1) The History of the Biker
A. The origin of the Biker
Bikers emerged with the formation of the Club of Hells Angels in the late 1940s in the United States. Their founders were veterans of the American Air Force, heroes of aerial combat against Japanese fighter-bombers in Asia. After the war, these aviation heroes felt somewhat excluded from the society of the time. What’s more, after several years of aerial combat, they were feeling a lack of adrenaline.
They had experienced the speed and freedom offered by flying a plane. They loved engines and the smell of gas. Naturally, they turned to motorcycles 🏍 to create an organization based on a quasi-tribal principle, retaining a military hierarchy and paying homage to the flying fortress of the US Air Force, whose bombs made the enemy tremble during the Second World War. The Hells Angels thus became the first motorcycle club in history, also known as the Motorcycle Club (MC) in English.🔥PRODUCTS OF THE MOMENT🔥
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B. The most famous Bikers club: the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club
The Hells Angels ride Harley Davidsons and wear a skull and crossbones 💀 with angel wings on the back of their leather jackets. Until the late ’50s, the Hells Angels remained a small group of bikers on the bangs of society. The authorities didn’t like them much, but tolerated them because they didn’t really pose a threat.
Bikers are incredibly resilient, not only do the main MC created at the time still exist in the USA, but so do the Hells Angels of course, as well as their biggest rivals grouped together in another MC whose influence also extends across the planet: the Bandidos. Of course, there are other motorcycle clubs around the world, but their importance is lesser.C. Bikers’ clubs in France
France is no exception to this phenomenon. The Hells Angels, Bandidos and other lesser-known clubs are very active, bringing together thousands of members across all clubs.
There are many MCs in France, each with its own rules and operating procedures. Some clubs are highly selective and it’s pretty hard to get in, while others, like the HOG (Harley Owners Group), simply bring together big-bike enthusiasts.Their members get together to party, 🍻 ride as a group, hang out and exchange tips for their machines.D. The Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Club: H.O.G.
The H.O.G. is a large community with nearly a million members worldwide. It was created in the United States in 1983 with the aim of bringing customers closer to the brand. Since then, it has grown steadily in Europe and around the world. 👍 In France, it has 17,000 members, 35% of whom are also members of music groups. Above all, it’s a group of people who get together to experience their passion, genuine liberty and different life experiences.
It’s amazing how intensely some people experience Harley Davidson. It’s the most tattooed brand in the world. It represents the world’s leading motorcycle club and brings together individuals from totally different worlds.2) Biker lifestyle
A. The Biker clan
Each club, each MC has its own distinctive name and symbols, with a hierarchy defined by ranks. Belonging to a group or clan cannot be usurped, and wanting to appropriate colors without justifying their legitimacy can be dangerous. MCs attach great importance to belonging. Among them are the Bandidos, one of the two biggest MC clubs on the planet. Being a Bandidos is an honor that has to be earned. 😎 Among all the écussons sewn onto Bikers’ leather jackets, there’s one in particular that only members of motorcycle clubs can proudly display: the 1%.Its history dates back to a concentration of bikers that took place in Hollister, USA, during American Independence Day on July 4, 1947. Unrest involving bikers was exaggerated by journalists. 😡 This prompted national and international media coverage of the event.
In response, the president of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) said that only 1% of motorcyclists were responsible for the troubles. Thus the label 1% was born, and many Bikers are proud of it and display it with pride.If you’re planning to join a 1% MC, then proudly wear this 1% Ring! 😎B. The Biker’s Rebel Spirit
In an increasingly sanitized world, Bikers have a desire to return to true values. But what does it mean to be rebellious? It’s a complex concept, but we think it’s a convergence of real values that resonate deeply. It’s a return to the essential commandments of fraternity, freedom and respect that seem to be disappearing in everyday and professional life.
It’s strange to think that we were perhaps freer in De Gaulle’s day than we are today. Bans on smoking, helmets, gloves, speed limits, and all manner of rules seem to stifle individuals on this earth. 😕 Some have decided to defy all this and show a form of “rebellion”.C. The Biker Rules
It’s always the same story: you have to have rules to be able to afford to break them. It’s a bit of a paradox, because there’s a yearning for freedom, but at the same time a hierarchy is present. However, everyone is aware of this hierarchy. It’s a democratic hierarchy, with an elected president most of the time, as well as a sergeant-at-arms in charge of enforcing the rules 📢 including the group’s road safety to avoid road accidents, etc. ⚠
All this is chosen democratically. Bikers respect the rules because they know that community life requires organization. These are laws made by and for bikers!It’s obvious, but when thirty bikes are riding together on the road, it’s necessary to have people to manage and supervise it all. Too much freedom kills freedom, as they say.3) The Bikers’ credo
A. The pirate skull: symbol of a free life
In a world that has become liberticidal, harsh, insensitive and globally closed to non-conformist individualities, being a Biker means asserting a rebellious and free will, refusing to bow to the pressure of an overly conformist society. 👌 To some extent, 21st-century Bikers aren’t so far removed from the philosophy and creed of pirates, often portrayed in history as mere brigands.There’s the pirate symbol. It means that we don’t recognize ourselves in all the codes imposed by society. We create our own society within society. It’s not for nothing that Bandidos around the world consider themselves the Bandidos Nation. It’s a strong movement, because they feel that the society they live in is the Bandidos’ society.
Of course, this is done with intelligence. We’re aware of the country we live in and the laws it imposes. In general, we respect them.We’re not talking about pirates who kill, but people who are philosophically outside the norm. That’s what becoming a Biker is all about.B. The history of pirates
In the first half of the 18th century, all the European monarchies, though often at war with each other, decided in the same decade to eradicate piracy altogether. Why? Because ☠ pirates, whom they had nevertheless used on numerous occasions as temporary allies in various conflicts, had over time become an extremely embarrassing example for these same monarchies.
