Regarding the bolded text above, theres a lot of interchangeability between bikers and "bikers".

 

Fair assessment. Proud to say i'm neither pirate nor butt pirate

 

Thanks for the A.I. rundown. What it failed to mention was that Lyons was basically copying what famous photographer Irvin Penn was doing with the San Francisco Hells Angels, The Grateful Dead, and the alot of other subject matter from the California counter culture of the 60s. Penn's body of work is iconic and well known.

 

In the media over here the term bikie is usually used in reference to a 1% club member, I've always taken a biker to be someone to whom motorcycles are almost a religion, I like the term motorcyclist now I've thought about it, I'll use that term for fun next time some idiot says " who do you think you are a bikie or something", because apparently riding a Harley makes you a wannabe tough guy in the eyes of many and I'm way more live an let live man 😁

 

I guess I'm not quite sure what "A. I. rundown" is supposed to mean. What I wrote comes from my knowledge of the book "The Bikeriders" that I bought at a garage sale when I was a teenager in 1975. I think Penn's work is great, but his work was more of a studio portrait style, while Lyon's was more of a photo-journalistic style, which I happen to prefer. Also, Lyons rode with the Outlaws from 1963-1967 and took many of the pictures on the fly, which I find interesting. I also like the Lyons work in "The Bikeriders" because I have a little bit of a personal connection to a few of the things in it.

As far as someone copying someone else, after the publication of Hunter Thompson's magazine article "The Motorcycle Gangs: Losers and Outsiders" in 1965, interest in the outlaw biker world was high, and the media in general went nuts on bikers, giving us the previously mentioned "Biker Movie Boom"

Thanks for reminding me of Penn's biker pictures. It's been years since I looked at them.

 

In the Beginning, any group of motorcyclists could form clubs, attend and compete in races and were regarded like hobbyists. After the formation of the AMA and their racing events they decided to ban certain clubs from their sanctioned races and activities.
These are the original 'outlaw bikers.' They're not like the Dillinger gang outlaws, they were just banned from A.M.A. sanctioned events. They amounted to about 1% of all the motorcyclists and thus was born the '1%ers.' The outlaws took the ball and ran with it and some clubs were deep into illegal activities. They began to take over their home territories, wear patches with city or state bottom rockers, and they would do battle with any other club wearing colors claiming those same territories.
These guys are who normies think of when you say 'bikers'.
I think of myself as an electronic tech, mechanic, bike rider or motorcyclist and never became a member of any club except the USAF. I wouldn't join a club that would have a boring dude like me as a member. I was friends with and did some casual rides with local Bandidos (neighbors in my 'hood) in the 1970s but never joined the club (prospected.) I had seen what the prospects were in for and that sort of thing wasn't for me. They liked me because I could keep up, played guitar and was fun at parties. The legal sh** hit the fan for them one summer but I had joined the service and never saw them again.
I am a rider. A respectable citizen and damned proud of it. I pay taxes and believe in obeying the laws (well, most of them.) I've run into outlaws out on the road and they were always friendly and never a problem for me. Bikers know who they are and who they aren't.

 

Interesting thread.

So, the term biker became mainstream in the early 1970s?
Any comment or knowledge on the term used in the 1920s?

The work biker was not said in the movies "wild one" or "easy rider".
Currently, 2026, the term biker has evolved to include bicycle riders.

Biker, rider, or motorcyclist, I have no problems being defined by either word.
However, a better word is needed to define bicycle riders LOL

 

cyclist

 

I consider myself to be a motorcycle enthusiast.

 

Me too, just an enthusiast. 47 years of it, never had a snag with anyone of any nomination on a petrol powered bike.

The entitled, pedaling 10 speeders I do have massive problem with spandex or not.

I don’t take my bench press and weights out into the middle of the road blocking traffic to exercise. Lots and lots of them think the full lane is theirs as they tandem and block the lanes, cars stacking behind. Entitled asshats, no exceptions.

We’re almost to the park, the dad says to the crying child in the back, then he hits the asshats pedaling 4mph up the hill.

Selfish and childlike behavior is a prerequisite for the pedal crowd.