Motorcycle Events and Bike Rallies Are Part of the Lifestyle
They come from all walks of life, upbringing, education, even income level and so it would seem unlikely that such personal diversity could share a social bond however, underneath the costume that defines them from nine to five, bikers are all brothers and sisters that embrace a lifestyle only they understand and within this lifestyle is the decades old tradition of motorcycle events and bike rallies.
In their earliest form, motorcycle rallies were nothing more than bikers riding to a secluded, out of the way location, to party.
Those early get togethers were both primitive and private affairs but as the motorcycle community evolved, those who hosted these private parties saw opportunity.
Making them less exclusive, these parties began to draw in more and more bikers and as the word spread, these once small campouts transformed into organized motorcycle events.
To accommodate the increasing participation, improved locates were needed along with the basic services such as water and restroom facilities.
Eventually live bands and other forms of entertainment were added to the mix and so, the modern day motorcycle rally was born.
Today, motorcycle events run the gamut, from small charity runs to multi-day mega rallies.
There is literally something for everyone as those who host these events have found a way to accommodate every age, type and style of motorcycle enthusiast.
The most common motorcycle event is the charity run.
The charity run comes in many forms, the simplest of which is the "donate to enter" style biker party.
Many of these events are impromptu and are organized to fill an immediate need for help such as to raise money for a fallen biker's family or to help with someone's emergency medical expenses.
Other charity runs are more organized and in support of such worthy causes as breast cancer, diabetes research and others.
On the other side of the spectrum is the charity "poker run".
A poker run is similar to the "donate to enter" charity event but with each donation the rider receives a chance to win a small cash prize if they are able to draw the best poker hand along the ride route.
There is sometimes a cash prize give for the worst hand as well.
For obvious reasons, poker runs are popular in the motorcycle community as they provide the opportunity to do the two things bikers love to do the most, ride and help others.
The charity run reveals the true generosity and compassion of motorcyclists, the vast majority of which attends several of these types of events each and every year.
A throwback from the old biker parties that started it all is the overnighter.
Overnighters are back to the basics runs where most who attend will camp with whatever they manage to strap on to their motorcycle.
The events themselves are not quite as primitive as back in the day, with amenities such as port-o-potties, food vendors and in some cases even running water now made available at these new generation camp outs.
Free of giveaways, gimmicks and other attractions to increase participation, those who attend these overnights are more the type that embraces the more traditional biker lifestyle.
Stepping it up about a dozen notches from the overnighter is the Super Rally! The Laughlin River Run, Daytona Bikefest and the granddaddy of them all, The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally are a few examples of the dozen or so super rallies that are held throughout the country each year.
Attended by tens of thousands of motorcycle enthusiast, they ride in from all corners of the country to partake in these multi-day festive events.
Unlike charity runs and overnighters, super rallies are commercial events heavily backed by corporate sponsorship.
Hundreds of events and attractions are planned for these super rallies including custom biker build offs and headliner concerts which are always a big draw.
A polar opposite to the super rally is the old school bike rally.
Void of the corporate sponsorships and limited to just a handful of non-commercial vendors, old school bike rallies are another back to the basics biker party.
The big attraction of the old school bike rally is that they are held on private property, keeping both the general public and law enforcement outside the gates.
Events such as these are typically sanctioned for those ages 21 and over so the children are left at home as are the bikini models and custom bike builders that are so prevalent at super rallies.
Music plays a big part of every old school bike rally with bands starting up sometime in the mid-afternoon and playing on into the wee hours of the morning.
Another important aspect of these old school bike rallies, and in part as to why they are limited to an adult only crowd, is that they provide an outlet for the more free spirited bikers to express themselves outside the watchful eye and scrutiny of the mainstream populous.
Women, and even men, dress in some of their favorite rally apparel which, in many cases is quite revealing, sometime consisting of no more than a pair of panties and a smile.
The "beads for breasts" mantra is played out heavily at these rallies, with women bartering for strands of plastic Mardi Gras beads in exchange for a quick "flash" of their chest.
