A "guy in a suit" was a disguise I wore for 30 years. Granted, I shed the Dior 'skin' as often as I could when casual wear became popular, but I did have to meet with attorneys, CEOs and attend court when required.

A 'suit' just became another weapon.

But I have to tell you, I was the one who felt like a poser when it came to this way of earning a living. I never really belonged there. I was living by my wits, I learned more about the subject of money and finance by being an apprentice than by taking college classes.

In late 1974 I got to work along side of a collection agency owner who was the best schmoozer I ever met either then or in the future. Like most executives, he had curios in his office. Strangely, I imagined myself in the decades to come as also being a business owner, in a fancy corner office. I wondered if among the trophies of power I was yet to win if there would be my colors, tattered and faded and framed in glass.

I was still wearing them during that era, but I knew I was taking the next step in my life.

I did soon achieve private offices and my own staff, but that corner office never materialized. Over time I came to despise the guys who butchered their way to the top, and I actually had to clean up their messes and save their corporations. But I always felt like a fish out of water, and in the end either wound up giving away my fancy clothes or simply discarding them.

I started my own business, and about that time switched back over to crappy jeans and black T-shirts. And I bought a new Harley. I also started sleeping better, which might be the moral of the story.

From a police point of view thats their version of profiling..long hair,chopper and a cut equals a reason to pull you over. Conversely a touring suit equals a safe person.

It was a struggle pulling out of my personal nose dive but thru years of hard work and perserverance I did it. I still struggle with how the cictizen world operates. In my world if someone did you wrong it was accounted for right then and there, may the best man win. In the citizen world the f'n aholes get away with it. That bothers me. That bothers me a lot. I have lost a few jobs during the transition period. People like Barry Mason(RIP), ex HA helped a lot. I knew him personally and corresponded with him up until he passed.

https://www.heavenssaints.com/Testimonie ... Story.html

As do/did I. In fact, after my wife and were baptized, the "polite" members of the church ignored us. And while early in my life on a bike you could make a good case to label me an 'Aryan biker,' it was the black members of the church that embraced my wife and I. Without a doubt, I ate more potlucks in their homes than I did among the elders of the church.

Now, here is where your postulate takes a very ugly turn. I find the same overall ideal of rejection among 'motorcyclists.' Clearly, unless you're +60 years old or I tell you (as I have done here) you may not recognize me as an old MC biker. Yeah, I wear my normal biker crap as I have done for 40 years, but there are social strata even in our ranks.

If I speak 'educated,' I can get banned. Believe it or not I was once banned from a bike forum because without research, the moderators felt that it was impossible for a man to be both a white collar guy with a background in finance and a business owner, and still have a past in the 1960s MC world. They banned me essentialy for being a poser.

A knife forum member by the handle of Buzzard767 (in the forum 'Discuss Cooking') flew in a private plane from Florida to Wisconsin to meet me at Gander Mountain. While we became good friends, you should have seen the look on his face both when he met me as a real biker, and when I handed him a perfectly polished Japanese Gyuto I had repaired.

I get two kinds of responses here. One, it's responses about the 'old school,' and done with their usual whining. Two, I get 'attaboys' over strong opinions I have about society in general, finance, owning my own business and cutlery reviews.

I'm a negative influence when I point out flaws within our own circles, and a 'valuable member' when I expand our horizons. Many bike forums have a food and barbeque section, for example. I brought that idea here. While some were skeptical, we got responses from HRF members who cook.

I find the dichotomy normal. Bikers should be cutting edge. We should be both brave enough to get into a fight (both in saloons and in boardrooms) and we should also show our positive sides in art (like airbrushing) and cooking, how we run our businesses and how we positively affect society.

For example, I just spelled and used the word 'affect' correctly. While I flew my colors, I was also an English-minor in college. If we complain about our run-ins with polite society we should also refuse to take undeserved criticism from our own kind. And I think the whiners in our ranks are more suburban or RUBs than guys who actually spend time on bikes riding.

And generally speaking why forums are sh*t. More often than not the powers that be, the ones who control the forums have zero street/riding experience and pull the plug quickly with anything that 1)they don't and couldn't understand 2)takes them out of their RUB/Poser comfort zone 3)doesn't directly identify with their limited and shallow posturings.

Why do you think I complain so much about the modern motorcycle world?

I'm sure you're familiar with the Kardashians. Well, last night I couldn't sleep and I got up to work, and play in the computer. I left the TV on for noise. I went out to watch the plot on OCC because Paul Sr.'s mom died and I did not know that.

While I never really liked their bikes (oh, I like watching them being built) I grew tired very early of the crap. First, my dad and I fought harder and dirtier than the Teutals. Two, it's hard to believe these guys live in a mansion, build old school bikes and go bankrupt without wondering if the show is actually scripted.

They are Kardashians on Harleys. Or Indians, depending on the episode. I feel sorry for Vinny and Rick.

So why should forums act any differently? The Teutals are today's motorcycling. Bikes built by computer for RUBs and celebrities that can pony up +100K. The episodes(s) I caught last night had Trump buying a bike. He said on camera that his bike will sit in an atrium at Trump Tower. That's where those bikes belong.

My complaint about bikes and bike forums is that the average participant doesn't know what he's missing. At a very low point in my life I would take my bike and run up to Festge Park. It's halfway between Cross Plains and Black Earth on Hwy 14. I sat at their look-out area, built in a circle over an outcropping using rough-hewn stones. You can see vistas for miles. I did a lot of thinking up there--on numerous occasions.

Now compare a guy actually riding a bike, peacefully using that bike to clear his head, and get perspective without fads, moralizing, cell phones (not yet invented), and radios. This is/was that 'long lonesome highway.'

Now that idea is a Michael Parks DVD. I doubt you could get a cookie-cutter Harley up that climb with today's horrid suspensions. When you buy paint before you fix your forks and rear shocks I begin to wonder.

How much forum advertising do you think you're going to sell with that mindset? I'd be more popular if I invented a better chrome foot-peg...

Anything that could generate a buck has. Everything held sacred has been trashed.

Back in the day I would put 20$ in my pocket and hit the strip bars. First I would top off the tank(2-3$) then go to Foxy Ladies, the candy striper and finally the Fuzzy Grape.


Having at least 1 draught in each one. Afterwards I would head to a NY weiner system down in Olneyville to gulp down a few gagers:

https://olneyvillenewyorksystem.com/

all that good time for under 20$.

I went back last year with an old buddy for old times and it was over 50$-75$. First it costs 12-15$ to fill up the bikes for the night, 10$ cover just to get in each place and beers were 6$. The weiners which were maybe .65 a piece I think are now 2+$ a weiner. It was fun and money was definately no object. A side note...there were as many dykes as men in the titty bars now. Never saw that before.WTF is that? Plus and apparently it was such a fun thing to do they were busing in folks from Boston, at least to the foxy ladies.

Wow, you lived like a king!

I gave myself 15 dollars, filled up the Super Glider, drove 80 miles to Madison for the weekend with the club. Ate, partied, kissed a few girls I had no intention of marrying and usually got back home with a few bucks left over.

One night I filled the bike before I left. I saw the pump price and hit the ceiling! The guys charged me 89 cents to fill a four gallon tank! I still remember the price and the anger!