A Bikers Tale: Son Of Pappy
Many of you out there probably do not know that I L.J. James am the Son of Pappy (Freelance writer on the Biker Lifestyle) ! Hell I didn’t know till 1986,Well I knew I just didn’t know him! Pappy an my Mother got separated when I was young and I didn’t see Pappy from around 76 till 86. When I met him he wasn’t even known as Pappy yet! That came later.
I had lived with my Mother an step-Father on Long Island in NY till the Summer of 86. I had always been into Bikes and the life style. Many times after getting into some kind of trouble I would hear the saying “He is just like his Father”. Little did I know at the time just how true it really was! After getting into some more teenage trouble (you know the deal Drinking,Staying out late, getting brought home by the cops 2 or 3 times). My Mother figured it was time for me to meet my Father. So in the Summer of 86 at the age of 15, I found myself flying up to Rochester NY to meet my Father!
When I first met Pappy He owned a large House and He rented out rooms in the house to College kids and other Bikers. Almost as soon as I got there Pappy started teaching me to Ride a Motorcycle and probably just as important if not more, what the words Respect, Honesty , Loyalty and Brotherhood mean in the Biker World. I still remember clearly one time at a John Fogarty Concert. Me, Pappy and a few other Bikers where in the parking lot looking at Motorcycles. I saw this really cool bike with this paint job that was just unbelievable, I went to touch it and Pappy grabbed my hand looked at me in the eyes and told me “Never touch another mans Bike without his permission” and till this day I never have.
The House Pappy owend was well known by many of the Bikers in the area and was the place many large party’s where held, It was not uncommon to find a bunch of Bikers sleeping in the living room any given morning. These Bikers where family to me and when they said “He is just like his Father” it gave me a feeling of over whelming pride! I have always loved hearing the stories these true Brothers of the biker world would tell me. I feel the old Biker stories need to be saved and told over and over again.
New Motorcycle Riders are learning about Biker history from old 1960′s Biker Gang movies that have no historic truth to them. Just like with any culture if you lose your true history you lose what you really are! I feel the only way to return the Biker world to its true origin is to keep the old stories alive ! Too many “Bikers” complain that the younger Motorcycle Riders of today have no idea what it means to be a Biker! Well I think maybe the problem is that some of the older Bikers never really knew what it meant to be a Biker, Because if they did they would know its their job to teach the next generation! A new Motorcycle Rider must know what the Spirit of Biker Brotherhood is before he can truly feel it and become a part of it. (Maybe that’s part of why I became a writer?)
I said at the Beginning of this story Pappy was not yet known as Pappy and I would tell you how that came to be. Well if you remember the Summer of 86 you will remember the Karate Kid Movie was a Big Hit and was on HBO like 10 times a day,Well as far as I could remember I had never called anyone Dad or Father or anything like that. In the Karate Kid they called each other miyagi san and Daniel san! Well thinking I was clever I started calling my Father “Pappy san”, He in turn started calling me Son of Pappy and soon after everyone started calling Him Pappy!
Now many of You maybe wondering why the Hell am I telling you all this. Well like I have said there are many Motorcycle riders these days that have no clue what Biker Brotherhood really is. I think it is important that they know this is not something you buy into, But something you grow into. Too many buy a Motorcycle and then do nothing but talk, They are only there for you if you have something to offer them. There are very few true Bikers left, Bikers are being replaced by Motorcycle enthusiasts and part of it is our own fault! I write this story in hopes it will help spread the word that only the true old School bikers can teach the younger generation the true meaning of Biker Brotherhood.
A true Biker who feels the Brotherhood Spirit always has some older Biker to thank for passing that Spirit onto him! I thank my Father Pappy, My Uncle Trey and all the other Bikers Who helped to raise me to be the Biker I am, I am very glad to have been raised by them and I am very Proud to have grown up to be one of them !
I am Your Bro, Son of Pappy L.J. James AmericanBikerX.com Radio show at BikerLowdown.com
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