It’s time for the biker community — and the businesses that depend on us — to start taking care of our own.
Here’s a truth that’s hard to swallow: more than 90% of all motorcycle fundraisers, rallies, and charity rides send their proceeds outside of the biker community.
Think about that. Every weekend across the country, riders are hitting the road for charity runs — raising thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars for good causes. But when one of those same riders goes down, faces months of recovery, or worse, their own community often isn’t there to catch them.
We’re not saying don’t support important causes like veterans, children, or cancer research — those efforts matter deeply. What we’re saying is that if those causes want to benefit from the biker community’s unmatched generosity, they should also give something back to the riders who make their success possible.
Even a small percentage — a few dollars from each registration fee — could fund life-changing biker-focused programs that step in when riders are injured or families are grieving.
And here’s a simple, actionable solution: non-biker charities can easily add a biker organization like BikerDown as a secondary charity of choice. This small step ensures that when the motorcycle community shows up to ride and raise money, a portion of that generosity stays within the biker family — helping the very riders who keep these events alive year after year.
Where Are the Biker Businesses?
Let’s talk about another part of this equation — the biker businesses and organizations that thrive because of our loyalty. Every weekend, we’re dining at their restaurants, drinking at their bars, and adding dollars to their bottom line. But when a rider goes down, how many of those same businesses truly give back?
Some do — through charity rides or event sponsorships — and that deserves respect. But we need to ask the bigger question: could these same businesses regularly support a biker charity that helps injured riders with the things they really need after an accident?
Dealerships, biker bars, motorcycle attorneys, the State Motorcycle Operator Safety Training (M.O.S.T.) Program, and motorcycle training schools all depend heavily on the biker dollar. Yet when was the last time you saw M.O.S.T. or a training school actively supporting the biker community at an event? Too often, their presence is focused on telling riders how to improve their skills, instead of addressing the growing epidemic of distracted, impaired, unlicensed, and uninsured drivers who are actually putting riders in danger.
Here’s something most riders don’t realize: M.O.S.T. and motorcycle training programs exist largely because of us. Their operations are funded by the motorcycle licensing fees and registration renewals we pay every single year. In some states, those safety programs are sitting on hundreds of thousands — even millions — of unused rider dollars that could be reinvested directly into the community that funds them.
Imagine the impact if a small portion of that money went toward endorsement programs, helmet scholarships, or donations to biker charities like BikerDown — organizations that are on the ground every day helping injured riders and their families. Giving back wouldn’t be difficult. In fact, it would simply mean returning support to the very community that makes their programs possible.
And here’s another important point — the next time you need to hire a lawyer after an accident, and they tell you they handle motorcycle cases, ask them what biker charities they support or what biker events they attend. If they can’t answer that, maybe they’re not as connected to the biker community as they claim.
Because when a rider goes down, we need professionals and partners who are truly part of this community — not just people marketing to it.
If you’re a dealership selling bikes to the same people who are getting hurt, a biker bar filled with riders every weekend, a motorcycle attorney whose practice depends on injured riders, part of the M.O.S.T. Program promoting safety using our fees, or a training school funded by our licensing dollars — ask yourself this:
What are you doing to support the injured riders who keep this community alive?
This isn’t about blame — it’s about responsibility. Every biker business, agency, and professional connected to this lifestyle should be part of the solution. Whether it’s through sponsorship, direct donations, or partnerships with rider-focused charities, those who profit from — or are funded by — the biker community have a moral obligation to reinvest in it.
Who’s Actually Helping Riders?
Thankfully, not everyone is sitting on the sidelines.
BikerDown Foundation has been fighting for riders for over 15 years. Their mission is simple but powerful: When riders go down, we step up.
They provide:
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Emergency financial strategy and aid for injured riders. They also have their own online fundraising platform called BDFundme to give the families the lowest possible credit card processing fees so that in many cases a injured rider received 98% of the funds raised.
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Meal delivery and family support during recovery
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Legal assistance tailored to motorcyclists, BikerDown doesn’t recommend billboard lawyers, they vet every law firm to ensure they are true motorcycle attorneys, not just a guy saying he does motorcycle accidents
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Memorial support for families of fallen riders, including motorcycle urn donations
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A lending library of medical equipment for injured riders
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Holiday programs for children impacted by a parent’s crash, this program is called Adopt A Family for the Holidays, and for over 11 years, this program has focused on giving biker families holiday assistance so the children don’t go without.
These are not abstract causes — they’re real, immediate needs. The kind of help that makes the difference between recovery and ruin for a rider and their family.
Another organization, The Bike Experience, helps disabled riders get back in the saddle — restoring freedom, identity, and connection that only riders understand.
These groups don’t just talk about helping — they show up. They understand what it means to live life on two wheels, and what it feels like when that freedom is suddenly taken away.
Riders Helping Riders: The Way It Should Be
When a rider goes down, it shouldn’t take a miracle or a GoFundMe to get help. There should be an organized, well-funded network ready to step in — powered by riders, biker businesses, and community supporters who actually understand what it means to lose your freedom, your bike, and your livelihood overnight.
That’s the heart of what makes the biker community special. We’ve always had each other’s backs — in the wind, on the road, and in life. But we can’t rely on goodwill alone anymore. It’s time to turn that compassion into infrastructure.
We need to ensure that every poker run, every rally, every dealership event, and every safety campaign includes a piece that goes back to helping riders in need.
And for outside charities that depend on the biker community’s time and donations — it’s time to ride with us, not just for us. Add a biker-focused organization like BikerDown to your giving program. It’s a simple, powerful way to keep some of those funds within the community that helped raise them.
It’s Time for Everyone to Step Up
If you’re a rider — ride for causes that ride for you. Ask the event if they give anything to your local biker charity?
If you’re a business that profits from bikers — reinvest in the people who keep you going. Make a donation to a local charity that helps biker community.
If you’re a charity that wants the biker dollar — share a percentage with those who protect and serve the rider community.
If you’re a DOT official or a training school — remember that your programs are funded by us, and partnering with rider assistance organizations is one of the most direct ways to give back to those same riders.
Because when one of us goes down, it affects all of us. The biker community’s generosity isn’t the problem — it’s where that generosity goes. It’s time to refocus our efforts on the people and families who need it most: riders.
The Road Ahead
Before you sign up for your next charity ride, take a moment to ask yourself:
“If I went down tomorrow, would this organization be there for me?”
If the answer is no, then it’s time to start asking event organizers to include biker charities as part of their cause. There’s no reason a ride that benefits a great organization can’t also dedicate a portion of proceeds to helping injured riders right here in the community.
Let’s build a future where riders, manufacturers, local dealerships, biker businesses, motorcycle attorneys, the State Motorcycle Operator Safety Training (M.O.S.T.) Program, training schools, and even outside charities stand together — supporting and funding programs that actually take care of the people who keep this lifestyle alive.
Because at the end of the day, no one understands a rider like another rider. With the generosity we already show, and the money we pour into this passion every year, no one should ever have to face recovery after an accident alone.
Learn more about how BikerDown Foundation is stepping up for injured riders at bikerdown.org.
