5 Motorcycle Opinions That Could Start a Bar Fight

Want to see a perfectly friendly motorcycle crowd turn into five separate debating societies? You don't need politics. Just mention helmets, exhaust pipes or whether a trike counts as a motorcycle.

We've spent enough time around rallies to know that bikers can agree on the important stuff—good roads, cold drinks, decent people—and still argue for an hour about everything else. Here are five opinions guaranteed to make somebody set down their beer and say, “Now hold on a minute.”

1. Helmets: Freedom, Common Sense, or Both?

Nothing empties a peaceful conversation faster than somebody saying, “You know what I think about helmet laws?” Suddenly the guy who was telling a fishing story is quoting statistics, and somebody's cousin in Ohio has become the leading authority on head injuries.

There are riders who wouldn't leave the driveway without a full-face helmet. Others prefer an open-face lid, and some want the choice to ride without one where the law allows it. Personal preference and helmet-law politics aren't quite the same argument, although they tend to get mixed together after the second round.

One thing isn't up for debate: a properly fitted, certified helmet provides meaningful protection in a crash. You can respect somebody's right to an opinion without pretending protective gear does nothing.

2. Loud Pipes Save Lives. Or Just Annoy the Neighbors?

You know the guy. He fires up his bike at six in the morning and half the campground gets a free alarm clock. He'll tell you the exhaust is a safety feature. His neighbor, who just dropped a cup of coffee, may have a different theory.

Some riders love a deep exhaust note. Others think the best sound a motorcycle makes is the one you can still hear after a 400-mile day without ringing ears. Whether loud exhaust actually alerts drivers in time is much less clear than the slogan suggests, and it isn't a substitute for visibility, positioning and defensive riding.

There's a difference between a good rumble and setting off car alarms three blocks away. The disagreement starts at exactly where that line is.

3. Harley, Indian, or Something Else: Who Gets to Be a 'Real Biker'?

There is always one person who can identify a motorcycle's brand from fifty yards away and immediately tell you why it's the wrong one. Harley riders defend their heritage. Indian riders have their own history to brag about. Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki owners often just smile and mention how many miles they rode while everybody else was arguing.

Brand loyalty is part of motorcycle culture. So is good-natured ribbing. But the notion that the logo on a gas tank decides whether somebody belongs at a rally is a pretty strange hill to die on.

Here's our unpopular opinion: the person who rode 700 miles to get there has more interesting stories than the person who spent 700 words explaining why somebody else's motorcycle doesn't count.

4. Trikes: Motorcycles or Three-Wheeled Retirement Plans?

Tell a two-wheel purist you're thinking about a trike and you may get a look normally reserved for somebody putting ketchup on a steak. Tell a trike rider they're not a real biker and you might hear about the 100,000 miles they've put on the road.

Three wheels handle differently. Nobody is claiming otherwise. But riders move to trikes for all kinds of reasons: comfort, confidence, mobility, carrying a passenger, or simply because they like them.

Would you rather have a longtime riding buddy show up on three wheels—or stop showing up altogether? That's a question worth asking before the jokes get too personal.

5. Group Rides: Brotherhood on the Highway or Organized Traffic Jam?

There are people who love a hundred-bike parade through the countryside. Then there are people who would rather ride through a thunderstorm than spend Saturday staring at the taillight of a stranger who brakes for every shadow.

A well-run group ride can be terrific: good friends, a shared destination, a sweep rider, sensible spacing and somebody who actually knows where lunch is. A badly run one can turn a beautiful road into a moving committee meeting.

Some riders love the camaraderie. Others prefer two or three friends—or just the sound of their own engine. Both groups usually agree on one thing: the rider who insists on controlling everybody's speed is exhausting.

So Who's Right?

Probably nobody at the table. Or everybody, depending on which table you're sitting at.

Motorcycling would be pretty dull if every rider bought the same bike, wore the same gear and wanted the same kind of ride. A little trash talk is part of the fun. Just don't confuse disagreeing with somebody for having to disrespect them.

After all, tomorrow morning you may need that same guy to help you push-start your bike.

Your turn: Which of these five arguments gets the biggest reaction in your riding circle? And what motorcycle opinion did we leave out that always starts trouble?

Biker Nation: Where strangers become family—even when they can't agree on exhaust pipes.