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Although not common with touring bikes, many other bikers seem to love death head graphics.

Now I just turned 50 so I'm old but not that old. Can anyone help me understand the rider fascination with death figures as "Art"?

My surprise is that it seems to be a majority of sport/cruiser riders fascination not just a small part of riders in general. I assume we represent all of society but for so many to be so focused on only one thing doesn't make us look like individuals. My opinion.

death head?

fireguzzi wrote:death head?

do you mean skulls?

HYPERR wrote:

fireguzzi wrote:death head?

do you mean skulls?

More then likely. To answer the question. Skull, and deathheads have long been part of the biker culture and really is a hold over from ex WWII servicemen who turned to biking and outlaw biking as a means to find a measure of excitment they missed from service life/combat and that boring civie life could not supply.

Those early bikers, especially those who were aircrew brought a lot of their nose art work over to their biking life. From there it became embedded within the biking culture, be it hard core 1 percenters or squid kids tearing up the streets on their crotch rockets.

Also makes the wimps look like tuffguys....well at least they think it does.

Still? Well, different strokes and all that, but aren't skulls kinda dated-looking?

I've been told that I am dated looking. Did I type that in my out-loud voice.

Johnj wrote:I've been told that I am dated looking. Did I type that in my out-loud voice.

Why black leather? Why babes in skimpy outfits, (now that’s a dumb question I know)? Why tattoos? Why lots of chrome and fancy paint jobs on the bikes? All are part of the biker culture and bad boy image and beauty is in the eye of the beholder, (or is that beer holder). By “touring bike” I take it you mean a Goldwing type bike? That represents a certain part of society in itself. While we are all bikers each type represents what we like and find fits us as individuals. While I appreciate every rider and his choice of bike that doesn’t mean I would ever want to ride a lot of different bikes. I think the death figure represents the danger in riding. You are safe in your cage but I am living life a little more dangerously and as a result a little more fully.

Skulls represent the absence of the dear of death...could be why they became part of the biker culture...