BIKERS?

Used to be over half of our business was bikers..I mean REAL bikers....What happened to em?..Its like they just disappeared..TAz

I remember those days as well, Taz, I'll tell you what I think may have happened, and to be honest, I feel it is a positive for the industry. People with legit Degrees in Art from varying schools got into tattooing, and it forced the Tattoo community to step up or go away. Unfortunately, alot of the old school bikers (definitely not all, I'm very fond of the talented biker tattoo artists) were nothing more than scratchers boasting 20+ years of experience, which they had, but it was 20 years of bad habbits and no art skills. People started catching on and what they saw on the net and in magazines by artists with a legitimate art background was making them aware of the difference between a good tattoo artist and a not so good one. There are still biker tattoo artists out there, many are doing just fine. Some of them have degrees and/or studied art as well, and some of them were blessed with natural talent. Just my theory, but I'm open to correction on that.

No I think you are on the money as far as ARTISTS go but my question was about biker CUSTOMERS!! I'm sorry sometimes I am not as lucid as I think I am being. Too many Tazblasters!!

Taz I swear dude you always find a way to make me crack the hell up bro .....thanx...lol

Oh, that ones simple- they're all covered! lol

JJJJJEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSH!!!!

I think your so called "biker" customers are gone because there are only a few BIKERS left. A lot of these new guys think that 18 grand and 18 miles makes 'em a "biker". I ride an old '71 rigid with a 12 over front end with no problem, but I go on these poker runs with rookies who have brand new bikes and softails and they bitch at the first stop that their backs hurt! But the other fella was right, most of us are already covered!!!! As for the new "bikers", they just wanted a bike to fit in with the on going discovery channel craze, they don't really want the tattooed, boozed up, ride fast die young lifestyle. Just my two cents though.

Ironhead is correct. It seems that 1% means something totally different nowadays. Just go to your local Harly dealership and look at the used bikes- many of them have 500 miles or less on them, I asked a dealer here about it and his words were "Some yuppie had a close call, scared the crap out of him and he feels safer in his Escalade".

Hey Taz, I'm right here. Hell my shop is inside of Easy Riders

Skittlez...what a perfect person to throw this question to.....why do we tattoo so few bikers anymore?....with your location I am sure you get more than we do but seriously...are the days of the real biker fast coming to a close as Krystof says?

Yes and No, there is many good ole' boys here w/ a mix of R.U.B's Rich Urban Bikers that trailer there bikes, sadly enough w/ the comercialization of both motorcycles and tattoos we half to make room for the rich crybabies, w/ their "look at me I'm tough w/ my barb-wire arm band and my 40,000 dollar bike, .....but what's a suicide shifter" mentality. God bless the discovery chanel.

DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bikers no longer stand out from any crowd. 5 days a week, they are doctors, lawyers and fag hookers just like anyone else. Then they put on chaps and leather jackets on the weekends. And they never ride outside their cellphone network these days. Those roaming charges will kill ya!

wHAT i WANT TO KNOW IS...HOW DID YOU KNOW i WAS A FAG HOOKER????

just like they disapered yup.

there is still a hell's angels chapter in bridgeport ct. where I'm from and i have tattooed a few of them but not too many. it' gone pop like everything else that was once considered sacred.

Come down south! All the ole bikers turned either trailer trash and live in the south. But even here in the haven of rednecks, cockfights, and crank, you still are outnumbered by weekend warriors.

Damn right!!

It's just startin' to get warm up here in ohio and that means every rookie that their daddy's got them a bike for christmas decides that they are gonna go out and be a biker for a day! I was drivin' back from the parts store about three days ago( I work on mine more than I ride I think!) and some kid comes full throttle out of a side street no brakes, hell, I think he was still in third gear, comes all the way in my lane to make the turn( he pulled out from the left of me) and just kept on going after I put some flat spots on my truck tires. I looked in the rearview and low and behold, THIRTY DAY TAGS!!! The thing of it is, after I got my scoot runnin, I go up to my waterin hole and that fuckin kids sittin at the bar drinkin shots with his brand spankin new leather coat that still has the hanger imprints on it, shiny new boots, and his brand new barb-wire armband!!!!!! I know everyone has to start somewhere, but jesus, just because you have a new bike and a new tattoo( which he probably got because of his new bike!)you are not a biker. I say its kinda like your guy's apprenticeships, IF the older guys take ya in and show you some real shit about bikin', listen and learn and ya' just might be able to make it to your 30's without bein scraped off the road. Listen to them old guys, they've seen alot of shit. Sorry, I'll stop now, I know this isn't a biker forum, I just thought ya'll might think like me, especially taz, you ride don't ya?

Been ridin all my life Iron head and I agree with every fuckin word..I guess we should take it as a compliment that thes people are tryin to imitate the lifestyle...although they are a pain in the ass!! I appreciate hearin from ya man...There just ain't many of us left!! See ya !..TAz