What is a "Motorcyclist"? What defines it?

[seiko1]

I vote for the old ways.

[dutchy]

If it has two wheels and an engine (doesn't even have to be a combustion engine these days a battery now qualifies) it is a motorcycle. As long as it is designed to be ridden eg not a remote control.
If you are the owner or the rider of the above you are a motorcyclist.
I class scooters and mopeds in this catagory as some of them are more powerful than some conventional bikes.

Does this qualify as a motorcycle then? If i ride this am I a motorcyclist?

How-to-power-your-bike-with-a-whippersnipper-motor.jpg (24.37 KiB) Viewed 310 times

[6maniac]

Marty is just going through a stage .....

normal service will resume soon ...

[Strika]

Nah mate, not passing judgement in any camp, just posing the question, what is your definition.

[dutchy]

Definition as per Urban Dictionary

On a motorcycle, the nut that connects the handlebars to the seat.

[vanrootn]

someone who will have a chat to the guy on the bike next to them at the lights.
someone who will nod back when you have given the nod.
someone who wants to get on their bike at any oppourtunity
someone who goes against the grain and just doesnt give a fuck

[phear8me]

interesting read

unfortunately sounds like im closer to being in the "old school" category then the new age
ride my bike everyday of the year even if im just going to the shops or interstate hope on the bike with a handful of tools and see where i end up and hope for the best ive always had 2 bikes of the same model one has always been running but for spare parts
sit on 120 everywhere or more and not really care
but thats just me

as far as im concerned in my head a motorcyclist is someone who enjoys riding a motor bike (not scooter sorry) size of the motor bike doesnt matter as long as it is ridden on the road
even if it is just to and from work as long as you get some form of enjoyment out of it your a "motorcyclist"

[MickLC]

Nah mate, not passing judgement in any camp, just posing the question, what is your definition.

Yeah, I was just trying to figure out if the old school/new school thing was meant to be a way of defining what a motorcyclist is (as asked in the original question) or just another way to divide them up.

Given that it's not like that anymore, even the old school guys don't behave that way nowdays, I'm just trying to figure out if it's something that people think can only apply to the old blokes who did it so therefore it will dissappear with them, or is it an attitude that has changed in how it's displayed and will carry on?

[dutchy]

as far as im concerned in my head a motorcyclist is someone who enjoys riding a motor bike (not scooter sorry) size of the motor bike doesnt matter as long as it is ridden on the road

so dirt squirters don't count?

So far most arguements favour that fact that your anti-establishment attitude dictates if your a motorcyclist. What if someones shares the exact same attitude but gets around on rollerskates, how kinlike would you be towards that person?

Here's a hypothetical question,(and I hate hypotheticals). What about some rich mogul out there who loves motorbikes, adores them. He follows nearly every league of racing he can internationally and locally. Has a huge collection of motorbikes himself and is practically submerged in the lifestyle bar one major issue, he doesn't ride. Is he a motorcyclist?

[phear8me]

as far as im concerned in my head a motorcyclist is someone who enjoys riding a motor bike (not scooter sorry) size of the motor bike doesnt matter as long as it is ridden on the road

so dirt squirters don't count?

So far most arguements favour that fact that your anti-establishment attitude dictates if your a motorcyclist. What if someones shares the exact same attitude but gets around on rollerskates, how kinlike would you be towards that person?

Here's a hypothetical question,(and I hate hypotheticals). What about some rich mogul out there who loves motorbikes, adores them. He follows nearly every league of racing he can internationally and locally. Has a huge collection of motorbikes himself and is practically submerged in the lifestyle bar one major issue, he doesn't ride. Is he a motorcyclist?

throw a "dirt squirter" on the road well ride it on the road and im happy to class it as a motorcycle (not a pitbike thingo)

as for the rich guy he is a motorcycle enthuisiest or however you spell it not a motorcyclist in my eyes

as for the roller skater uhhh i got no idea what your trying to say there...

[Strika]

as far as im concerned in my head a motorcyclist is someone who enjoys riding a motor bike (not scooter sorry) size of the motor bike doesnt matter as long as it is ridden on the road

so dirt squirters don't count?

So far most arguements favour that fact that your anti-establishment attitude dictates if your a motorcyclist. What if someones shares the exact same attitude but gets around on rollerskates, how kinlike would you be towards that person?

Here's a hypothetical question,(and I hate hypotheticals). What about some rich mogul out there who loves motorbikes, adores them. He follows nearly every league of racing he can internationally and locally. Has a huge collection of motorbikes himself and is practically submerged in the lifestyle bar one major issue, he doesn't ride. Is he a motorcyclist?

Now that's what i'm talking about. Is he? Probably not, he's an enthusiast. If i was paralised in a motorcycle crash n couldn't ride, i'd no longer be a motorcyclist, but a motorcycling enthusiast.

[dutchy]

I agree with you both on the enthusiast thing. Damn........thats boring.

This is a bit odd though.
[quote="phear8me"]throw a "dirt squirter" on the road well ride it on the road and im happy to class it as a motorcycle (not a pitbike thingo)
quote]

So a dirtbike isn't a type of motorcycle unless it is ridden on the road? Is that what your trying to say? So what about our motorcycle enthusiast from earlier (the rich guy hypo) is he still not a motorcyclist even if he enjoyed the occasional bash through the bush on his klx. Or what if he raced them on moto tracks all the time and never on the roads?

[phear8me]

I agree with you both on the enthusiast thing. Damn........thats boring.

This is a bit odd though.

throw a "dirt squirter" on the road well ride it on the road and im happy to class it as a motorcycle (not a pitbike thingo)
quote]

So a dirtbike isn't a type of motorcycle unless it is ridden on the road? Is that what your trying to say? So what about our motorcycle enthusiast from earlier (the rich guy hypo) is he still not a motorcyclist even if he enjoyed the occasional bash through the bush on his klx. Or what if he raced them on moto tracks all the time and never on the roads?

its a dirt bike/paddock bike/chook chaser etc

ride it on the road enjoy the trip your a motorcyclist thats my thoughts before i get into any arguments

ps the rich guy probably knows more about bikes/races/specs and all that stuff then i do seeing as i only know of that doohan or doolan guy whatever his name is because ive seen him on the adds on tv a few times i couldnt tell you what the newest and bestest bike out there only the ones i like nor could i tell you top speeds bhp or even whoever won the last motor bike race (or any for that fact) but i can tell you a great bunch of people that share the same passion for riding as i do even though the bikes we all ride are few and far between from ltd250 through to high performance busas and kwakas

but if your not riding on the road in my eyes your not a motorcyclist

but as i said previously these are all my opinions i dont care if you think im wrong or not because my opinion isnt going to change

[seiko1]

Wiki has a rather good explanation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycling

[Sulli]

ok ok your all getting closer to the mark as Striker has posted, imho the only difference between old skool and new is the modern day description
the word is work speak, and I have not seen it posted in the thread
the word is "Passionate"
The word means many things to many people and has been used in a court of law to defend many aggressive people who are not aggressive but "Passionate"about the thing that affect them.
Only problem with growing up in the 60's/70's/80's all this passion shit had to do with sheila's.
So the question is can I be "passionate without being aggressive" or "aggressive without being passionate"
Or watch "On any Sunday" the movie with Steve Mcqueen for some old skool stufff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whjviUck9G0