Aaahhh! Spring. The bleakness of winter is turning into new growth, and the splash of colorful flowers and budding trees are making their presence known. Birds are chirping, and motorcycles are buzzing. Uuhh..buzzing motorcycles also mean a new season of Bike Nights is beginning! Bike Night, where people of all types dress up in their favorite black outfit and head out on the open road to their favorite event. They gather as bees gather to a hive. Socializing and comparing motorcycles and stories. Speaking of stories, remind to tell you about the time I had at a motocross race one weekend.
If you’ve never been to a Bike Night, then you won’t know much about what people wear to them. Attire will be anything from black vest to black t-shirts with various screen prints.
Who knew black could be so varied? There’s the black vest with a matching black T-shirt. This combo can be altered to include colored t-shirts, but I don’t recommend it. If you do, be sure said colored t-shirt has a very catchy phrase or the words Harley Davidson on it.
Patches. Most bikers have a vest with at least a few patches on it. The front will usually have the bikers ‘Road Name’ on it. (I’ll explain that in my blog one day) and an American flag at a minimum. Now larger patches on the back get a little sticky as the larger MC’s don’t take a liking to some wearing ‘rocker’ type patches without their approval. So I don’t recommend rocker style patches.
Shoes. Hmmmm..motorcycle riding instructors will say wear high top leather boots. That is the shoe de jour. But bikers are rebels and will often opt for more comfortable shoes like a variation of sneakers. The brighter the color, the better. So let your imagination run wild with this one.
Bikes. Now we get into the ‘meat’ of bike night. From my observation, most people ride their Harley’s. Many variations of Road Kings, Road Glides, which are replacing the ever popular Street Glide.
Brands. Many variations of Harley’s are usually the bike de jour. With the occasional Crotch Rocket among them. Road Kings, Road Glides, which are replacing the ever popular Street Glide, are making their presence known. Well, at least you can find them among the sea of Street Glides!
Colors. Did I say black? The trend of black Harley-Davidson’s seems to be changing somewhat. Too many jokes about where’s your bike, oh it’s the black Street Glide over there. (among all the other black Street Glides) Other options for painting a bike is making it easier to make your bike truly your own!
Lights. Can’t afford a new fancy dance paint job. Never fear! Lights can add that extra bling to your favorite black two-wheeled vehicle. A few zips ties and a lot of creativity will have people oooo-ing and aahing like people watching a July the 4th fireworks display!
But nothing is better than people watching at a bike night. It’s impressive to see how a pair of blue jeans, a t-shirt, and a vest can bring out the biker in people.
Youngsters. Millennials will usually show up with more color and those rad t-shirts displaying catch-phrases us older types can’t understand. So if you’re looking at a millennials t-shirts and it’s not making sense to you, don’t be afraid to ask. They expect us older types to do that, and you provide them with a good laugh.
Elders. I chose this word because oldsters didn’t seem to work. So, with that said, we usually have white beards and mustaches and generally more laid back with a beer in our hand checking out the vendor displays and telling stories about our Sturgis adventure last summer.
Vendors. They are as varied as Walmart patrons. Magazine reps, painters, motorcycle parts companies, leather smiths…etc…etc…etc. I could go on and on. To get the big picture, I recommend going to Daytona Bike Week to check just how many vendors can attend one event.
So, are you ready to get your biker face on and hit the road to your local bike night hot spot? Why sure you are! Just between me and you, don’t worry if you don’t have a bike. Your biker attire will have you rubbing elbows with the bike night elite in no time!
See ya there!
