What exactly is meant when bikers, specifically cruiser style bikers, say they "live by their own rules" and they they have "freedom"?

I know you will hear the standard "if you had to ask you won't understand" cliché line but really, what exactly do they mean by that and how does that apply to them anymore than does anybody else?

I never understood their meaning behind such juvenile statements, Unless it's merely a bonding, cliché statement with no basis in reality

I think you'll have to ask someone who believes that, and lives it.

A Hells Angel comes to mind... and they would prolly kick my ass for asking.

Ask yourself, why do you ride. There's your answer.

I think anyone who says that is dreaming. I'm not involved in any criminal activity but I sure have done my share of not so legal riding. Riding however you want to is exhilarating but the part about watching out for police certainly puts a damper on the feeling of freedom.

Most bikers who say they have this lifestyle are just sorta pretending. Most of them are wannabes anyway. That's ok if that's appealing to them. I have different motorcycle dreams. I can't fulfill all them but they are fun to have.

I agree with everything Rook wrote.

That's why I consider it important to ask someone who "walks the walk", not just talks it. But, be careful what you ask for, you might just get it (a beating).

I think the so called "bikers" have high-jacked motorcycling to some extent,
the freedom part, is just the feeling of riding, not being in a steel cage,
the "live by their own rules" is an outlaw mentality, that is not part of
real motorcycling, we all would like to legally ride our bikes to the limits
SOMEWHERE on the roads, but we have no designated areas like the Autobahn in
Germany.

When a "biker" says he wants to "live by his own rules" what he is really saying
is he doesn't want to live by society's rules, that is, if he is a HA type,
he wants to break the laws in several areas, such as drugs, extortion, theft, murder etc ..

This has NOTHING to do with true motorcycling, and more to do with anarchy ....

Just my 2 cents ...

* Last updated by: carabuser on 2/12/2015 @ 9:22 AM *

What IS a 'biker' lifestyle?It's different for everyone.Freedom can had riding a moped.I think what we surround ourselves with in our daily life is what we are.If we like sportbikes...that's OUR 'biker' lifestyle.How we feel about riding...that's what's really important(to me).Why are we riding?To present an image?To go out and feel excited to ride a hyperbike?To feel good about having to use skills to operate a bike?Or is it to show others we're tough,or superior.I ride cause I love to feel the technology I'm on go through it's paces.And that's my freedom.Not anything else really.These modern sportbikes are amazing really.So I guess in that sense,I do feel 'special'.In a small way.But that's not really why I ride.

When I was a kid,I had a taco minibike.I used to love the feeling of going down a trail with the weeds and such rushing by me.Just me and my surroundings.I still feel that when on my bike.It's great...that feeling.Everything else...traffic,worries,all that takes a back seat when it's just me and my bike.Out there...watching the eagles soar above...the clouds...beautiful landscapes.That's my 'biker' lifestyle.

The whole idea of a 'biker' lifestyle really is kinda silly IMO.If you ride a bike,you're a biker.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 2/12/2015 @ 9:09 AM *

Well, around here all the "rugged independant " bikers all wear the same black t- shirts, leather chaps, leather vest and beanie helmet. They are more alike than high school girls.. God forbid one of them actually wear a full face helmet, blasphemy!!!!

Mad

The only thing "biker" in my life style is the bikes I happen to ride and own. I don't attend rallies, events or motorcycle shows. I get out and tear up some streets. Helps with stress and makes me feel like a kid again. Enjoy riding with a few dudes up here and that's it.

So +2 with Nasty. Ask yourself why u ride. And there u go.

* Last updated by: Wolfman on 2/12/2015 @ 9:26 AM *

I'll be as to say that if I buy an H2,that is if I have any money left after the divorce

I'll take your BST's if they are in immaculate shape....

It makes me think back when I first started biking. It meant that you belonged to a brotherhood that didn't judge, no matter what you rode, how you partied, what you wore, who your girl was, as long as you rode a bike. When I went to rallies it was a place to let your hair down, and maybe just forget about the outside world for a while.
It's changed over the years, with some real "posers" taking on the slogan. I've seen some guys here that buy their first Harley, buy all the clothes and praphanalia, and now they think they are hardcore bikers to the bone. Living the free life. Even If it's only for 2 hrs on a Sunday morning. Maybe it makes them think they are tough I don't know.
I suppose that's what makes biking so interesting.

I ride therefore I am.
Live and let live.
Or should I say ride and let ride.

That's all.

* Last updated by: yannih on 2/13/2015 @ 2:33 AM *

I agree with Rook as well

From what I've seen, heard , and read, the biker lifestyle really means nothing more than someone -wanting- to present themselves as a rebel that lives on the fringes of society's laws.

But in reality, if you try to -actually- live that way, you will be homeless or incarcerated. Lol

I see it was the "I wanna be something I can't really be" ramblings of an adult with an underdeveloped mind, given that so many grown men and women actually believe they "live by their own rules". It's comedic if you try to take them as seriously as they want you to take them.

