Used to be all bikers shared a common bond, and unspoken code of respect, loyalty, and integrity that transcended words, and was built on actions.
There was never a bible written on this code, and there was no need for such. 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 road 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 a lawyer, and may be wearin’ a Rolex watch under his or her leathers.
There’s nothing wrong with that, as long as these new riders learn the code, just as us 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 riding a bike on the asphalt you built yourself, out of pride, and bikers wrenched their own bikes, ‘cause no one was gonna do it for ’em.
Bikers wore leather because they knew cagers would just as soon run them down as look at ‘em, 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), other than one another we had no one, and when we called a man brother, or a woman sister, we meant it.
We made it in a world of our own, against all rules, mainstream society, and against all odds. We survived and prospered because we had a code, the bikers code, and we never took bullshit or disrespect from anybody.
As an old scooter bro once said, “It’s every tramps job to school the young, and teach ‘em to never disrespect the brotherhood, are they’ll never live long enuff to figure out how to change the oil in their brand new motorcycle.”
With that in mind, the following is “the basic bikers code.”
Take heed brothers and sisters, for our code is a hallowed one, filled with respect and loyalty, a bond between our brothers and sisters, the likes of which have not been since the days of knighthood:
Don’t take any bullshit, be kind to women, children and animals. Never suck-up to the rich, and never talk down to the poor, but don’t take disrespect from anyone. This is an essential part of being a biker. It has to do with personal honor.
Remember anyone can be a quick-tempered fool… Be cool, stand tall, and backup what you say with action.
Never cheat, lie or steal. Another way of saying this is to always be honest with your brothers and sisters of the biker nation.
Bikers know his or her word is their bond. Your word is all you have in life that is truly yours. Guard it carefully, be something noble, for you are a member of a family that will stand shoulder to shoulder with you through all hardships and struggles.
Snitches are the lowest life forms on earth, right up their with bike thieves. Don’t snitch, unless it involves someone harming a child. If you see a wrong fight it yourself, or take it to your biker family.
Don’t whine. Absolutely no one likes a whiner, and no one cares to hear it. Another way to say this is “Take charge, and get on with life.” Most of life’s little inconveniences work themselves out whether you whine or not. Keep your chin up, dammit! You’re a biker, not some lowly snail.
Never say die, and never give up. Whether it’s in a fight, a debate, or a curve too tight, no matter how bad it gets, a biker never gives up.
Help other bikers. When a brother or sister is broken down by the side of the road, always stop and offer them help. Even moral support, if that is all you can give, is better than riding on by.
And don’t just help bikers; show the world bikers are better than the way Hollywood and the news media portrays us. Courtesy costs you nothing, but it brings honor and respect to the biker nation.
Never ride off and leave anyone you rode out with, if they break down you pull over and wait. Come hell or high water, bikers do not abandon a brother or sister.
Do what you say you’ll do, be there when you say you will. Stick to your word, this is called integrity.
This also goes back to standing for something. An Old school bro once said, “We’re all going to die, so make sure you die for something worth dyin’ for, if you’re right, stand your ground.”
Life is not a drill. Yeah, this ain’t no dress rehearsal, this is life, so go out and take big bites of it. You’ve got no time to lose, bikers don’t stand around waiting for the party to come to them. You only go around once. Live life now, make the most of each moment, because as a biker this very moment could be the rest of your life.
All right now let’s review. The Bikers Code is about respect & loyalty, both are earned. Never trust anyone, not even family, unless proven. Women, children, and the elderly are not to be abused. Never talk down to the poor, and never suck up to the rich. Protect the weak.
Walk tall and stand proud. Your word is your bond, so stick to your guns. The code is not about brand, it’s about brotherhood and sisterhood. You’re a biker, a modern-day knight of the road. Now go forth and ride. When in doubt, ride. That’s what bikers do… bikers ride. If you wanna ride around in a Day-Glo Hawaiian shirt wearing sandals, go for it, but if you intend to look like an idiot, at least don’t act like a fool.
Remember, being a biker is a way of life that bikers
hold in high regard, with a burning passion for the open road, never allow that flame to be put out by anyone or anything.
This is just a few broads strokes of The Bikers Code, there is a lot more to being a biker than buying a
motorcycle. If you just buy a motorcycle, you’re a motorcyclist.
–Bikers United
We are a new concept to the biker/motorcycle world. We are an umbrella and here to walk beside every club to individual riders to biker business. Helpful voice to every single rider.
Hope you follow us back! -Kathryn Anne Co-Owner of We Are Bikers – Where Bikers Unite
–from Rogue
Senior Editor
