HIV/AIDS LONG-TERM SURVIVOR * YOUTH EDUCATION * ADVOCACY * ACTIVISM * RESOURCES
Houston, Texas - United States
live to ride. ride to live - bob bowers' motorcycle page
THE RIBBON WARRIOR MC
I’ve been riding motorcycles most of my life — 50+ years.
Hondas. Harleys. And now, my beloved Can-Am Spyder (named Phoenix). For me, it’s all about wind therapy.
No matter the ride, I carry names, miles, and stories most people never see — and somehow, folks seem to find me anyway. That’s what led me to create the Ribbon Warrior MC in 2014 — an extension of my HIV/AIDS advocacy and awareness.
Riding motorcycles. Sharing hope and knowledge.
It’s just how I roll.
Live to ride. Ride to live.
MLHR,
Bob Bowers — One Tough Pirate
Spyder Ryder On a Mission
What an honor and blessing it is to be growing older and continuing to live and thrive with HIV/AIDS.
live to ride - ride to live
Bob Bowers' Harley Davidson Road King - FLHRI
I've been riding motorcycles since I was 16. I started with multiple Hondas, Harley Davidsons, and now my beloved Spyder F3, "Phoenix."
Stay tuned for more about the Ribbon Warrior MC and my outreach to the homeless and beyond...
There's no therapy like wind therapy
I rode into town the way I’ve ridden through life — raw, windburned, unapologetic.
Mask. Glasses. Leather chaps...
fight on and never ever surrender!
I never asked for this fight, but I refuse to lose it. Life threw me into a battle I didn’t choose, but every day, I choose to stand, to fight, and to live on my terms. Strength isn’t about never falling—it’s about rising every time. HIV may be part of my story, but it will never take my determination, my spirit, or my will to keep going - or riding.
"If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand"
I RODE IN ALONE — A Long-Term HIV/AIDS Survivor Returns Home
THE RIDE
In 2013, I rolled out of San Francisco alone.
No convoy.
No backup.
No “team.”
Just me, my Harley, and the teddy bears strapped tight — the ones I carried to raise awareness and funds for children living with HIV — and the ghosts of thousands of kids I’d met since the 90s riding in my chest.
good trouble
If you've been living with HIV/AIDS or are newly diagnosed, keep on moving. You got this. Never ever surrender!
can am spyder f3
Bob photographed on his Can Am Spyder near his home in Corpus Christi, Texas
a pirate's life for me - Harrley davidson flhtc
A visit to The Pirate's Den in Parker, Arizona
bob bowers' 1996 harley davidson road king FLHRI
Photograph of Bob Bowers by photographer Ken Karagozian during the filming of Bob's first documentary, The Fire Within, in Malibu, California.
daikin park - houston, texas
Bob's Can Am Spyder F3 photographed at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas
daytona beach bike week - 2003
Bob Bowers on a Harley Davidson Fatboy Trike at Daytona Bike Week
1990 Harley davidson heritage softail flstc
English Bulldogs, Lucy and Rocky, and Bob's custom Harley Davidson Heritage Softail
bob bowers on his Harley Davidson for the fire within doc
NEVER SURRENDER! NEVER FORGET!
The journey to The Fire Within wasn’t just about sharing my story; it was about laying bare the raw truths that define me. It was about showing the world that an AIDS survivor is more than just a statistic or a diagnosis...
Aging with hiv/AIDS - Long-term survivor bob bowers - texas
HIV/AIDS and Aging: Thriving Beyond the Fight
Aging with HIV isn’t just about what happens to our bodies. It’s about what happens to our spirits. We may have scars, but we also have wisdom, love, and a drive to keep pushing forward. Every year adds to the story of who we are—a story of resilience, strength, and survival. And that story is far from over.
Bob Bowers - aka One Tough Pirate
HIV and aging: As Someone Who’s Living Through It...
Aging with HIV isn't something anyone can prepare for. I know. I’ve lived through the battles that come with being diagnosed, fought through the stigma, and made it to the other side. But now, it’s about learning to accept the body that’s changed, the scars that are deeper, and the new set of challenges that come with getting older.
Welcome to the true tale of one tough pirate
Volume 1 Teaser – Scroll 1: Bare My Soul
I’ve worn shame like a second skin, but I’m still here. I’ve held my own hand in the dark. I’ve screamed into silence and danced with the dead.
I don’t flinch from truth anymore. I bear it. Ink it. Bleed it. Speak it.
Every mile of this ride carries someone I’ve lost—and the fire I refuse to bury.
So if you’re looking for a hero, look somewhere else. But if you want the truth from a man who’s lived, lost, and keeps showing up?
Crack this book. And prepare to feel every damn word.
––Bob Bowers, One Tough Pirate
live to ride ride to live
Bob Bowers aka One Tough Pirate has been riding motorcycles for over 50 years. In 2014 he created the Ribbon Warrior MC as an extension of his outreach with HIV/AIDS and helping the homeless.
Survive!
Exercising While Living with HIV/AIDS
I was dedicated to fitness long before I ever heard the words HIV or AIDS—and I’ve continued to train, move, and fight for my health every step of the way since.
The Peaceful Warrior - Bob Bowers
I’ve called myself a Peaceful Warrior since the 1990s when I first started scribbling passages for my life story and upcoming books. That name wasn’t branding — it was survival.
HIV doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t care who you are, what you look like, or who you love. It cares what you do.
