Yo! Hayadooin?
If I say the word, “Lore”, some of youse will hear, “Law”, some of youse will hear, “Lure” and some of
youse won’t understand what the hell I’m talking about. That’s why this article isn’t oral. Well, that’s
not the only reason. And don’t get me wrong, I love oral. I’m just sayin’. But, I digress….
I’m still not going to teach you the Patchholders-only, super-duper, highly classified, secret cabal,
decoder spy ring handshake, but I am going to lure you in, without breaking the law, and delve into
some of the more interesting aspects of Biker Folk Lore. I will tell you what I can about each one that I
can remember and for a few of them, shed some light on the truth or fiction about its validity.
Some you may have heard before. Some you may not. Some of them may be specific to a certain part
of the country that I was born in or lived in. “What!” you protest. “He’s not a native son of the Republic
of Texas?”
I know it’s hard to tell that by listening to me talk, but fahgedaboutit, it’s true. I got here as soon as I
could, though.
The dictionary dot com definition of “lore” is “the body of knowledge, esp. of a traditional, anecdotal,
or popular nature, on a particular subject”. This will be of the anecdotal variety of a particularly popular
topic among my circle of friends: Motorcycle people. So the key is, “ML stands for the Motorcycle
Lore”; “E” is the explanation; and “T” is the truth as I see it. Here goes nuthin’.
Hand Gestures
ML: There’s a secret hand gesture between bikers as they pass on the highway that’s more than just a
simple wave. Sometimes they use one finger or maybe two. Sometimes the hand is held down or at
their side and sometimes it’s held high. Sometimes they keep their hands still and other times they
wave them.
E: Not so much! If you see another bike, and you’re in the mood, you wave. If you get the wave off
late, it stays low; too early and you might shake your hand; don’t see the other bike or don’t feel like
waving and your hand stays low or on the handlebars.
T: There’s no secret hand gesture, no matter what people tell you, except if you feel like telling
someone coming the opposite direction that there is a cop on the road, you might wanna tap the top of
your head or helmet, mimicking the light bar on the top of a cop car. There is one other hand gesture,
but it’s no secret.
I Wanna Be a Harley Biker like Marlon Brando
ML: People saw “The Wild One” with Marlon Brando and saw that he was riding a Harley and wanted to
be cool like him, so they bought a Harley, too, and that’s why there are so many Harley riders.
E: Not so much! In the movie, Marlon Brando rode a Triumph and “The Wild Ones” was a gross
exaggeration of the actual events.
T: Harleys became popular because of the returning GI’s and their interest in the continuation of the
freedom, camaraderie and the discipline they found in the military.
Why Do People Put a Bell on Their Motorcycle
ML: There are two variations on this tradition. The first is to ward off road gremlins. The second is that
a bell is given to a rider who has recently crashed and lived to tell about it. The bell is a reminder to be
careful. Whichever one is for you, the bottom line is that the bell should only be received as a gift.
E: While not everyone believes in Gremlins, it’s still sort of like the ball player that doesn’t change his
socks because they bring him luck or the fan who always wears his green underwear inside out before a
big game. Either way, you don’t get it for yourself, though. If it’s superstition, then you need to stay
within tradition. If it is crash related, do you really wanna take the chance?
T: I don’t take chances with Road Gremlins, so make up your own mind.
A Green Motorcycle is Considered Unlucky
ML: The superstition is that if you ride a green motorcycle you will suffer bad luck.
E: The story goes that motorcycles carrying important papers during WWII were painted military green,
therefore the riders were big green targets for the enemy wanting to steal those papers. If you ride a
green motorcycle you will suffer the same fate as the WWII GIs, who were targeted and shot.
T: I don’t take chances with Road Gremlins.
Some Bikes are Known as Widow Maker Bikes
ML: If you were to get a bike that someone got killed on then you will probably be killed on it, too. Even
if parts were taken from that bike and installed on yours, the parts still carry the curse.
E: This superstition would have you believe that once a person has been killed on a motorcycle, that
bike is cursed forever and you will suffer the same fate as the original owner.
T: On the other hand, I was taught that if a brother gets killed on his motorcycle his soul lives on
through his gear and his parts, so installing those parts; or wearing his chaps or vest or jacket; will allow
his spirit to watch over you. I guess this one is a personal or location choice.
Putting Your Helmet on the Ground in Front of Your Bike is Bad Luck
ML: If you put your helmet on the ground in front of your bike when everything is fine with the bike,
you will cause a problem with the bike or cause it to break down.
E: From the bygone days of yester-year, some organization came up with the brilliant idea that if you
were stuck on the side of the road, if you put your helmet down in front of your bike, it was supposed to
be a sign that your bike was broken down and you were hoping someone would stop and help you.
Therefore, if you don’t need help, saying that you do, by putting your helmet down in that manner, was
bringing bad mojo on yourself and bad luck to your bike.
T: The “sign” never took hold, because most people were going so fast down the highway that they
might see the bike; and possibly the rider; but no one ever saw the helmet, sitting in the front of the
motorcycle, in front of the front tire, on the ground, on the shoulder of a highway, in time to do
anything about it! Put your helmet wherever you want.
