that try to tell me what I can and can't do. It's one thing to have to put up with some asshole telling you what to do to get a paycheck. I'll be damned if I'll pay monthly dues to have to put up with that in real life too. And if I want to ride a crotch rocket, I will. Actually crotch rockets are fun. Wouldn't want to have depend on one for daily usage though.
Too uncomfortable after a while and their maintenance makes an AMF hog look good..
Trailering.....
One of the problems with going long distances on a bike versus a car is the distance you can go in a day. I live in Houston. If I want to go on the one (california's highway) on my bike, I'd HAVE to trailer it just to get it there and back within a vacation schedule. The most miles I've done in one day on a bike is 450. A car? over 1,000. Factor in one or even two week's worth of vacation time and....trailer.
Thanks again for the video.
I ride everyday , everywhere . Have for years . But I wear a harley Davidson leather jacket . Guess I should lose it .
I really like your videos man.
I must not be a hardcore biker then because I'm an over-the-road truck driver so yeah I have to pay somebody to fix my bike when something is wrong with it I'm only home three days a month so I'm not going to spend those three days working on my motorcycle I spend them riding
Hmm, I currently ride a yamaha fjr, average about 14,000 miles a year, have riden from key west to bar harbor maine, from the grand canyon to the top of pikes peak, from 25 degrees to 100+ degrees. I do ride with a motorcycle jacket because I dont stop if it starts raining. You say appearance is last, but you sure talk about it alot. I work on it when needed, but one reason I ride a fjr is so that I don't have to tear it apart every week! One thing is, I ride, I don't worry about what others say.
Can I be a hardcore biker, huh, can I can I, huh, can I? I bought the costume and all the accessories; chaps, vest, engineer boots, bandana, black sunglasses, even knocked a couple teeth out my mouth for the look plus a fake limp like I crashed once. I don't shave anymore and only bathe once a week in the backyard with a garden hose and substitute my vocabulary with swear words so can I be a hardcore biker boy? I'll even trade my moped for a Cushman.
the pic at 7.18 has to be one of the scariest photo's of a MC member ever! I have the hair cut & my chains are less then half the size plus my arms haha. Ride hard roll free people....
Moors Hound What is your haircut?
At the time of writing my last comment I head a Short mohican but It's now a sharp jarhead type! always changing.
Its the Miles you ride the weather the kind of clothing you wear , I carry a old Duster for rain gear the oil skin is better than the slicker Harley has , I do not go POOF in the wind look like a marshmallow man Most times I hit rain I just have on my leather it gets wet I get wet , Hang it on a fence it will dry out overnight, I was with B&B sowing when I did AIM set up booth next to them Had Barb design a Harley embroidered patch for my leather she hung it up so everyone could see it and sold 40 patches in 3 days . I had more miles backing up than most have going forwards from 1990 to 2017 only thing I road was my bikes , I had a truck to get firewood and lumber . But road to work any day I could ride was a good day I still ride the bike to go get small stuff in 2 years I have put more miles on the bike than the truck , neither have went more that 10 thousand miles in 2 years Truck 750 miles Bike 8 thousand . I use to do 20 thousand a year in 2002 - 2012 . I was hard core 57 years old I will still ride the bike all winter go to the Dr office or store to get milk -20 You see me out on the bike , my Brother told ABATE JC is the only real biker here he rides his bike every day no matter the weather you all drive your cars to meetings, i jumped in said only thing i have is my bike the truck needs a clutch lol my old farm truck ran but for him to tell 20 drunk guys they are not bikers I seen a old man going to get beat lol . i sold my farm in 2017 i moved into town , so im 2 blocks from the store , not 20 miles . i quit drinking in 2014 no longer go to the bar or run to every weekender or poker run . I still do trips plan on one 2020 to yellowstone for 10 days july. you meet some good people on the road and some bad . life is a journey Ride Free .
Let me simplify it for you. A biker rides for the love of riding and probably rides as much as they can and when they can. A poser "rides" for some kind of social acceptance and only on the nicest of days. I've got the best gear I can afford and some if it says Harley and some doesn't, that's got nothing to do with it.......I turned the video off shortly after that statement...
I think I'm a Yuppy!!!!...lol
299 lol i paid 500 for my jacket but i never had a nice jacket, never had a new bike only ever rode shovelheads always carried tools , changed points on the side of the road many times , now i only really ride in fair weather , so i guess i was on the fence , but after i broke my back at the t4t5 level completely paralyzed from my upper chest down i got me an old shovel with a servi car rear end completely tore it down with help from my bros i made it my own completely one of a kind i would have to say im still hard core ,,, ride on ,,, ride on ,, #liferollson
Ronnie Ron anderson I ride wearing my full leather cow hide duster coat. Looking fuckin bad ass. With the leg straps concealing my sawed off shotgun. Don't Fuck with me.
thanks
I don't feel the need to justify myself to anyone. The more people want to pigeon hole the less I want to be a pigeon. Other pastimes, hobbies and lifestyles don't define who is "real" or not half as much as the biker community.
Damn i just about fit the bill, till you got to the fair weather part, i wreek yuppie LMAO. I got more face wrinkles than my parents, stick to night riding during the summer these days.
Parants died back in the 1990
Good en morning
what?nice garage,though.
ride the hell out of my bike brand new bike all ready have 11000 miles on it
Alles okay. Danke der Nachfrage. Grüße aus Bayern (Germany) von einem Night Train Fahrer. OK. Kein yuppie Biker. Sorry. ;-)
Money all I neeed
New yourk city bum for tin can motel