Another biker told of an incident when, because of the appalling road, he had to drive in the middle. A car driver started honking his horn and hurling insults. They ended up having an argument right there in the middle of the street. A lot of the risks involved in riding a bike are not of the bikers’ making. People who insist on throwing soapy water out on the street after washing their floors or cars, are inadvertently posing a danger to someone on a motorcycle, who can easily skid. Even the road cleaning machines don’t help since they just make the roads slippery, catching bikers unawares. “It’s sheer negligence” the bikers all agreed.
Bikers often leave their bikes somewhere only to find on their return, that someone has knocked them down or even moved them to make room for a car. The resentment of bikers is understandable – after all they, too, pay their road license just like car owners do.
Even traffic education campaigns, they point out, never take into consideration the perils involved for those riding a bike. “It’s like we don’t exist.”
Are people under the impression that bikers are out looking for trouble? “Perhaps, but it’s definitely not the case. All we want to do is ride our bikes and enjoy ourselves, that’s it.”
The Rebel Riders usually meet on the weekends. Sunday afternoons are normally dedicated to cruising. “Not that there’s much of a choice here in Malta – we don’t exactly have any motorways!” they said with a laugh. “It’s always the same places and the same potholes.”
It was time for them to move on. Pulling on their helmets and swinging their denim-clad legs over the seats of their bikes, they gave me a last friendly wave as they drove off to continue their charity ride.
Feeling almost envious of their freedom, I got into my car, following the long snake of bikers making their way towards St.Paul’s Bay. For a moment, the rebel inside of me could identify with their free spirits. And the phrase which one of the Rebel Riders had told to me echoed over and over in my head: Live and let live.

Mark Aguis [25 years, Club Secretary, works as a soldier with AFM]
For this charity drive, the members have paid Lm5 each, so between us we’ve already collected about Lm200. Those who have come to see us are free to donate as much as they like. The idea to do this came about very naturally. When we formed the club, apart from getting a buzz out of it, we immediately thought about doing something each year to help others out. These things don’t have to be just at Christmas time – that’s why we organize it in April.
I agree that people judge us on our appearance. But this is 1999, the world is changing and people are realizing that not everyone who has long hair and wears a leather jacket is a trouble maker. I’ve got two earrings and a nose ring, for example. This guy here has about 6 rings, but that has nothing to do with it!
We chose the name ‘Rebel Riders’ because we do feel that we are rebels; that we are different from other people. Actually, it is society which makes us ‘different’, even though we aren’t really. But don’t worry, we’ll keep that image, it doesn’t matter.
The first year we organized the charity ride, it was a bit hard to get publicity, but now that we are in our fourth year, everyone seems to expect it. We put up posters, promote it on the radio stations and the newspapers. Word of mouth is also important because all of us bikers know each other.
The bike culture is quite large here in Malta. I think it has always been really, even ‘in the old days’. There are a lot of people who are into bikes. And we’ve got people from every social class: university students, Drydocks workers, you name it! Even the type of bike doesn’t matter, as long as you enjoy riding it without causing any trouble.
You see even people who are older, look at that guy over there, for example! They still love to ride bikes. They’ve got married, had kids and you still see them on their bike. As for myself, I hope that when I’m 50 I’ll still be riding a bike. Like Mario here, he’s really an old-timer (ghandu balla zmien)!

Mario Bonnici [39, Club Treasurer, works as a fitter at drydocks]
I’ve always loved to ride bikes. This has nothing to do with your age – it’s something that you feel inside. Hopefully when I’m 60, I’ll still be the same. In fact, my 13-year-old daughter really likes the fact that I’m still so ‘with it’. The feeling that you get riding a bike is something that nothing else can give you – you feel more free than when you drive a car.