If they are in ok shape (not suitable to Beast) I'd like your BST's...

I like Yan's philosophical stance, "I hooligan, therefore I am!"

Let's face it some of us would love no legal jobs, wild hair, carefree responsibilities and living large on the thug life. But at 42 jail is unattractive and I can only mow down a dozen women before I must sleep. In my twenties that lifestyle might have been cool. Today it's 3 night rides a week, and daily rides to and from work.
Sigh!!!!!

* Last updated by: Wolfman on 2/12/2015 @ 2:52 PM *

The Wolf rules. Period!

Love the pic Wolf. Let me guess. Right after the picture was taken, that lil urchin with the EVIL grin pushed your ass over on the bike. Bwahwhahahahaha! Damn these kids!

Mad

Speaking of such, I used to love the new Z 1000 until I saw it next to the older model side-by-side

I think I like the older model better to me, at least from the face and partial fairing area. the new model looks too petite and frail compared to the big beefy, Judge Dred look of the previous. (I had a 2012 Z1000 that I traded for my big Ninja, as you all know)

* Last updated by: ZX14MAN64 on 2/12/2015 @ 2:00 PM *

Wolfs blood is an eerie lime green color, in case you all didn't know.

When I hear people talking about the "biker lifestyle" I immediately think of the V twin riders. I'm not sure sport bike riders fall in the same category and I personally don't identify with HD crowd, and I've had a couple of them. Am I a biker, yep, have been since I got my first license at age 14, is it a "lifestyle," nope, it's a passion!!! I think sport bike riders are a different breed, more technically and performance oriented. IMHO

Good input. To summarize, I guess a biker "lifestyle" from a Cruiser biker standpoint consists of going on three rides a week that culminate in a keg party at the clubhouse. LoL
I fail to see how that kinda thing encompasses a "lifestyle of freedom"

But maybe there is more to it than we realize. Not the 1 percenters but your average cruiser Gang type biker. Must be something more to it that is hidden to the common man. Cause there can't be that many grown adults with the mentality of a teenager. Can there?

Guess it means different things to different people depending on what is important to them. Are there a lot of "wanna be" HD riders, yeah probably, do they have a teenager mentality, I think that depends on how many beers they've tossed back. I've seen a LOT of "grown adults" do some pretty stupid stuff, I refer to it as "global shallowing of the gene pool" a VERY real occurance!

ZX I most certainly agree with the "three rides a week and keg party." LOL

Personally I'll stick with what I love and let others do the same, life is to short and I want to make the most of what I have left!

Being able to choose a "lifestyle" is the very epitome of freedom. That said, the freedom real outlaws speak of is not to be confused with the freedom most law-abiding motorcyclists think about...

The very fact that we own a zx12 zx14 or zx14r means we live the biker life style.
Most (lol) of us are up standing citizens and put in our 40 hours a week. But we DO ride a hyper bike.
Means we accelerate faster then most $100,000 and up super cars. The fact that we accelerate from 0 to 60 in under 3 seconds, society puts us in the reckless driving category. The fact we can go over 100 mph in second gear and have 4 gears remaining puts us in the crazy category, again societies standard.
We watch on the news, a car chase where the reporter talks that police were traveling 100 mph, again second gear for us, was extremely dangerous and life threatening.
This is something we routinely do for FUN!!
SO I say YES we do live the bikers lifestyle.....
It just happens to based upon a Kawasaki Ninja be it a 6, 10, 12, 14 or 14R

Zx 14r - check
Zx 12r - check
=
Biker Lifestyle

Me like.
Hooligan lifestyle yes, Biker lifestyle not so sure.

I believe most of us are Hooligans, like Young Turks, we look to drive at normal speeds, but when the opportunity to wheelie, do burnouts or race off at blistering speeds presents - we take it. We rep, we ride, we detonate, we destroy. We come home from bike night, kiss our kids, make love to our woman and get up the next day to ride to work. For many of us on the highways, alleys and streets are our playgrounds. Many enjoy the big bikes as they believe, while on it, they are kings(maybe this is reaching a bit), "Whatever Cesar wants, he takes..." We live within city limits, but playfully indulge in some innocent recklessness.

I think biker associations are more about cruiser bikes, rejecting society's legal structures, long hair, freedom (to ride, bear arms), sharing mama's, and living by an outlaw code. This style of living includes, parties, heavy metal and recreational to indulgent drug use. This is "stereotypically" what most conceptualize when thinking biker - "lifestyle." Or so I think.

I think we are more like enthusiasts, and talented racers (on and off the street) than pot-bellied, leather clad, hords of the middle age with tattoo billboards of club associations and allegiance. What we do share is the desire to enjoy sexi-tatted women, lol.

* Last updated by: Wolfman on 2/13/2015 @ 4:42 AM *