As in any wide spread hobby you will find the good the bad and the ugly. There are riders like the Hell’s Angels who have earned their reputation yet becoming way more famous are organized riders like the Patriot Guard Riders who ‘roll’ across country to go to funeral after funeral of our fallen soldiers to out shout those who would make the day worse for the families of these good men and women. Other groups do fund increasing rides for all kinds of issues. A friend of this blogger got a medical insulin pump and the surgery requested wholly paid for from one such biker group.

Each biker patch on the vest of a rider implies something important. In reading about what they mean I identified that the top ‘Rocker’ gives your present place and your bottom rocker gives your state of origin. From there the patches added to a vest signify anything from an achievement eg. a cross country ride or exceptional showing at bike week to an event or institution that has been strong in the life of the wearer ie.

� POW issues

� The riders heritage

� and even Animal Cruelty issues

A few patches speak of the persons rank within his group and will express longevity and leadership capacity. A ‘gang’ leader might wear the largest skull, biggest set of wings, or even his private name to let other bikers know of his accomplishments.

The patches worn by the riders are not different from those used in boy scouts to give boys a sense of belonging and pride in achievement. Although bikers’ patches are on a much grander scale and admittedly the rebellious side of insignia, I find it strange that they are seen so poorly for what we encouraged them toward in their youth.

Until today it’s been hard to search for good artwork for biker patches to be worn on your vest. Yet nowadays there is a website with really great artwork and embroidered patches for you to customize your vest and make your style famous. Also given on this website are the aforementioned ‘vulgar’ decals and stickers for either a bike or helmet or where ever you believe they appear greatest. You can also send in your own design and have a biker patch made to your requirements. Wholesale biker patches are available on the net at thecheapplace.com at extremely reasonable costs.

Riding in style is just a few clicks away. If you are looking for biker patches, come check out the options. Embroidered patches are one of the things that separate bikers from just people on bikes.

Quad Bikes: Quad bikes are also known as ‘ATVs’ (all terrain vehicles) as well as four wheelers and simply ‘quads’. These are motorised vehicles with strong and flexible suspension shared across three large tyres to give a (relatively) smooth ride across all kinds of terrain. The large surface areas of the wheels means that they are more useful for certain terrains as the pressure is spread across the bike. For this reason they are great for riding across sand and mud, and many holiday companies provide rides on quad bikes through deserts and beaches. The powerful suspension also makes them great for large jumps and hills. The extra wheels also give the rider more stability meaning that they can balance more easily and are less likely to fall off. This also makes them more suitable for the bumpier terrain and makes them more accessible for less experienced users (and also means that the rider is required to wear less protective gear). Quad bikes normally come with engine sizes ranging from 49 cc to a maximum of around 1,000 cc. Quad bikes are not road-legal in most states of America and there are no large competitions to or races to enter, though they can be modified for motocross, woods racing, desert racing, ice racing, speedway, tourist trophy, drag racing etc.

Dirt bikes: Dirt bikes are a form of off road motorcycle that are specialised for driving across mud or performing jumps and tricks. They look like ordinary motorcycles but are far more light weight with smaller engines and better suspension. This simple rugged construction means they can be pushed around and subjected to a lot of punishment which makes them the more common vehicle for motocross and allows them to be pushed up hill when necessary. The thin frame allows them to be driven through thinner gaps etc too and makes them excellent for weaving between trees making them superior also for wood racing etc. Finally their light structure makes them great for ‘trials’ where the competition is based more on balancing and precision where the rider performs stunts and tricks in a manner similar to skateboarding or BMXing (these bikes normally come without seats). Dirt bikes tend to range from 250cc to 450cc (though rally bikes are more commonly higher going up to 660cc).

In short then there is no obvious winner, but it depends largely on your intended use. For Motorcross or woods racing, dirt bikes are probably the better bet. Similarly they allow more impressive tricks etc and are lighter and easier to store. With a quad bike however you have the extra sturdiness reducing risk of injury and a more evenly spread pressure for desert or beach terrain.

A popular first motor bike for off road riding are 125cc dirt bikes. It is similar with quad bikes, where people like a small to mid range bike to learn on.