Wearing a Chain on Your Boot Means You Are a Criminal
ML: The story is that people who were “on paper” (probation or parole), would wear a dog chain
around their boot. Therefore, those with chains on their boots had, at a minimum, been arrested.
E: People who were on probation or parole would remind themselves of being “chained” to the legal
system by wearing a dog chain around their boot. It might have started out that way, but it’s not always
a good practice to show people that you’re on paper, especially if you’re on a run which takes you over
the county line. Most Judges and POs don’t allow their charges to leave the immediate area, as a
condition of their probation or parole. Besides, it’s doubtful that Christina Aguilera is on probation. Or
Madonna. Or Cher. Well, maybe Cher. It’s sort of become a fashion statement for celebrities and
others to wear chains on their boots. And fancy ones, too.
T: I do not know anyone who has practiced this tradition in about 10 years; maybe more.
Pull Over and Rest Your Motorcycle at 1000 miles, 10,000 miles and 100,000 miles
ML: She has served you well, cranking up each morning and going where you steer her. So every so
often, when you hit certain milestones, you need to pull over to the side of the road, no matter where
you’re going, and let her rest.
E: Another one of those older traditions, probably from the days when you needed to cool an air cooled
engine down from riding and getting hot; or to change the oil; or to add more oil. Not so much these
days, as every 3000 miles for an oil change and at specific intervals for tune ups and factory requested
check-ups.
T: I have to admit, I still do this. I pull over at 1000 and again at 10,000. If I make it to 100,000 I’ll pull
over for that milestone as well. And I’ve done it on my other bikes through the years as well. But that’s
because I don’t like to take chances with the Road Gremlins.
You Should Never Wear Your Colors While in a Cage
ML: Wearing your Colors in a car, bus, truck or van (any cage) is bad luck.
E: Since your Colors say, “MC” on them, you should not wear them while in a 4 or more wheeled
vehicle. If you were supposed to wear them in a cage they would say, “CC”. Because they say, “MC”
and not, “CC” if you wear your Colors in a cage you are challenging the motorcycle gods and that could
be very bad for you the next time you go for a ride on your motorcycle.
T: I was taught that if you’re in a cage you should carry your Colors with you, but not on you. You can
put them on when you get out, but not while you are actually in the cage. I always take my Colors off
when I climb into a cage. I don’t like tempting the Road Gremlins!
A Man Never Sits On Another Man’s Bike
ML: The only time a man should ever sit on another man’s bike is if he has permission, he has enough
cash in his pocket to buy it or his motorcycle has broken down and his brother has offered him a lift
home.
E: Well, you just don’t go and sit on someone else’s motorcycle. Motorcycles are about as personal a
personal item as you can get. And you don’t ask, either. If you don’t get invited to do it, just keep
moving along. If I wanted to have sex with your wife would it be all right with you? What if I asked first?
Does that make the idea any better? What if you came home and saw your wife in bed, naked, with me
sitting astride her having myself a grand old time? Now you can imagine how a guy’s gonna feel if he
comes out of the bar and sees you sitting on his motorcycle. Yeah. Not a good idea.
T: You probably have a better chance of sleeping with my wife than of sitting on my bike. Especially
since I will probably end up sleeping on the couch for a few weeks after my wife reads this article.
However, with so many rubs out there these days, this tradition might be a bit diluted among some
groups and you might be able to swing a few invitations or get away with a few requests, as long as you
don’t mind a few shiners along the way.
There’s Only 2 Reasons for a Woman to Sit on Someone’s Bike
ML: The only two reasons a woman should ever sit on someone else’s bike is if she’s looking to sleep
with the owner or she’s looking to buy it for her husband.
E: “That is so sexist!” But that has been the thinking. Women didn’t ride, except for on the back. And
as personal as a bike is to the owner, that p-pad is just that personal to the owner’s old lady. She
doesn’t want anyone else sitting on her husband any more than she wants someone else sitting on her
p-pad. And since guys with Harleys always get the prettiest women, if you wanna climb on the back of
his bike, you need to be ready to do the Horizontal Hokey Pokey.
T: Lots of women ride their own bikes these days, plus women’s rights and harassment laws have come
a long way, so don’t go thinking you’re gonna buy a bike and start bossing women around.
Guys with Harleys Always Get the Prettiest Women
ML: If you ride a Harley, you’ll have your pick of the litter. Guys with Harleys always have hot biker
bitches and hard bodies hanging around, who love to expose their breasts, and who put out for anyone
with a Harley.
E: Women love bikes, tattoos and bad boys. There are always lots of hard bodies hanging around where
ever there are motorcycles. The media is happy to show you all the topless women they ogled at the
latest bike rally or party. Just add it up.
T: Look, some girls like bikes and some don’t. Some girls like tattoos and some don’t. Some girls like
bad boys and some don’t. Some girls even like guys who ride rice rockets for some reason. Thank
goodness that some don’t. Good looking women are everywhere. If you’re a single dweeb who lives
with his mother and you never come out of your bedroom because you need to get to the next level of
WoW, and you think that buying a bike will help you get laid, then you’ve lost your mind. Or have you?
Latin Steel FireBam