THE BIKERS CODE®

THE BIKERS CODE®

It used to be that all bikers shared a common bond, an unspoken code of respect, loyalty, ethics, and integrity that transcended words and was built on actions.

There was never a bible written on the code, 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 cruisin' or 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 lawyer and may be wearin’ a rolex watch under his or her leathers.

There's nothing wrong with that, so long as these new riders learn the code just as we old-timers did.

Being a biker used to be about using your creativity to take a basket case old hawg and using only grit and ingenuity, turning it into a one of a kind eye dazzler, then risking your life on the asphalt on a bike you built yourself out of pride.

You wrenched your own bike, ‘cause no one else was gonna do it for ya.

Bikers wore leather and grease 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 disrespect from anybody.

As an “old scooter bro” once said, "it's every tramp's job to school the young, and teach‘em to never disrespect the brotherhood/sisterhood, or they’ll never live long enuff to figure out how to change the oil on their brand new motorcycle."

With that in mind, we bring you a primer on the basic bikers code.

Take heed, brothers and sisters, for our code is a hallowed one filled with respect, honor, 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 disrespect, be kind to elderly people, women, children and animals, but don't put up with any disrespect.

This is an essential part of being a biker.

It has to do with personal honor.

Anyone can be a quick-tempered fool… be cool, stand tall, 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.

Bikers know his or her word is their bond.

Your word is all you have in life that is truly yours.

Guard it carefully and 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 there with bike thieves.

Don't snitch, unless it involves someone harming a child, and then only if you can’t handle it yourself.

Otherwise if you see a wrong, fight it yourself, if you are about anything you'll take care of problems yourself, and never feel the need to snitch someone off.

Don't whine.

Absolutely no one likes or respects a whiner, and no one cares to hear it. Another way to say this is “take charge and get on with life”.

Still another way to think of it is, "don't sweat the small stuff" 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 shows weakness and a biker never gives up.

help others. When a brother or sister is broken down by the side of the road, always stop and help 'em.

Even moral support, if that is all you can give, is better than riding on by.

And 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.

Remember life is about the journey, the ride, not getting there.

You already are there.

And don't just help bikers; show the world that we are better than our image portrays us.

Courtesy costs you nothing and it brings honor and respect to the biker family.

Stick to your guns.

Do what you say you'll do, be there when you say you will.

This is called integrity.

This also goes back to standing for something.

Old school brother once said “we're all going to die, so make sure you die for something worth dyin’ for, if you are 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 and bikers don't stand around waiting for the party to come to them.

You only go around once.

Tomorrow you could be road kill, thanks to a cell phone user texting at the wheel of his or her cage.

Live life now, make the most of each moment ‘cause as a biker this moment could be the rest of your life.

All right, now let's review.

You are a biker, a modern-day knight of the road. Never trust anyone, not even the family, unless proven.

Women and children 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.

Stick to your guns.

Don't put up with disrespect.

Life is not a drill, and the code is not about a brand, it’s about the brotherhood and sisterhood.

Now go forth and ride.

When in doubt, ride.

If you want to ride around in a day-glo hawaiian shirt and sandals, go for it, but if you intend to look like an idiot, at least don't act like an idiot.

these commandments are just a few of the broad strokes of "the bikers code", there is a lot more to being a biker than buying a bike.

If you just buy a bike, you are a motorcyclist.

Being a biker is a way of life, a proud way of life that we hold in high regard with a burning passion for the open road, and we carry the bikers code within our hearts wherever we ride.