Crossing the Border to Ride Together

Jorge Rojas López says that like the hippie counterculture movement of the 1960s, bikers and their reputation for being rough, tough and rebellious is uniquely American.

A motorcycle club's pin adorned a patch of the Mexican flag.

But that did not stop Mr. Rojas, 67, and about three dozen other Mexican nationals from traveling as far as 900 miles to attend an event in Austin that celebrates the fierce independence and individuality of the Lone Star State, the Republic of Texas Biker Rally.

Billed as one of the largest rallies of its kind in the country — rivaling similar events in Sturgis, S.D., and Daytona Beach, Fla. — the rally draws more than 35,000 people from across the world, promoters said.

The event, which celebrated its 19th year when it was held this month, included performances by the 1980s metal stars Twisted Sister and the Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil. It also featured, for the first time, performances by Mexican motorcycle acrobats, part of a national club called the Confederación Internacional de Motociclistas Oficiales y Policías de Caminos. The group includes members of regional clubs, like Dorados de Villa in Ciudad Juárez, of which Mr. Rojas is a member, across the border from El Paso. Others come from Mexico City, Nuevo León, Querétaro and Guadalajara. The group’s performers are daredevils who mount one another’s shoulders, ride backward on front-end rims or form human pyramids on two motorcycles as they cruise along a designated route. By day, they are professors, teachers, police officers and businessmen.

“The biker is from here, the real biker, and this is a Mexican expression of that culture,” Mr. Rojas said. But the Mexican signature, he added, is the acrobatic element. “We don’t see them dominate the bike the way the Apaches dominated the horse better than the Spaniards,” he said.

Mr. Rojas, a criminology professor and the rector of the Universidad Cultural in Ciudad Juárez, said the performance transcended the tumultuous histories between Texas and Mexico.

“From my sociological point of view, Texas is really a mixture of cultures,” he said. “Mexicans, we don’t harbor resentment. To the contrary, we see this as a cultural expression. The culture is universal: it doesn’t have borders or limits, it doesn’t have a color. We’re citizens of the world, and as such, we understand this cultural expression.”

Alejandro Galán, the national group’s leader, acknowledges the history but uses it as a punch line instead of a point of contention.

“We’re here because we want to take it back,” he joked, referring to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, under which Mexico in 1848 lost its northern territory to the United States.

The state’s Chicanos, Americans of Mexican descent who identify with both cultures, say the Mexican bikers are a welcome addition to the Texas event.

Mikey Rodriguez, 42, is a member of the Latin Lords MC, a group from Baytown, near Houston. This was his 13th visit to the rally. In previous years, the Mexican riders would caravan in, wearing Mexican wrestler masks amid a cheering crowd. That they make the trek, he said, is not surprising.

“When you’re involved in this lifestyle, you travel left and right,” he said.

Rachel Salas, 36, a Latina and native of Lubbock, said the Mexicans were as welcome as anyone else and just as embraced.

“Everybody gets along, I think that’s a good thing,” she said. “Everyone is very friendly, almost too friendly.”

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Source: NYTimes (Aguilar, 6/21)

The Impact of Harley Davidson Motorcycles

The Harley Davidson motorcycle was and always will be an American icon. Although other American motorcycle companies have flourished, none has had the staying power of Harley. Over a hundred years after its inception, the Harley Davidson motorcycle company is stronger and better received by the American public than ever before. Its line of motorcycles is diverse enough that it appeals to both men and women and priced for those on a wide range of budgets. The bikes themselves are only the start. The clothing, accessories, and memorabilia are an extension of the motorcycle and the entire concept of the Harley lifestyle reaches outward to interest just about anyone with a fascination of two-wheeled transportation.

Harley Davidson began its illustrious history in Milwaukee, Wisconsin back in 1903. The pioneers were Bill Harley and Arthur Walter Davidson and the entire operation was located inside of a wooden barn built by Mr. Davidson’s father. They would remain in the barn manufacturing their motorcycles until 1912 when they would relocate into a multi-level building, reportedly six stories high. The Harley Davidson motorcycle company was started with the design of a one cylinder engine which developed specifically for racing and grew from there. In 1905 they had produced eleven motorcycles and by 1908 the number had grown to one hundred fifty four. By 1912 they had begun to export their motorcycles with the first motorized bike being sold overseas in Japan. The quest for world peace also fueled the sales of Harley motorcycles in the coming years. Harley was the largest supplier of motorcycles for the United States military. Their patriotism and reliable motorcycles helped the war effort and added to the company’s ever-growing group of enthusiasts. Two wheeled transportation was proving to be a viable means of moving about versus traveling by automobile. Over the next few decades, the company continued its growth and presence on the roads of the United States and around the world. Motorcycling, however, was about to get something it never had before… a bad reputation.

During the fifties, Americans viewed the release of movies depicting motorcyclists as less than honorable citizens. The term biker gang was introduced to the world and there was no going back from here. Rebellious bikers had come to be associated with Harley Davidson motorcycles thanks to a bit of Hollywood make-believe and the imaginations of the movie goers. The success of these biker flicks fueled even more bad-boy biker films especially during the sixties and seventies. Movie goers would have a better chance of finding a needle in a haystack than finding movies with honorable and honest bikers. The whole concept of the Harley motorcycle would never be the same from this point forward. The attitude, the attire, the tattoos, and the owner loyalty would go well beyond that of any other brand of motorcycle. To this day, regardless of innovations in imported motorcycles, Harley remains as good motorcycle as any in the world. Harley owners rarely defect to different brands. The motorcycle’s simplicity and timeless design help promote the brand loyalty. To many owners, very simply the concept of riding a symbol of American ingenuity through the city streets or country roads of America is enough. Harley sounds like no other bike, looks like no other bike, and feels like no other bike. Most Harley owners would agree that it’s the only motorcycle for them. Biker rallies and get-togethers draw more and more motorcycle enthusiasts every year. Whether you consider the motorcycle a means of transportation, or a means of relaxation, depends on your overall opinion of two-wheeled travel. Harley Davidson, however, is guaranteed to remain at the forefront of the industry for decades to come based purely on owner loyalty and genuine love for the ultimate American motorcycle.