For a nasty moment I thought you meant the swimming trunks. A Scotchman in budgie smugglers is not a thing to contemplate. :Yuck:
You really don't get it do you?. There are no middle/aged black men riding bikes either so why would I include them? I want to know why forum members suspect that youngsters and ethnic minorities as well as women are poorly represented among bikers. Your own reply said you knew a "fair few" ... not dozens or scores. Well I've been riding for 40-plus years and in all that time have known only two women bikers: one of them was an ex and the other a mate's wife. Seen a few around too. But not many. Only knew one black biker but he's given up now. Again seen a few around but not many. It's not racist to debate demographics. As I said in the USA I found biker representation among minority groups less markedly lower. Quite a few here understand what I'm driving at and have volunteered their opinions. Why don't you?
@Ducbird - bet you're secretly pleased he doesn't want a bike. I admit to being delighted when my son said he didn't like bikes - probably because I liked them so much and he was rebelling. That's because I know how dangerously I rode as a teenager on a Honda 750/4. "Ok lads let's see if we can can get round the mountain circuit in under 40 minutes." You think you're immortal when you're young, but it took one mate not making the return journey from the IoM with us to convince us we weren't. I was lucky then and on a few other occasions before that, so the idea that my teenage son wasn't going to have even worse temptation to remove his brain and replace it with a pork chop before going for a burn with his mates was a great relief. I feel a bit of a hypocrite because I've had the best times of my life biking with mates. Oh well, he has other stuff and what he's never known he won't miss. Will he?
That begs the question: "Why are the women in a section called - in a patriarchal manner - "dames" rather than being included as "motorcyclists"." Bad form!
Thanks but as Pete says if you go to race meets, Box Hill and other places bikers gather without crash helmets on you will see disproportionately low numbers of ethnic minorities. Just curious as to why. Any ethnic minority members here care to comment? Perhaps we should do our own voluntary mini census to find out the composition of the forum's membership. Are we as a community perceived as perhaps not sufficiently welcoming? It's a question worth asking if bike registrations are falling surely?
I reckon you'll disappear up your own backside if you start thinking about why certain groups do this or that and others don't. Motorcycling is a choice,some people get it and some don't...97%+ of the population don't ride bikes....what the hell is the matter with these people? It doesn't help that motorcycling is still viewed by many as having some kinds of sinister undertones,that it never had in many European countries...strikes me as odd how some Japanese bikers dress up to emulate those old rockers,didn't they have their own culture of rebellion? Greasy Geishas.....now that paints a picture. In all my time on bikes I have never once seen anyone abused because of their race...plenty of fisticuffs over an insult to a make of bike,but not because of skin colour...if anything I think bikers are probably one of the most open and broad minded bunches of people in this country. No need to worry about diversity in the motorcycling fraternity,sooner or later the percentages will level themselves out
I'm quite sad he doesn't as he wanted a Ducati and has posters up on his wall I'm all for my kids having a go at whatever they want to do I would make sure he had the necessary skills if he does change his mind I want him to experience the fun I have had and the many friends I have made through bikes
What I do get is that in your threads there is an element of race religion colour Why do you want to know about particular groups I'm not particularly bothered who rides a bike or what grouping you want to put them in Those that are interested will ride a bike Why do we keep having to have groups We are all bikers at the end of the day we breath and eat and shit the same
Sorry. You don't get it. Read my post. I was asking how we could broaden the appeal of biking to address declining numbers. The fewer there are of us, the easier it will be for the government to legislate us off the roads. You REALLY don't get it because you are so determinedly and mistakenly PC - often in the most inappropriate circumstances (IMO). Look at Loz's and Pete's posts and reassess your criticism please.
I guess for me I don't have the question why is it middle aged men who ride bikes because I have coloured friends that ride and many female acquaintances that ride too There are many young scooter riders where I live so for me I don't find that I'm wondering why about those groups like you are because to me they are alive and kicking If I saw four coloured guys turn up my first thought wouldn't be surprise like wise if a group of females turned up. Maybe I take it for granted or I just don't see it as I have only been into riding since 2008
I was also involved in DD racing at a time when there were 3 females racing so for me I don't question where are all the women
Also when I turn up at a meet up I don't think to myself oh look it's all middle aged men I'm thinking this is great to be amongst like minded people For me I find it odd to put people into groups or boxes
Always on the wind up that speed trip. Don't fall for it, it's only a matter if time before this thread degenerates.
in 2011 the BBC was 51.7% male and 48.3% female ( stats excl bbc scotland) ....the bbc is equally ( nearly) full of women -mean average age 40( modal average is 33). is that middle aged?
