Riding Isn't What It Used To Be
By James “Deuce”Bronder
from aikenstandard
There is more to aging than just gray hair. Wistful yearning for something past, or nostalgia as it is known, is also part of the aging process.
I can't help myself from mourning the loss of what motorcycling once was. In those days we would leave on an overnighter or gypsy tour with just a ground cover and a blanket. Wrapped inside the blanket were a couple bottles of beer and some beef jerky. Half of the time there was no destination, no maps - just take a road, any road. You eventually would end up somewhere. With many days on the road, of course there were no showers, just the creeks or a gas station sink. What you wore when you left is what you were wearing when you got home. The friends that were made and the adventures and sights that we saw are still in my memories today.
Now, hotel reservations are made in advance and only after searching the web to be sure there is a pool, jacuzzi, wet bar in the room, a masseuse and complimentary cocktails on the veranda.
The first thing packed is the American Express Card, followed by the GPS device so they can't get lost and are able to find their way back home. It is then followed by the laptop, digital camera, Bermuda shorts, hair dryer and assorted designer clothes. I left out the cell phone because that is a given, and have seen manyriders that appear to have them implanted in their ear anyway. Maybe that keeps them from forgetting it?
The motorcycle manufacturers also realize that the bikers of the past are gone. Luggage racks have been relegated to just a decorative item with not enough room to put a tool bag let alone a six-pack. In fact, many new bikes do not come with the traditional tool bag.
If there is a sissy bar, it is not big enough to keep a passenger on the bike, let alone strap a tarp and blanket to. What really makes me nauseous is that you can access the internet from your new bike, play video games on it, push button electric powered windshields, and of all things, have it say hello when you get on it. There is more that they do, but I have to stop…before I start to cry.
I should have been a cowboy. At least they have remained true to their lifestyle.
Their ride, the horse, has not suffered the embarrassment of their steel counterpart, the motorcycle. It still has four legs, and the mechanisms for riding it have remained the same for hundreds of years. You can still strap a blanket and rain slicker on it. It still uses the same fuel, and, as far as I know, no attempt to have it talk to you or put an air bag on it has been made?
Cowboys are still respected and no attempts to take their freedoms away have been made. They can wear a cowboy hat, bandanna or helmet if they choose, and they have never been made part of gang legislation. Unlike the new breed of motorcyclist, cowboys still learn how to ride their horse and how to take care of it. They also enjoy riding their horse and that is why you will not see a cowboy on a cell phone while he is riding. Well if you do, you can bet it would be a city slicker.
No longer can you tell a biker by the horizontal oil stain on their left leg from the oil thrown off the chain. Now it's drive shafts and belts.
I feel sorry for the new biker that has not enjoyed the road the way it used to be. I'm afraid my nostalgia has moved on to melancholy.
Each generation enjoys what they do and the way they do it, so I certainly cannot deny them that. I would imagine in the future, when they are old, they will be upset with the young whippersnappers that have no wheels on their bike, are levitating around town and have their own personal robot to park it for them.
I just have one request from us graybeards: If you have to use your cell phone, GPS, computer, e-mail your stock broker or your bike is going to talk to you, have the courtesy to go somewhere where we can't see you.
Long may you ride.
