Propaganda: Biker Gangs?

Speaking as an actual motorcycle rider, I find it annoying that gangs of criminals are always called "Biker Gangs" in the press. Yes, I realize that these gangs actually call themselves "Biker Gangs", and I will admit that they also probably own, and sometimes ride, motorcycles. But in the muddled collective mind of the public, there is a connection between riding a motorcycle and being a criminal.

Let's take, for example the recent Sydney "Biker" gang fight. One gang got there by airplane. I can't say for sure how the other gang got to the airport, but the odds are it was by car. It happens again and again, "biker gang" violence, no bikes anywhere in sight. Drive-by shootings obviously from a car, and it's blamed on "Biker gangs". Once I saw a picture of a "Biker gang" van with a machine gun mounted in the back. The van had four wheels and three doors and a roof. How close is that to a bike?

When this "Biker gang" reputation started back in the early fifties, there were actually biker gangs, although they could also have been called WW2 veteran gangs. But at least they rode their motorcycles to get somewhere, and they went to motorcycle events. Then they got drunk and got into fights. Not good for the biker image, but there was some connection to motorcycles.

The questionable connection between motorcycles and fighting has been getting weaker ever since, and today these gangs are no more than criminal drug syndicates who operate under the pretense of being "biker clubs". The Hell's Angels have now just about come full circle by admitting real motorcycle clubs to their officially branded organization in order to further throw the police off their scent.

But still, the mere fact that I am riding a motorcycle means I may get stopped by the police to check for weapons, or I may get refused entrance to a campground. Admittedly these are very rare occurrences, but would never happen when I'm driving my car, even if there was a machine gun nest mounted on the roof.

Why don't they just call themselves a gun club, or a tattoo club, or a beer tasters club?


Biker gangs brawl during German murder trial Dec 17, 2007, 17:42 GMT

Muenster, Germany - An estimated 600 members of two rival German motorcycle gangs converged on a peaceful city Monday for a murder trial and tried to settle scores on the street.

Riot police intervened to stop a brawl at nightfall involving about 40 bikers on the edge of town after a Hell's Angel rammed his mini-bus into a Bandido on the street, police said.


These criminal gangs are least likely to be violent when they are riding motorcycles.

Some born-again Christian missionaries love to dress up as "Biker Gang" members. I suppose they enjoy the shock value of bringing Jesus to people while riding a Harley. One of them was murdered a while back in Britain. But the murderers were driving a Rover, not a motorcycle.


Murdered biker was a devout Christian

Steve Bird

The Hell’s Angel biker shot dead on the M40 last Sunday had been a Christian who used to hold Bible classes and prayer meetings and dreamt of being a missionary.

As his girlfriend, Rebecca Smith, 25, spoke of the void left in her life by his murder, it emerged that he had been a born-again Christian when he lived in Canada. Gerry Tobin, 35, was killed with a shot to the back of the head as he drove his Harley-Davidson in Warwickshire. It remains unclear whether he was killed after angering someone from a rival gang or was targeted because he was wearing the Hell’s Angels insignia.

Born in Britain, he moved to Canada with his family at a young age and married a school sweetheart who shared his religious convictions. Mr Tobin and his wife, Kara, would raise eyebrows as they drove to church in Calgary on a Harley-Davidson.

“He was definitely unashamed of his faith in Jesus,” said Chris Stevenson, a missionary who attended the same church. Mr Tobin had been brought up in Alberta and moved to Calgary after marrying Kara. There the couple were known as born-again Christians.

Tim Pogue, who worked with Mr Tobin in a carpet-cleaning business in the town, said: “He was as close to the Bible as anyone I’ve ever known.”

The shooter was driving a Rover, which is a car. The victim was riding a motorcycle.

Back on the fifties and sixties there were a large number of motorcycle movies that showed young men riding motorcycles and fighting and intimidating the public. It was those movies, more than anything that created the perception that motorcyclists were to be feared. While actually these clubs today are only remotely connected with motorcycling, and the actual criminal activity almost never involves riding a motorcycle.

There are huge motorcycle events all over Canada and the USA, and they are generally about as peaceful or more peaceful than your own neighbourhood (Well, my neighbourhood any way.)