Why River City Biker ?

Throughout history, men have found numerous ways of leaving their mark in the worlds they have influenced. Images tell stories that strike a chord in the minds of the people who encounter them. For better or for worse, they hold intrinsic meaning, or at least, a curiosity for most of us.

Sometimes a mark was obvious and visible. It stood as a symbol of ownership, family, or decree. Other times, it was transcendent. The result of someone's extraordinary strength in character or deed. Possibly the result of a selfless act of courage or love. This kind of mark was indelible and held up over generations in story and lore.

In the middle ages, family clans would design seals or crests that would emblazon their imagery upon their property posts, and weapons of war. Official documents, would bear their seal in hot wax, forged by the signet ring of a family official. Tankards of ale bearing this crest, would be raised with great cheer at their festivals and feasts.

In the United States, during the taming of the western frontier, it was common practice to produce a mark for a farm or ranch. Con-men and thieves were always a problem and marking your property was a way to quickly identify that which you had worked so hard to achieve.

Local blacksmiths would create a symbol at the end of an iron rod, heated by fire, for use in a process the cowboys would refer to as "branding". This word is still in use today to describe the images and icons that define modern society, encompassing symbolism from antiquity, through popular culture.

For the cowboy, the most important possession to bear his brand was his horse. As his main form of transportation, the horse was a tremendous asset. But on a personal level, it was much more. This noble beast was both friend and companion, as well as a symbol of freedom and escape.

A final ride into the sunset brought remarkable fulfillment and joy at the close of the day. Such great appreciation for his steed made it all the more important to invoke the brand as a means of protecting his treasured friend.

Bikers understand this feeling, and thusly, the passion to create their own brand of expression for their trusted mechanical stallion.

A motorcycle is more than a means of transportation. It is an experience, and a passion. The emotional response of the rider regarding this passion is usually something that, like days of old, is reminisced around a table, as the adventures are relished and retold. At some point, an image may emerge in the mind of the rider. A symbol that may be a testament of his travels and trials, or a simple reminder of better days. It may be nothing more than a memory of a hilarious moment. An inside joke, between man and machine.

Whatever the reason… Take your ride. Write your story. Make your mark.