Arnold Schwarzenegger, Action Bronson and Mark Boone Jr. (aka Bobby “Elvis” Munson from Sons of Anarchy) all have one thing in common. They are all big men who demand our attention. Big men who use their physical stature to own the spotlight. Big men who look good on a motorcycle. How can we big blokes steal a bit of their thunder to proclaim ourselves as large and in charge? The answer: motorcycle wear.
Read on to discover some tips to unlocking the power of motorcycle wear to level up your big man wardrobe and overall coolness.
If you are a big man who lives life on your own terms, nothing shouts this more loudly to the world than riding a badass motorcycle. Even if you don’t ride bikes, you can still draw some inspiration from what motorbike riders wear to clothe yourself in attire that will make you look like you’re ready for action.
Big Torque
Come with me if you want to ride in style
Simply put, torque is the amount of power engines produce off the line. Obviously, we bigger blokes need a good amount of torque to initially get us going so we get the most bang for our buck out of our motorbikes.
A motorbike like the Honda CB900F Hornet (919cc) is going to be perfect for us big guys. With a ton of torque (the 2006 model clocks in at 85.2Nm @ 5,000 rpm) and great handling too, the Hornet has power plus street manners. It is a bike that straddles the divide between roadster, sport tourer and naked superbike categories. This bike is a reliable workhorse that is perfect for the daily commute. Not only that, it looks good and sounds tough too.
Great Routes
Get your motor running along the Great Ocean Road
As Aussie big blokes we are especially lucky to be blessed with a plethora of epic motorcycle rides. And the Great Ocean Road in Victoria is certainly one of the best. This 243 km stretch from Torquay to Allansford rambles past the famous Twelve Apostles, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Opting for a quieter time of the day or tackling the ride during winter should steer you clear of the tourist hordes and make your ride a little freer. Can you hear that? The sweeping ocean vistas, hip coastal towns and inspiring natural wonders, are calling to you now.
The 126 km ride from Strahan on Tassie’s west coast to Derwent Bridge on the edge of Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is a lesser known motorcyclist’s playground. Imposing mountain scenery and lonely, open stretches of highway combine to make this ride well worth the trip across the Tasman. It is along this route where you will encounter what the locals dub the “99 bends” road. The curvy, smooth tarmac road, which forms part of the renowned Targa rally, is a great place to put your two-wheeled beast through its paces (abiding by the posted speed limits, of course).
Now that you've got your perfect big bloke motorbike and epic ride sorted, it's time to pick out some big man motorcycle wear...
Big Style
Big guys who wear motorcycle gear get all the chicks
Sturdy leather jackets, jeans and boots. Motorcycle riders tend to all wear the same thing not only for protection in the advent of a spill, but also it’s a killer look. We haven’t got time to go into the history of the leather jacket here. Suffice it to say that they once identified the wearer as a fringe-dweller within society. These days, leather jackets are a great fashion choice to demarcate us big guys as rugged and ready for whatever life throws our way.
The problems short cut biker jackets present to us big guys can be offset by tucking a t-shirt in underneath. This will not only stop the problem of showing off any unwanted belly but will also effectively lengthen your torso, so as to appear taller and slimmer. Wearing a hoodie beneath your biker jacket is also a good move to soften the overall impact of a leather jacket, helping you to pull off a more casual look.
Motorcyclists are freer. They are thrill-seekers. They are adventurous. However, you don’t necessarily need to ride a motorbike yourself to dress like you do. Great motorcycle wear will make us big blokes project our significance even more. It will help us stand out as sturdy guys who are fun and a little bit dangerous. A potent combination sure to allure members of the opposite sex, no doubt.
One Aussie company that is making all the right moves when it comes to motorcycle fashion at the moment is Blackbird Motorcycle Wear (see video above). The good people at Blackbird Motorcycle Wear have recently teamed up with Ron Bennett Big Mens Clothing to offer Aussie big men a great range of motorcycle fashion. So, why not do yourself a favour and become a stylish big man by picking up some of this great motorcycle wear?
Go ahead. You deserve to rev your life up a bit.
