A Harley Rider was NICE to me

[Water Warrior 2]

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

Don't jump to conclusions WW. They might have been part of the "Set Free Soldiers" Christian bike club - which has been known to include some serious badasses: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/set- ... uilar.html

I would like to think these guys were decent folks. Haven't seen them since so maybe they all expired in a small turf war. One really never knows.

[alanmcorcoran]

They probably were. I was guessing that the Set Free Soldiers, being a Christian bike club, might also have club insignia that makes use of religious symbolism, yet rather than "turn the other cheek" they put a number of Hell's Angels in the hospital. The detectives investigating the brawl later rounded up 150 of their members and claimed that the fight was both pre-arranged and instigated by the Soldiers, but there was some skepticism about their impartiality. I regularly ride in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa and so I paid particular attention to this story when it first came out. I have a vague recollection that some of the Soldiers had profiles indicating, at least in a previous life, they might not exactly always have been Good Samaritans. Of course, this might just be limited to this particular chapter or even specific individuals within the chapter. Ultimately, only one guy faced attempted murder charges and I think he pled down to a lesser offense.

[Water Warrior 2]

Dang it, now I'm thinking of ATGATT and a bullet proof vest.

[Scheezo]

I've had candid encounters with Harley guys over the years. Mostly "Buy American" to which I respond "I don't want to spend all my time fixing it". Its fun back and forth but we're all bikers. Mostly nice people. When they don't wave I get irritated tho.

[GZ Jess]

My biker opinions have changed many times over the years and I know there are bad and good. My husband has joined (and I am prospecting) a MC with back patches that's called Law Dogs, they include all first responders including law enforcement, firemen and EMS. There colors include the upper and lower rockers as well as a back patch very similar to the 1% set ups. But if you look closely most have police and fire patches as well and most wear the anti 1% patch (a blue patch with a line through the 1%). Following is my first real experience with bikers and what I try to remember when I hear a pack of bikes rolling up on me.

When I was 19 I had a boyfriend in the Marines stationed in biloxi, Mississippi for training. I drove from Ohio to see him one weekend and I remember intermittently traveling with a group of bikers and their support vehicles. I would pass them then I would pull off for something then they would pull off and so on we waved on several occasions. It turns out that it was a bike week when I got down there and a lot of fun. Well I was way more tired on the drive home so about half way I pulled off at a truck stop and rolled my windows up, locked my doors and fell asleep in the cab of my truck. I don't know how long I was out but when I woke up I sat up and realized that my truck was circled by a bunch of bikes and big guys. I was about to grab the cell phone and panic when a grandpa biker knocked on my passenger window. I rolled it down (at first just a little) and he said "ready to move on little lady?" I said "Yes thank you". He then proceeded to explain that they had pulled up and went in the store and heard a few truckers talking and laughing rudely about a young girl asleep in a truck on the lot. When he went outside he saw it was me who he remembered traveling with so he and the guys circled my truck to keep me safe. I was shocked and my opinion of biker changed that very day. They may have saved my life! We actually traveled quite a distance together.

Jessica

[alantf]

Originally Posted by GZ Jess

There colors include the upper and lower rockers as well as a back patch very similar to the 1% set ups.

Explain please. :??: (Remember - I'm not American )

[dhgeyer]

Alan,

See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outlaw_motorcycle_club for a pretty good explanation. There's a section on "Colors" partway down the page.

These things aren't absolute. There are exceptions to the conventions.

[GZ Jess]

That is a good explanation of colors and rockers. Like the article said not all clubs are 1% or outlaws and not all club consist of only Harley bikes. There are a ton of different makes in my husband's club and I actually go a lot of compliments on my GZ and by the way, although I had a little trouble accelerating as fast as they did, I kept up just fine on my little 250.

Jessica

[Scheezo]

I never understood the Harley ONLY clubs. If its American bikes they demand then why not something like... ohh.. Indian (DROOL)? I do, however, find myself REALLLY liking the new Sportster Forty-Eight.

[GZ Jess]

Originally Posted by Scheezo

I never understood the Harley ONLY clubs. If its American bikes they demand then why not something like... ohh.. Indian (DROOL)? I do, however, find myself REALLLY liking the new Sportster Forty-Eight.

The 48 is really bad a$$ looking but whenever I am ready to move up I am thinking something with bags, windshield, floor boards, you know the kind built for touring because that is my ultimate goal some day! I don't know what make yet, I will have to sit on a ton because having a 27 inch inseam limits me a lot!

Jessica