You can't disparage the symbolism of a motorcycle in modern America. I'm not posturing like a thick-necked biker trying to justify some right-wing agenda here. I'm apolitical. I also happen to be a life-long biker. No, I'm not a Harley hard-rider or a Tokyo street-burner -- I took my cue from Mr. McQueen long, long ago. For more than ten years, I have been a Triumph trendsetter, splitting lanes on my Scrambler, my Flying Ace scarf flapping in the wind like Snoopy.

Before you get into an uproar, it's legal to split lanes in California. With one hand the Golden State's legislature giveth, with the other it taketh away. Yes, we can split lanes six ways to Sunday, but we have to wear helmets as we do it. While I'm not an anti-helmet aficionado, the less we're regulated, the better.

To understand the marginal standing of a Triumph rider, you have to understand that modern biking is split into two major camps -- the Harley boys and the Japanese crotch-rocketeers -- with a third, hodgepodge group encompassing everyone else. So, yes, I'm in the "everyone else" group, which means I share space with other Triumph riders, as well as Ducati, Indian, and Confederate riders.

There are advantages to floating about in the third class of riders. For one thing, Harley and Japanese bike riders tend to appreciate marginalized bikes. My Scrambler always turns heads, and not because I'm spewing decibels of sound pollution or popping wheelies on the freeway. The craftsmanship of the bike always make friends in both camps.

Another perk to being in the third class is the fact I don't have to keep a Los Angeles motorcycle accident attorney on speed dial. I haven't had to put my horse down, nor have I had to deal with a nasty case of road rash. Being superstitious, I attribute this my red, flapping scarf. Friends say this has to do with how carefully I drive. I say I'm never goaded into race wars or having to be flashy, so I keep two wheels on the pavement, and my eyes on the prize.

Look, no two bikers are ever the same. Just because I don't have a Los Angeles motorcycle accident attorney on speed dial doesn't mean you shouldn't. Think for yourself and be safe.

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