Indeed, pirates, often portrayed as bloodthirsty brigands, were in reality not only promoters of democracy, having founded no less than 3 Pirate Republics in less than a century, but also pioneers of self-management. These men and women left Europe for adventure in the Caribbean. Most of them were not sailors, but rebels, outcasts who left their homelands because the political rules there didn’t suit them.They founded clubs called crews, with their own colors. Each black flag 🏴☠ was specific to a crew and a pirate captain. All crew members were bound by a very specific code of conduct, in which the same ideas of fraternity, loyalty and equality were fundamental.
So much so that all the treasures were distributed rigorously equitably, regardless of the age, rank, skin color or nationality of the crew members.4) Biker values
While the Hells Angels are undeniably the founding fathers of Bikers the world over, pirates such as John Rackham, Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, Anne Bonny the flamboyant redhead, or Henry Morgan and so many others, are clearly their ancestors. Bikers are the modern pirates, heirs to their ancestors, who have a visceral need for freedom, equality and fraternity, values that characterize their respective movements.A. Incredible fraternity among Bikers
Fraternity means sharing common values that are fundamental and seem natural. It means not taking your neighbor’s wife and respecting your brother because he’s considered a brother. In the end, it’s a family we choose. 🤝
Bikers are a real family. This concept exists not only in the big biker clubs, but also in other organizations such as the Freemasons or certain workers’ brotherhoods. It’s a family you choose. You grow up adopting a set of values that you consider essential, and you find people who share these same values through their passion for motorcycling.Quite simply, it’s a family where everyone looks out for everyone else, where everyone cares for everyone else, and where everyone helps everyone else. There’s a solidarity, benevolence and generosity that’s extremely reassuring in an often selfish world.5) The Biker’s motorcycle
A. The Harley-Davidson motorcycle
If the horse is man’s greatest conquest, the Harley-Davidson is undoubtedly the Biker’s. This V-twin “iron horse”, originally built in Milwaukee, has over the years become the almost exclusive mount of every biker on the planet. This bitumen-hungry machine is the ideal machine for the great outdoors, producing a music of fire and steel that thrills all knights of the road.
The motorcycle has replaced the cowboy horse. When you’re on a motorcycle, the wind makes you feel like you’re conquering space, conquering the road. When you ride in a group, you live a collective experience, you feel free. The motorcycle represents a form of freedom on a bike, allowing you to go wherever you want. 😎As soon as you find yourself on a Harley, you imagine attacking the American West. We’re steeped in the American image, particularly from the movies we’ve seen, but for many, the film “The Rider” was a real shock. And that led them to Harley-Davidson, because it’s another way of traveling, of seeing the world.B. The meaning of the motorcycle for a Biker
The motorcycle is similar to a Biker. It’s an integral part of his life. It’s a fusion. Some see their motorcycle as their partner. Some prefer comfort, others aesthetics. Every bike is a reflection of its rider. Most of them modify it to make it unique, something almost sensual. It’s like looking at your wife and finding her beautiful. 😍
The fun lies in spending the weekend tinkering on your bike, customizing it, and then sharing what you’ve accomplished.For a Biker, his Harley is much more than just a machine, it’s a real work of art into which he puts his whole personality, his whole soul. It’s essentially an extension of himself.6) Biker: The myth of the bad boy
The “bad boy” side is always attractive, as are big hearts. “Bad boys” have their tender side, and their style appeals enormously to women 😀 Bad boys are always the ones you want to hang out with. There’s a desire to resemble those we’ve seen riding this type of machine, whether it’s Steve McQueen, Marlon Brando, Johnny Hallyday or others. Bikers identify with an extremely powerful image of virility. So there’s a desire to be like them.
The myth of the rebellious, chivalrous bad boy has been conveyed both in film and in real life by a few icons who have done much to popularize the world of Bikers worldwide. These icons have not only influenced motorcycle enthusiasts, but have also significantly altered fashion victims’ wardrobe essentials.At Univers Skull, we offer a wide range of products for the appearance-conscious biker: Biker T-shirts, Biker rings… Their appearance instantly evokes your passion!Biker gear includes mythical basics. Colors that resemble those of biker clubs can be found on the backs of many people across the planet, even among those who have never ridden a motorcycle. 😅7) Biker: Life without the bike
A Biker’s life makes absolutely no sense without the motorcycle. For a Biker to stop riding, except for health problems, makes no sense. Many Bikers have been seriously injured in accidents, but despite these serious injuries, they continue to ride. 💪
In fact, for a Biker, nothing could be worse than telling him that he’ll never be able to ride a motorcycle again. To deprive an enthusiast of what he’s been used to riding for most of his life is extremely difficult.We’ve seen people over 80 ride a Harley with a beard down to their navel. And it’s an absolutely magical sight! 👍 That means no one in the Biker universe wants to give that up!8) Biker: Birth of the phenomenon
Human beings are made to live in clans and tribes, and more and more, we’re turning to people who share the same values. But the question to ask is why the world of Harley-Davidson, with all that it represents, particularly the world of Bikers, is seeing its population grow exponentially over the years.
Incredibly, during the 90s, you’d have thought that the world of Bikers, including Harley-Davidson, would be in decline. Today, we’re witnessing an impressive comeback, with the Biker population growing year after year. ✌ We often wonder if Bikers have a political future anywhere. We get the impression that they’re a bit like the guardians of freedom.It’s a social phenomenon that’s not at all linked solely to motorcycles, even if they are magnificent, beautiful and indispensable. Rather, we think it’s because it conveys a certain number of values with which more and more people identify. We believe it conveys a number of essential ideas.🔥PRODUCTS OF THE MOMENT🔥
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