Sylvan Bonello [PRO, works with Virtu Ferries]
Here in Malta, people find it very difficult to understand the lifestyle of a biker. That this is something we really enjoy. The mentality is that if you’re buying a bike, you’re buying death.
In actual fact, the government gets a lot of money from the customs duty we pay, and from the spare parts which we have to import. As for the insurance, we can’t even take out a fully comprehensive policy – only third party, just because it’s a bike.
I would say that about 40% of drivers in Malta own a bike. When you consider that the license fee has gone up a lot in the last few years, that is quite a lot.
To explain the feeling you get on a bike, you have to ride one. And not just as a passenger – you have to drive one your self.
Of course, sometimes there are accidents which are caused by bikes, but if the roads were fixed, there would be less accidents and we would drive much better. As for the helmet, studies have shown that if you go over certain speed limit the helmet is useless. An accident can prove fatal because of the helmet since you end up breaking your neck. Although I personally I agree with wearing a helmet, it should be up to you.
Even though it’s boiling hot in summer, I always wear jeans and long sleeves because if I fall I wont hurt myself so much.

Tamara Cardona [26, Accounts Clerk]
I don’t think that there is anything wrong with the Rebel Riders’ emblem because it has a mixture of life and death; good and bad. It sums up life in general.
I don’t drive, I’m just a passenger, Mark won’t let me drive. That’s why I told you some of them are chauvinists! In some things they still have a macho mentality. Male bikers like to think they’re macho. But many of them deep down are actually quite sensitive, they just don’t want to show it. Image is very important to them.
My father used to be a bit afraid of my riding a bike, but now I’ve been riding for 10 years so he’s used to it. On the whole my family believe that everyone has the right to live their life as they choose.

Claire Parnis [21 years, Care Worker with the Elderly]
I’ve been driving for about 2 and a half years. I’ve always been crazy about bikes. I had a friend who had a bike, and she encouraged me to buy one too.
At first my family tried to convince me to get rid of it, but obviously I wasn’t going to. Eventually they accepted it. My bike is a 175cc, which is a good size to start off with. Not too powerful, just right. Later on, I’d like to buy a bigger bike.
When I tell my patients that I have a bike, some of them think it’s great and tell each other “you know, she ride’s a bike!” then there are other who try to tell me to sell it because I might get hurt.
On a bike I feel really independent. I like being outside, not like when you are in a car, for example.
I feel very comfortable with other bikers. Everyone here does what they like, and they don’t interfere with other people’s business. That, I think, is something that biker all have in common.
I think that in 10 years time, I’ll still be riding a bike. My boyfriend has a bike as well – if he didn’t like bikes, he’d have to go! When I first bought my bike, I was going out with someone else, and he kept telling me I was crazy, so I told him ‘caio’! He couldn’t accept me the way I am.

Joe Zahra
The biggest problem is when you buy a bike worth about Lm7000, and you’re driving along the road and find a pothole and twist the rim of a wheel. That costs you about Lm300 – who are you going to charge it to? If you go to complain at a police station, they laugh at you. Abroad, if a biker falls because of the bad state of the roads, he can sue the local council. Here the local councils are a gimmick.
Then there are the numberplates. They brought the small ones especially for bikes, and people with cars took them. Another thing I don’t like is if we buy a bike from Japan or America we have to pay more customs tax than if we buy it from Europe. I cannot understand this.
I’ve been riding bikes for so long that I cant even remember the first time I rode a bike. At the moment I have 6 bikes. The very first bike I had was a Suzuki intruder; it was the first of its kind in Malta. It cost Lm5000. I had just started working and all I did was save to buy this bike. That was a lot of money in those days – everyone told me I was crazy and stupid to spend so much. I don’t go everywhere with it. And when I’m using it, I deffinately don’t drink.
What I don’t agree with is that wearing a helmet is compulsory. I chose this lifestyle so it should be my choice. I am responsible for myself.
But the worst thing is the state of our roads. I read recently that they brought over a German expert to test our roads. Do we really need someone from Germany – even a new-born baby could tell you we have bad roads!

Martha [26]
I don’t drive, I’m just a passenger. I’ve always loved bikes. When I used to meet a guy who has a bike, I’d immediately want him to let me ride. I don’t know what it is. I find bikes exciting and I wish I knew how to drive one. I’ve tried several times but I’m still a bit scared.
My family used to mind. In fact they still tell me to be careful when they know I’m going to be a passenger.
There is still a stigma in society about bikers. People see them as rebels. But it is that very image which has always attracted me. I can consider myself not one of them if I want to, but if I join their group I feel very comfortable. I’ve always wanted to be more a part of them than I actually am. Bikers are very accepting of other people.