The Hardcore History Of Outlaw Biker Gangs

With just two wheels and a whole lot of horsepower, the motorcycle is the vehicle of choice for those who live life on the edge

And no group embodies the spirit of freedom and notoriety more than outlaw biker gangs

The image of outlaw bikers we've created is exaggerated in many ways by popular culture

but that doesn't make the reality any less extreme. So, today we're covering the rough and tumble history of outlaw biker gangs

Alright outlaws, let's rev those engines. In the United States, groups of motorcyclists began getting together to ride and race as early as 1901

Just two years later, legitimate motorcycle clubs formed, such as the Yonkers Motorcycle Club

That same year, the Federation of American Motorcyclists was founded in Brooklyn to protect, serve, and support bikers in a new era of high-speed races, countrywide tours, and ever-expanding roads

Membership to the FAM stated that any rider of good character could join for $1 per year

Present at a formative meeting for the FAM was George M. Hendy, president of the company Indian Motorcycle

That's motor without the R. As a nod to early American vehicles. At his first meetings, Hendy purportedly brought more than 100 individuals with him to join the federation

As the FAM grew to 8,000 bikers over the next few years

that pesky thing called World War I broke out in 1917, putting the Federation out of business within two years

This gap, left by their dissolution, was filled by new motorcycle industries

By 1922, the largest industry giant, the Motorcycle and Allied Trades Association

gave full support to an exciting new cultural phenomenon. Formed at the beginning of the war, the Gypsy Day Tours promoted bike rides across the United States

Motorcycles from all over ventured out from their respective cities and towns for easy-going rides throughout America

Just two years after supporting the Gypsy Day Tours, the Motorcycle and Allied Trades Association had so many members that an offshoot organization took shape

This new group, dubbed the American Motorcycle Association, or AMA, soon became the new arbiters of the Gypsy Day Tours

Eventually, taking part in the tour required an AMA membership exclusively. And if you have any other AMA questions, AMA

Throughout the 1920s the leading motorcycle companies in the US were George Hendy Indian Excelsior Henderson and a little company called Harley Though Excelsior Henderson folded within a decade both Indian and Harley kept

up with changing demands as another critical moment in history unfolded. When World War II erupted, the Indian Motorcycle Company designed and built a new bike for

the United States Army, supplying the Allies with $24 million in parts and motorcycles

Though their war efforts were valiant, it was Harley-Davidson who produced the main ride of U.S. Army bikers, dubbed the Liberator

The Harley motorcycle was produced according to Army specifications, like saddlebags, leg shields, and safety bars

Harley-Davidson also supplied other allies with motorcycles, including Russia, China, and France

The impact of Harley-Davidson motorcycles on American culture after World War II was broad

Those who served and began returning home to the U.S. soon bought their own bikes

Already familiar with their former war machines, veterans chose Harley, and before long, Indian Motorcycle Company was out of the game

In addition to riding and working on motorcycles during World War II, many veterans found camaraderie comparable to that of military units with fellow bikers

The end of the war meant hundreds of thousands of men in structured jobs and with family obligations, a new way of life in stark contrast to the independence and excitement they had overseas

The experiences of war often left veterans feeling isolated and restless in their new surroundings

making a motorcycle an option to escape. Many motorcyclists in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s

took part in the newly revived Gypsy Tours and other activities organized by the AMA

But not all riders were willing to follow orders, not after what they had been through overseas

And this is where things took a sharp turn. In July of 1947, motorcyclists from across the states descended on Hollister, California

The town was generally a biker-friendly location, but one that was unprepared for the thousands who showed up that weekend

Though a handful of local police officers tried to keep things under control, early bar closings led to debauchery in the streets

On the scene, a reporter filed a paper describing what he saw. Wrecking of bars, bottle barrages into the streets from upper story windows and roofs, and high-speed racing of motorcycles through the streets

Meanwhile, the local police chief called it just one hell of a mess

Maybe he should have been the reporter. After an image of a drunken Hollister rider appeared in Life magazine

the Hollister riot, as it came to be known, tarnished the image of motorcyclists across the U As a response to these events the AMA president said that 99 of the group members

were decent, law-abiding citizens, and that only 1% of motorcyclists were problematic

