Fads, good and bad

Ialmost

started this little exercise with an observation about the folly of fads in our favourite hobby, but I stopped myself.

First, if you prefer a particular type of vehicle, or a certain paint scheme — or lack thereof, in some cases — or one bike fashion over another, you’re not necessarily following any fad.

Second, even if you are, it’s hardly folly. This diversion is all about having a bit of fun, and if that means grabbing on to what the magazines say is cool this week, what the hell. Enjoy yourself and let someone else worry about what’s classic.

Still … OK, there is some of this stuff that’s making me a little nuts, so I’ll spout off here and maybe that will relieve the pressure. You, dear reader, will just have to bear with me. Or, you know, turn the page. Try to resist.

What set me off tonight was a photo of a friend trying on a new Honda Shadow. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the growth of our motorcycling community. I know more than a handful of novice riders who have taken the plunge since my own late arrival to two-wheeled freedom.

Most will take or have taken one of the various riding courses offered in and around the capital — highly recommended if you’re considering that path yourself. Is that a fad, a “shortlived fashion”? I don’t think so. There may well be hundreds of new riders on the streets, but once you have invested the cash to gear up, get certified and pick up even the cheapest used bike, it’s not likely you’ll be leaving it behind any time soon.

Those cruisers? Well, it’s definitely about the fashion, and there’s definitely a bandwagon out there, but it doesn’t look like that’s going away any time soon, either. And they do look good, after all.

Can’t say the same about the most recent four-wheeled fad, the rat rod. You’ve seen them, even on the streets of Newfoundland, with their distressed and aged paint, rusty patina and wrinkled sheet metal. This is supposed to be a style?

OK, I can see spending your cash on the drivetrain first. Get the wheels on that baby and start rollin’, sure. But that cannot be all there is.

You don’t need a million-dollar paint job to get my vote at the next show, but for heaven’s sake, you’ve got to make an effort. And while it’s bad enough to leave that wretched skin on your fresh ride, the guys who go out of their way to fake the look? They’ve lost me completely.

Not that they care. And why should they?

Ken Simmons, The Telegram’s new media editor, breathes exhaust and exhales clean, fresh air. Twitter @Ken_Simmons_NL/Tumblr