Biker Fraternity

There is an instinctive bond between bikers- a biker fraternity. A sub-culture complete with its own vocabulary and culture. Something that I never realized would be there before I got on the road, but something that has proven to be one of my favorite experiences.

Besides the fact that there is something special about being on a motorcycle in the first place; there is something special about being on a motorcycle amongst cars. It is true that strength comes in numbers, but solidarity is a prize of the minority. What Bikers lack in numbers they make up for in a stong sense of community.

Dad always said that if there were a couple of bikes in front of a restaurant, there was good food inside. There will almost certainly be somebody inside that will start up a conversation at the drop of a hat as well.

Bikers always have something to talk about because they are traveling for the experience and the destination. Even the superficial conversation about where you're from, where you're going, and what you're riding is more interesting and actually informative.

Something about being on a bike draws the general public in. I don't know how many times I have caught people rubbernecking as I pass. Some stare longingly, and some try to quietly sneak a peak as if cheating off of a classmate's paper. People are genuinely curious about what I have seen that day. They assume that whatever I have seen, or wherever I am going, it has to be better than their work-a-day world.

Then there is the biker wave. In its simplest form is simply dropping the left arm down and toward the opposite lane of travel. It seems that everybody has their own unique style. Some throw out a horizontal peace sign, some point down at the road, some cup the air, some put out a fist, and some make a sideways military salute motion. My style vacillates depending on my mood, but is usually kind of an open loose cup of the wind.