Day 18 Motorcycle Mystique Revealed

Day 18 Biker Brotherhood, originally uploaded by Gail S.

I want to give you some insight into what I call the "motorcycle mystique" based on my personal experiences and observations over the past few years. Who knows? I might shed some light on questions that have been keeping you awake at night.

When we purchased our Honda VTX 1800 Retro, we became automatic members of the Biker Brotherhood. There is no application, there's no membership fee, there's no initiation ritual. The closest thing we have to a secret handshake is the biker greeting. Members of the brotherhood greet each other when we pass on the road with the low profile wave seen in the photo above. Why the low profile wave? If you wave at shoulder height à la the beauty queen wave, your hand is caught by the wind which can jerk your hand backward and create instability. The low wave is safer and looks cool.

Aside from the cool greetings, the best thing about being in the brotherhood is knowing that bikers stop to help other bikers, even when you just LOOK like you might need help. On day 3 of our trip when we pulled over to look at the map, a local biker (who was driving a pickup truck) stopped to check on us. It's comforting to know that the Biker Brotherhood has our back.

Day 18 Do-Rags, originally uploaded by Gail S.

So, what's with the unattractive things bikers wear on their heads under their helmets? Do-rags (short for hairdo rags) serve several purposes for those who ride motorcycles. According to our neighbor and motorcycle mentor, Terry, a do-rag keeps your helmet from getting "funky" because it absorbs sweat. For those with longer hair, the do-rag keeps hair from slapping you in the face and getting tangled in the helmet visor. Once the helmet is removed a biker exhibits helmet hair - flattened and disheveled, and may prefer to wear the do-rag while off the bike. Sid was wearing his do-rag at a restaurant when a little boy approached him and asked, "Are you a pirate?" Of course, lots of people who are not on motorcycles use do-rags for many reasons.

So, what about the black motorcycle clothing? It makes practical sense. Any period of time on the road results in road dust and dirt on the clothing. I wore a pale green shirt on a ride one day. By the time we stopped for lunch I looked like the character Pigpen from the old Peanuts comic strip!

And, why are there skulls, skeletons, the Grim Reaper, flames and cross bones on motorcycle gear? I believe this is a holdover from the old skool notion that motorcycle riders are gang members who carry out widespread violence, drug dealing, trafficking in stolen goods, and extortion. Although this notion is not true, the "bad ass" aura is perpetuated by these images and might be a little bit titillating to the solid citizens who make up the majority of riders today. Please note that my do-rags (shown above) reflect smiley faces, yin & yang, stars & stripes, and an eagle.