Rant at Ski's Bar Bike vs. Bike

My first encounter with motorcycles, up close and personal, was in 1984. I was 24 and knew that I needed to get one and learn to ride.
		Something stirred inside telling me that that was the right thing for me to do. I got my self a 1967 BSA 650cc Lightning, slightly altered, to get me started for $450. It gave me problems and didn't run much, or very good. But it also gave me a dream.
In 1998 I got my second bike, seemed more like the first, a Honda 1982 CB750K. I relearned to ride, got a license and started living my dream.
		The bike need work all time and eventually I needed something I could rely on. In 2004 I did just that by buying a 2004 1100cc V-Star Silverado. As of September 21st I have over 15,300 miles on it. So much for my personal history.
I had my reasons for every bike I owned. I know many people who have told me theirs.
	I don't know what drives people to buy a certain type of bike over another, but that is no excuse to put someone down about their choice. What I am talking about is the Street Fighters/Rice Rockets/Cafe style riders.
I admit there are some who do stupid things. But are WE all that much better? How smart is it to blow a good $200 rear tire in 30 seconds?
		I look at them as a slightly different breed, not a new animal, just a different breed. Like say a Pit bull to a German Shepherd. They can both be dangerous, depending how you treat them.
Now you might be wondering why do I care? Well it it like this: at MDA we had maybe 100 cafe bikes of the over 5000. At the Elkhart Bike Night there were about 25% cafe riders. What is wrong with these figures?
		First, ABATE is a rights organization. We are open to everyone, even non-riders. We teach people to ride and even get to give the riding test for the State of Indiana.
These bikes should be in our fold, not keeping clear of us. Which means that it is up to us to correct this problem.
		We should each take the time and effort to try and figure out what makes them tick. I know I do. I talk to as many as I can to see why we are not getting them.
I figure that if they attend our events (un-molested over their choice of bike) they might be more willing to join and become active and pass the word about bike safety. That is what we are all about now a days. Right.
	Myself, I judge riders by the amount of miles they put on a bike.
Years ago I discovered that those with over 10,000 a year deserved more then those without.
		I don't care if a bike has tons of chrome or costs $50,000, if it is only a status symbol, it's of no use to anyone.
So respect those who ride, regardless of what they ride.