The lure of the motorcycle brotherhood and sisterhood is a strong one. The biker lifestyle offers a sense of belonging that lasts a lifetime. For over 100 years, motorcyclists have forged a family that is stronger than steel. This multi-generational legacy embraces a culture like no other. Individuals come together the world over to share their abiding passion for the freedom found by throwing a leg over a hot motor and roaring off with your favorite road tunes blasting out of the speakers on your Steel Horse Audio motorcycle sound system. You know, tunes by Bob Seger, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Doobie Brothers, Steve Earle and, yes, Steppenwolf. The thing is, you can’t listen to your favorite tunes unless you have a stereo on your scooter, and the very BEST one on the market today is Steel Horse Audio’s ST600 Platinum speaker system with over 900 watts of CEA-2006 certified power for the finest in sound at any speed. This is our top end system (read the reviews on this site) with loud and clear sound no matter how loud your pipes are! But getting back to the title of this piece about why we ride, bikers have made the decision to step outside of their comfort zones and make a deal with the devil. They blast down the highway with little protection, the wind becomes a solid force, rain can feel like tiny needles on your face and smashed bugs paint a road-map on your face shield. Your life is balanced on two small patches of rubber that meet the unforgiving blurry road beneath you. And yet you take the challenge to ride again and again because nothing on earth can make you feel like you are flying; a motorized Minotaur. You think of changing lanes and the bike just does it. Such is the link between man and machine. It is no wonder that riders feel a sense of comradely and brotherhood, for they share a passion that few who do not ride can possibly imagine. As the biker T-shirt states: “If I have to explain, you wouldn’t understand.” The biker lifestyle as we know it today really began after World War II, when returning servicemen found a way to bond through the creation of motorcycle clubs. Back then, bikes would often break down, and riders would always stop to help each other. You see, it was rare to see a motorcycle on the road in the 1950s, and after movies such as “The Wild One” created the impression that bikers were delinquent bad boys and rebels without a cause who were looking to invade American towns and menace the locals, bikers began to look out for each other. The negative images of bikers as road pirates gained steam through the 1960s and ’70s when many “B” movies portrayed bikers as bad guys and police began to pull us over for any imagined infraction. This kind of stereotyping only reinforced the bond between riders and to this day there is a feeling that we take care of our own… because no one else will. This can be seen when two riders approach each other while out on a ride. Riders always wave to each other as they pass. There is a real sense of brotherhood and they nod to each other at stop lights. They stop to help when they see a motorcycle broken down by the side of the road. Such is their instant bond of brotherhood that they never think twice about walking right up to a total stranger and striking up a conversation about their bikes and their favorite places to ride. They share stories of the road over a libation or two including beloved tales of breakdowns, accidents, races, rallies and dreams of that perfect motorcycle. And while you’re enjoying a beer and a few tall tales, why not show your pals how killer your Steel Horse Audio speaker system is. Crank that puppy up and blast “Midnight Rider”. In no time at all, your new best friends will be thrilled that you showed them how badly they need a Steel Horse Audio stereo too! It’s all about the brotherhood, bro...