These and many other old school traditions are a part of the lifestyle that, for decades, has attracted a select portion of the biker community to these old school bike rallies.
In their earliest form, motorcycle rallies were nothing more than bikers riding to a secluded, out of the way location, to party.
Those early get togethers were both primitive and private affairs but as the motorcycle community evolved, those who hosted these private parties saw opportunity.
Making them less exclusive, these parties began to draw in more and more bikers and as the word spread, these once small campouts transformed into organized motorcycle events.
To accommodate the increasing participation, improved locates were needed along with the basic services such as water and restroom facilities.
Eventually live bands and other forms of entertainment were added to the mix and so, the modern day motorcycle rally was born.
Today, motorcycle events run the gamut, from small charity runs to multi-day mega rallies.
There is literally something for everyone as those who host these events have found a way to accommodate every age, type and style of motorcycle enthusiast.
The most common motorcycle event is the charity run.
The charity run comes in many forms, the simplest of which is the "donate to enter" style biker party.
Many of these events are impromptu and are organized to fill an immediate need for help such as to raise money for a fallen biker's family or to help with someone's emergency medical expenses.
Other charity runs are more organized and in support of such worthy causes as breast cancer, diabetes research and others.
On the other side of the spectrum is the charity "poker run".
A poker run is similar to the "donate to enter" charity event but with each donation the rider receives a chance to win a small cash prize if they are able to draw the best poker hand along the ride route.
There is sometimes a cash prize give for the worst hand as well.
For obvious reasons, poker runs are popular in the motorcycle community as they provide the opportunity to do the two things bikers love to do the most, ride and help others.
The charity run reveals the true generosity and compassion of motorcyclists, the vast majority of which attends several of these types of events each and every year.
A throwback from the old biker parties that started it all is the overnighter.
Overnighters are back to the basics runs where most who attend will camp with whatever they manage to strap on to their motorcycle.
The events themselves are not quite as primitive as back in the day, with amenities such as port-o-potties, food vendors and in some cases even running water now made available at these new generation camp outs.
Free of giveaways, gimmicks and other attractions to increase participation, those who attend these overnights are more the type that embraces the more traditional biker lifestyle.
Stepping it up about a dozen notches from the overnighter is the Super Rally! The Laughlin River Run, Daytona Bikefest and the granddaddy of them all, The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally are a few examples of the dozen or so super rallies that are held throughout the country each year.
Attended by tens of thousands of motorcycle enthusiast, they ride in from all corners of the country to partake in these multi-day festive events.
Unlike charity runs and overnighters, super rallies are commercial events heavily backed by corporate sponsorship.
Hundreds of events and attractions are planned for these super rallies including custom biker build offs and headliner concerts which are always a big draw.
A polar opposite to the super rally is the old school bike rally.
Void of the corporate sponsorships and limited to just a handful of non-commercial vendors, old school bike rallies are another back to the basics biker party.
The big attraction of the old school bike rally is that they are held on private property, keeping both the general public and law enforcement outside the gates.
Events such as these are typically sanctioned for those ages 21 and over so the children are left at home as are the bikini models and custom bike builders that are so prevalent at super rallies.
Music plays a big part of every old school bike rally with bands starting up sometime in the mid-afternoon and playing on into the wee hours of the morning.
Another important aspect of these old school bike rallies, and in part as to why they are limited to an adult only crowd, is that they provide an outlet for the more free spirited bikers to express themselves outside the watchful eye and scrutiny of the mainstream populous.
Women, and even men, dress in some of their favorite rally apparel which, in many cases is quite revealing, sometime consisting of no more than a pair of panties and a smile.
The "beads for breasts" mantra is played out heavily at these rallies, with women bartering for strands of plastic Mardi Gras beads in exchange for a quick "flash" of their chest.
These and many other old school traditions are a part of the lifestyle that, for decades, has attracted a select portion of the biker community to these old school bike rallies.