This phrase quickly evolved into the one-percenter moniker and essentially birthed modern outlaw bikers

Being a one-percenter meant operating outside of the perimeters of approved motorcyclist behavior

The Booze Fighters, an early outlaw motorcycle gang, were one of the first examples of the one-percenter lifestyle

Drugs, violence, leather, and motorcycles. But these early one-percenter groups were just the tip of the iceberg

The Hells Angels were founded in March 1948. And although the history is murky, two versions have emerged

In one telling, the name of the group came from a motorcyclist who had flown with the Hells Angels squadron during World War II

Another version attributes the name to a 1930 World War I movie

directed by Howard Hughes called Hells Angels. Either way, war was clearly involved

According to future member of the Hells Angels, Ralph Sonny Barger, the mission of the club was to be a thorn in the AMA's ass

Alongside wearing their outsider status with pride, the Hells Angels also sealed Harley Davidson's link

with outlaw motorcycle clubs forever. To customize their Harleys, Barger explained, first we would take the windshields off

then throw out the saddlebags and switch the big old ugly seat. We didn't need all of those lights either

We replaced the straight handlebars with a set of high bars and replaced the bigger gas tanks with smaller teardrop-shaped tanks

Next, we'd toss the front fender, or make an even thinner fender from the tire cover mount of a 1936 Ford

Did you get all that? It's okay. You can always rewind. After adding the appropriate paint and designs

and Hell's Angel would officially have what would come to be known as a chopper. These brutal bikes allowed Hell's Angels to ride American-made motorcycles their way

And living your best life is the sharpest thorn in the ass of them all

Alongside negative press, the image of the outlaw biker was shaped by the presentation of defiant motorcyclists in movies

released in 1953, Laszlo Benedict's The Wild One was the first biker movie based on a short story

called Cyclists Raid The story was a sensationalized account of the Hollister riot In the film Marlon Brando plays the leader of a motorcycle gang who recklessly kills an elderly man Though this never happened in reality the mythic image of outlaw bikers

stuck. Additional B-movies about bikers proliferated the marketplace, including 1957's Motorcycle Gang

and 1958's Drag Strip Riot, spinning sordid tales of juvenile delinquency, violence, and alcohol

abuse. In 1969, Easy Rider featured Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper riding across the U.S. on

Harley-Davidson's. This film represented the anti-establishment nature of bikers, as well as non-conformist counterculture. After its release, bikers were the new American cowboys

anti-heroes to be both admired and feared. After hundreds of Hell's Angels arrived at a Labor Day celebration in Monterey, California in 1964

members of the Outlaw Motorcycle Club were accused of assaulting two women

The incident sparked an investigation into the Hell's Angels, which revealed that 445 members had criminal records totaling 874 felonies

That's roughly two apiece, which are pretty good numbers for a gang. That report spurred gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson to find out more about the Angels

Thompson famously embedded himself with the group for a year, until he was beaten by the gang following a dispute

Thompson recounted his experiences in his book, Hell's Angels, A Strange and Terrible Saga

which offered rare insight into the harsh world of outlaw motorcycle clubs. Around this time, the Hell's Angels were hired as security for the Altamont Speedway Free Festival of 69

the infamous rock concert put on by the Rolling Stones. The show quickly descended into chaos, as the event had been very poorly planned

and the Angels were being paid for their services in free beer. During the show, among other acts of violence, one angel fatally stabbed an audience member following a scuffle

The notorious concert further solidified outlaw bikers as social outcasts in America

While outlaw bikers are not outlaws in the strict sense of the word, they do live by a code all their own

Outside the rules and standards established by the American Motorcyclist Association, these are groups of defiant riders who unite only to have fun, make some noise

and sometimes even give back to their communities. However, the term does carry a hefty weight that can be measured by the bloody history of many biker gangs

Though a majority of motorcyclists cannot be held accountable for the actions of outlaws

the 1%ers have left their mark for all time