Rider or Biker?

There is nothing better than a nice warm May Day to get out and enjoy some riding weather after a long (and very unpredictable) winter. This has always been my favorite time of year to ride. I love being able to get out of town and see the transition from the brown baron look of everything to leaves budding on the trees, grass turning green, and all the flowers beginning to bloom and grow. Riding along and smelling that first mow of grass, or a lilac bush bursting with the scents of Spring, all seem to enhance the experience of riding. The feeling of open air rushing past you, the freeing feeling of leaving all your worries behind and just immersing yourself in the moment, just you and the bike moving as one. There isn’t much else that compares to that experience. Being a biker is a lifestyle, not a hobby.

I have often had people ask me what my definition of a biker is. I know a lot of people, especially when the word biker is used, immediately think of some old, grizzled group of people who ride nothing but Harley Davidson motorcycles who also operate outside the law. That may be true for some, but that is not my definition. To me, it comes down to two types of people in the motorcycle community.

1.      Riders. Riders are those who own a motorcycle and will go out for occasional weekend rides. They will think of their bike as a luxury and will often get together with other riders at a local coffee shop or a pub and talk about bikes. They will walk around and look at each others’ bikes, talk about what the bikes are capable of, and enjoy the company of other riders as they discuss different bikes. These are the groups you will see in the parking lots of your local Tim’s and spend hours getting the caffeine buzz.

2.      Bikers. Bikers are those that live and breathe motorcycles. Whether it is a full-sized touring bike, cruiser, sport, Adv, and all the styles and models in-between, they all are classified as a biker. A biker will spend the winter dreaming of what rides they will be doing in the summer. A biker will spend hours talking about bikes like riders do, but bikers do that in the winter. A biker will use their bike as the primary mode of transport throughout the Spring, Summer, and Fall, and will usually get emotional at the end of the season as they winterize and park their bike for the winter. A biker will spend hours on a bike, ride hundreds of kilometers per day, and will still be thinking about the next day’s ride. A biker can spend all day on a bike, park it at the end of the day, begin to walk into their home, but still looks back at the bike before going inside.

To sum this up: Riders ride motorcycles as a hobby. Bikers ride motorcycles as a passion, a need, and a way of life. The type of bike a person rides does not define them as a Rider or a Biker; it is how they ride that does.

I know there are different groups out there that have biased opinions of what a biker is, especially when they ride certain styles or brands of bikes. Some groups won’t wave to other groups; some think that because of what they ride they are better than others. I have never understood that mentality. For me it comes down to one simple fact. What you ride has two wheels, and engine, and you have a license that allows you to ride that bike that no one with a Class 5 can ride. I love motorcycles. Period. I have been very fortunate to ride all styles of bikes over the years, and I am even more fortunate to have had the stars align the month after I retired from the Army to purchase my dream bike. I am very passionate about my bike and the brand of bike I ride, but I love ALL motorcycles. I give the motorcycle wave to EVERYONE, especially high school kids on a scooter, a lot of them return a very enthusiastic wave back. I wave at every kid I see staring at the bike when I ride by because I love to see the bright smiles and excitedly telling their parents that they had a biker wave at them. As I said, this is something no one with a Class 5 will experience.

I have also been very privileged to teach many people how to ride over the years. I love bringing people into the motorcycle community to experience these things for themselves.

As you explore your motorcycle journey throughout the 2026 riding season, don’t forget to wave at another biker, say hi to anyone who is looking at your bike, and talk to people who have never ridden and share your passion. These are the things that will keep the motorcycle community growing, because it is a community for every human being.

Have a great May, ride smart, stay safe, and I’ll see you down the road.