It’s probably no secret that there are large parts of society that take a rather dim view of people who ride motorcycles. We bikers have had a pretty bad reputation over the years thanks to depictions in the media, films, and certain biker gangs that have a criminal element to them.
Bikes are also seen as being inherently dangerous vehicles. Riders are seen a being reckless and dangerous themselves too. Although a lot of what people who don’t really know much about biking believe is misinformation based on ugly stereotypes, there’s a kernel of inconvenient truth to it all too.
You see, every time a motorcyclist goes out on the road and causes trouble it makes every decent biker look bad. It makes local law enforcement less friendly to all of us and it may actually put the lives of other bikers at risk, as motorists are quicker to anger when it comes to mistakes made by people on bikes.
Since you are on my site, you are probably relatively new to the world of motorcycles, so I thought that maybe it’s still early enough to share some insight with you when it comes to biking as a whole. Each of us are doing all of the motorcycling world a disservice when we look bad in the public eye, so here are some basic tips on how not to be a jerk when you’re out on a bike.
Alcoholica
This can’t be said enough. Alcohol and motorcycles DO NOT MIX. I’m never going to tell you how to spend your free time, but if you are over the legal limit your bike should stay where it is. One of the ugliest stereotypes is that of the drunken biker, and there is no argument that can be made to justify swinging into the saddle when you are over the legal limit.
It doesn’t matter what you biker friends say, you just can’t ride if you are drunk. At best you’ll make a fool or yourself and at worst you’ll cause a tragedy. You should also check out my article about some of the most common bike accidents and how you can avoid them.
Seriously, don’t drink and ride.