Its not as easy a question as it sounds. To some civilians, a Biker is a bad guy.  Sure, if any of these folks saw the movie Wild Hogs, they may have changed their minds, but some still think we Bikers are villains.
   I even knew a guy who rode a Harley daily but insisted he was a motorcycle enthusiast, not a Biker.  I was always offended by that remark.  He meant being a Biker was a bad thing, so he wasn’t one.  But, to me a Biker is someone who loves his ride and rides it a lot.  I wanted to tell that guy that denial is a river in Egypt, not a place for him to live in, but he out-weighed me by an easy 120 pounds so I elected to send him a letter later.  Bikers are considered by many to be bad guys, ruffians (does anyone use that word anymore?) and outlaws.  Being a “Biker” is not a bad thing.  And belonging to a motorcycle club is also not a bad thing.
   Some people use the words “club” and “gang” intermixed, as though there were no difference.  There is a big difference between a motorcycle “club” and a “gang”.  Gangs are gangs not matter how they get around.  A gang on motorcycles is no different than a gang in cars or running the streets.  Clubs are positive signs of brotherhood and respect where gangs usually run on intimidation and paranoia.  Ever notice how gang bangers take each other out faster than the cops can?  Bikers in clubs are solidified, they are not each others enemies.  But people, even law enforcement types often use the word “gang” when they are referring to a club.
   But don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying its all bad to have civilians think we’re tough guys, outlaws or worse.  But honestly its just not true.  Very few motorcycle clubs are gangs and very few motor-cyclists are gangsters.  Although I’m not the first one to make this statement.  Back in1947 at the event in Hollister, California, where many believe the folklore of the “Biker” was born, it is said this “outlaw” determination was born.
   If you’ve been on Mars, you may not know the story.  A motorcycle racing circuit was holding an event outside of Hollister.  A few motorcycle clubs showed up to join in on the fun.  To understand their actions, you have to understand who these Bikers were.  Most were young men.  Most were WWII vets, many decorated, combat vets.  Battle weary returning G.I.s who didn’t have support groups or medical services to help them deal with the lingering effects of close-up warfare.  Some of these Vets, not ready to settle down, banned together and found excitement in a legal form, riding their motorcycles.  In fact their motorcycles were often like them, surplus from the war. 
   Meanwhile, back in Hollister, the motorcycle club members weren’t part of the organizing circuit racing group so they elected to hold their own races downtown, with the help of a local lawman, (a fact left out later).  What started out as a little racing down the main street, lead to a media hyped and staged story about a “gang” of Motorcyclists that had taken over the town.  Yes, there was some racing, a bike or two ended up in-doors and there was a vehicle accident in the street.  Reporters, looking for a more juicy story, staged some photos and got creative with their story telling.  Remember, back in the late forties there was no difference  in the print media, they were all tabloids back then.  People across the nation got upset when they read the stories in National magazines and Hollywood, always trying to stay current, saw an opportunity to make a buck that culminated in the Wild One movie.  The movie cemented the ridiculous stories the press had generated and the folklore was born.
   It seemed everyone’s reaction to the events at Hollister added to the legend rather than helping find the truth.  The race circuit organizers were quick to point out that all Bikers weren’t bad, just that few “bad apples” that the organizers referred to as just one percent.  Meanwhile, Bikers who felt a bit outside of society embraced the name “One percenter”.
You will even hear some clubs called outlaws.  There are motorcycle clubs that self proclaim they are outlaw clubs, but this designation isn’t due to criminal activities as much as it is a statement of non-conformity and rebellion.  One such club member told me he considered his club an “outlaw” club because that is how they have been treated by the Government and society since back in the seventies.  Others seem to be more outcasts from society and politically incorrect souls than practicing outlaws.
   To this day the Biker community still uses the expression “one percenter” to designate the true outlaw Bikers from the ‘want-to-bes’.  But there are very few bad guys and biker gangs out there.  Yes, there are no-nonsense men who ride bikes, non-conforming men who don’t try to please.  But few Bikers are members of “gangs” and its an insult to call a motorcycle club, one that is based on brotherhood and respect, a gangster organization.
   So, back to the beginning, what is a Biker?  There a lot of answers that are correct and conflicting at the same time.  To most of us, a Biker is someone who doesn’t just own a motorcycle for sunny Sundays and around town riding, he is serious about riding, but he also owns a car today (he may not have back when he was a young man riding his first bike).  Bikers love to ride, as much as they can, some ride a lot more than others.  They enjoy the trip more than the destination, they respect each other and don’t have anything to prove, they are who they are.  They enjoy life.  But they are a group that does not take kindly to being told what to do, what you think of what they look, act or sound like.  I once heard a guy on a Harley who had his near-teenage son with him ask several other Bikers if they could not use the F word as his kid was there.  One of the other Bikers said, “You shouldn’t have brought him then, what did you expect?”  and we all agreed, as did the requestor after giving it some thought.
   Bikers are very diverse but the same in that they mostly have a large disdain for B.S. and I may be reaching that point now, so I’ll stop writing.

Biker Bob