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 On 06/05/2013 at 03:08 PM by smartcelt See More From This User » |
I think in another life I would be a biker. Always have admired their way of life for some odd reason. Maybe not the life of a criminal,but just a guy who rides the open road. I've actually known a lot of bikers before. I worked at a convenience store when I was in college that was in the heart of a biker neighborhood. These men and women came into my store all day. Got to know them and even socialized with them sometimes at BBQ's and parties at the lake. They were mostly working class types who had jobs,families,homes,etc. They just rode very expensive Harleys and were covered in tattoos! Really changed my opinion of bikers that year. I realized that the so-called "respectable" citizens of our town were the folks you could not trust. The bikers were people who lived by a code. They were loyal as hell to their friends. And they had morals,too. I never had one of them lie to me or screw me over in financial dealings. More than I can say for the fine church-going folks that tended to see them as scum. Got to thinking about them last night when I played some Lost And The Damned. Only game that comes close to capturing the feel of the show Sons Of Anarchy. That show is like The Sopranos,but on motorcycles to me. The characters do horrible things,but you still find yourself liking them. Well,not all of them. Some of the bad ones deserve what they get. Seems like bikers are a bit less frowned upon these days. I just think it's interesting how devoted they are to each other and to their machines.
The game is a whole other story. It gets really violent and over the top destructive in parts. But the story is cool,and the bikes handle really well. More than I can say for the clunky gunplay.
I was getting gas on my way home yesterday and saw the most beautiful Harley I'd ever seen in my life. It was a fully decked out Heritage Soft-tail that was all black and chrome. Nice leather details on the seat and bags. It had to have been worth a small fortune. Not a scratch on it. Looked like it just rolled off of the assembly line. That would be the life. If you could do it without having to run drugs and guns to support yourself. That is one expensive way of life in many ways. Here's a couple of songs that make me think about the game and bikes. The first one was playing the moment I fired up the game,took me all the way into my first mission......
I know what you mean about "good, normal folk" and how that can be a front. At the same time my recent experience with the door-to-door thing gave me nothing but positive impressions about church-going Mormons, and I'm the farthest thing away from that myself. And yet, I'm nowhere near biker either. Takes all kinds.
Great song choices.
What a coincidence because I just started to read Hunter Thompson's Hell's Angels today! Also, my first thought in reading your blog was the Motorhead song Iron Horse. I was going to link it here, but you've already done it!
My favorite motorcycle gaming experience was Road Rash on the PS1. Someone needs to release a current gen version of that game pronto! I wonder, does Lost and the Damned have any bike on bike fighting like Road Rash?
I'm going to find that book. I'll bet it's an interesting read. That guy was one hell of a writer. My son and I talked with some dudes from The Bandidos biker gang at a Saxon concert[of all places!] once. Found out they are the most feared MC on earth! They are into everything from guns to targeted killings. Very nice fellows,though! LATD does have some bike to bike combat that is rather fun.
He's a gonzo journalist! I often think of what that means exactly. I kinda want to be one too.
Another book about biker gangs on my list that came out this year is Charles Falco's Vagos, Mongols, and Outlaws. It's about the darker side to these gangs and his infiltration of them to solve a murder.
Joe: I've never been around Mormons,but I do know they are very tight and family oriented folks. So are Pentacostals,and we have plenty of them around my town. But they seem to be very clannish types who don't like outsiders a lot. One lady saw my Celtic cross at Wal Mart. Thought it was a sign of Satan!
I had a 1200 Sportster once. I didn't really like it. The bike was so light and the engine so huge that the vibration was terrible. Plus it took forever to warm it up. It sure was beautiful though. I also had a Honda Shadow which was much more to my tastes. There's nothing quite like riding a motorcycle.
I would not get a Sportster if I ever got a Harley. I'd go with a Fat Boy or an Electra-Glide. Those are both big,heavy bikes that would suit me better I think.
Never been all that into motorcycles myself. Two wheels equals disaster with me without an engine, I can just imagine all the ways I could really hurt myself with one. That said, love playing Road Rash.
Another good book about motorcycles is Pilgrimage on a Steel Ride by Gary Paulsen.
The thing that would scare me in Tulsa is the crazy drivers. They pay no attention to motorcycles and I'd feel very vulnerable. Seen many bikers die on these highways over the years. Some were wearing full gear and helmets. Doesn't save you from giant pickups flying along at 90 miles per hour.
Nice story about bikers. I know little bit about the culture from movies like Biker Boys and Wild Hogs, and the guys from Pawn Stars are into it. I wonder how much of that stuff is fact or fiction.
Can't say I ever wondered what it would be like to be a biker. Or even ride one of those things on the open road. I guess it never appealed to me. I even tried to watch SoA but it too didn't grip me despite the amount of killing found in them.
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