I am both proud and honored to be part of the motorcycle community. Those of us whom experience “Splitting the Wind” need to own who we are and what we offer.
Many of us who ride are misunderstood by so many outside our community. Many who see motorcycles have a preconceive notion of what we represent, or what we are.
My wife is a school teacher and has been teaching for more than 17 years. I myself, before we purchased Moto-Tec Products from a family member, had a career in dental for 29 years. Many of the people with whom we ride are veterans, as am I, hard working contributing members of society, peace officers, doctors, lawyers, and independent small business owners.
Each and everyone of us have had that experience that forever changed us. We ride because of the feeling, the emotional response that we experience when we ride, the freedom and the thrill of power with control are only but the beginning of the experience.
One thing that each and everyone of us realizes is, how although solo on a bike, we are connected to the community. We reinforce this every time we encounter an approaching motorcycle. It is common practice to acknowledge the other rider as we pass. This is often done with a gesture or wave in our unique way.
IF another motorcycle is on the side of the road due to a problem, I can promise you the person that stops to help is most likely another rider. We all realize that although motorcycles are independent by design we never go it alone. I believe this is one reason so many veterans ride motorcycles, because of the brotherhood within the community.
The motorcycle community supports the local community, the Small Business Owner, which is the backbone of America. The article, “Main Street, not Wall Street, Is The Leading Economic Indicator” by Jim Blasingame
http://smallbusiness.foxbusiness.com/entrepreneurs/2014/08/25/main-street-not-wall-street-is-leading-economic-indicator/
Motorcycles by design have small gas tanks. My bikes have either a 2.5 or 4.5 gallon tank. This limits my miles before I need to refuel. When I need to refuel I will stop and buy a drink and snack. Most of the organized motorcycle rides are designed with multiple stops at motorcycle friendly locations. One of the most common rides is a poker run. This is based on having the best or worst poker hand. The ride begins with a designated number of stops. At each location you receive a playing card and at the conclusion you have a poker hand. More often than not at each stop we get a beverage of choice and possibly a snack. Depending on the distance we may fill up or tank. These purchases are small incremental expenses that for a small business add up to become significant dollars. Most organized rides are destination rides with eating options the major concern. Often you will hear lets ride for some BBQ, burgers or a local favorite.
I often chose to drive the back roads rather than the interstates. This is where you will also find most motorcycle riders. I have begun to realize that small town America is often separated by similar distances. I think this goes back to a time when travel was limited by both daylight, and the mode of transportation. Motorcycles today can cover the distance in a much shorter time, but we are still limited by the size of our gas tank. Stopping and supporting small businesses is what we motorcycle riders do. We will find a local establishment that is motorcycle friendly and pass this on to others within our community. It may only be a drink. or a meal, or a tank of gas. At the end of the day it all adds. We need to realize the contribution that the motorcycle community makes to Small Business, the backbone of America.
The Ride is the Destination, The Journey begins with whom you ride!