Ben Havis

Professor Smith
English 202
December 3, 2010
Born to Ride

“Some of them are pure animals. They'd be animals in any society. These guys are outlaw

types who should have been born a hundred years ago – then they would have been gunfighters”,

recalls a former Hells Angel named Birney Jarvis. Jarvis' description of the Hells Angels

Motorcycle Club reflects that of the public's view of the club, as accurate as it may be. Just like

many other such groups, the public's image of the Hells Angels may be clouded by countless

television shows and movies both romanticizing and condemning the club. The historical

background of the Angels still remains largely unknown by most of the public. The Hells Angels

has its origins in WWII, where they were spun off from another gang. Now the Angels are one of

the largest gangs of its kind today. Since then, the Harley-Davidson has been an integral part of

the Hells Angels, accompanying them on their many rallies. Not surprising, the Angels rituals

involve some disgusting initiations, which contributes to their overall odor. The Angels aren't all

bad though, and actually participate in some charities. In 1966, Hunter S. Thompson integrated

himself into the Hells Angels and, in doing so, was able to provide unprecedented insight into the

culture of the organization.

The year was 1948, where in Fontana, California the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club

began its existence. With WWII over, the veterans were left bored, and were yearning for

something to do. Fortunately for them, motorcycles soon became affordable due to military

surplus. Otto Friedli was one of such veterans who took advantage of this new supply of

motorcycles and formed one of the earliest motorcycle clubs of the postwar era, the Pissed Off

Bastards. While being a prominent member of the POB, Friedli eventually left his gang

following a feud with a rival motorcycle gang (James). Friedli adopted the name "Hells Angels"
for his new gang, which was the nickname for the Flying Tigers of the 303rd Bombardment

Group in WWI and WWII; it was also the title of a Howard Hughes film from 1930 about the

Royal Flying Corps. Arvid Olsen is credited with giving the Hells Angels their name, but he did

not actually join the motorcycle club (Brian). These days, that small organization from Fontana,

California has grown into one of the largest, if not the largest, motorcycle gang in the world.

They currently boast 2,000-2,500 members in 27 countries, including 230 chapters (“Outlaw”).

The Harley-Davidson riding gang is certainly the most feared motorcycle gang in the world, with

members still referring to themselves as “one percenters”; that is, the “reported 1% of all

motorcycle groups in the world who don't abide by the law” (Brian).

Now, no discussion about the history of the Hells Angels would be complete without a

mention of the legendary Sonny Barger. Referred to within the club as the Maximum Leader,

Sonny helped found the Oakland chapter of the Hells Angels in 1957. Known as Ralph to the

Oakland Angels, he is “a tough, quick-thinking dealer when any action starts...a fanatic, a

philosopher, a brawler, a shrewd compromiser and a final arbitrator” (Thompson). While any of

his fellow Angels could best him in a fight, the Angels' respect him too much for that. His word

is law, and anyone who does go against him are dealt with at the meetings, and never see any

group of Angels again (Thompson). Barger constructed a small street corner club, the “Earth

Angels” while still a high schooler in 1954. He joined the Oakland Panthers, his first bike club,

two years later in 1956; however, it was not what he wanted and he left. Along with one of the

other bikers Barger rode around with, Boots Don Reeves, he started up his own Hells Angels

club. Barger took the name from a patch Reeves found in Sacramento, “a small skull wearing an

aviator cap with a set of wings.” (Barger 30) When they went to a local trophy shop to get more

patches made in 1957, they were unaware that there were already other Hells Angels clubs

around California.

At the time, the other Hells Angels clubs were only loosely affiliated, and Barger's
chapter was not actually voted in by the other clubs. After visiting with other chapters in

Southern California, Barger and his pals simply decided to start a club of their own. While

occasionally fighting amongst each other, the different chapters mostly clashed with other clubs

such as the Gypsy Jokers. "Early on, we decided that if we were all going to wear the same

patch, we were all going to function under the same rules. To shore up our territory fast, we made

up tactical rules early on”, (32) Barger recalls. One such rule said that “there couldn't be one

charter within fifty miles of another, except for Oakland and Frisco” (32). In 1963, a showdown

between the Hells Angels and the local police and California Highway Patrol resulted in the

Oakland chapter acquiring an informal position of authority within the Angels organization.

When new chapters began to form outside of California around the 1960s, Barger explained that

in order for a prospective club to join, the Oakland chapter would check out to see what they

were like, invite them to a run, and send some guys to party with them. Eventually, they would

vote on the prospect's membership status, the same process that lets individuals apply. (Barger)

Though lesser known than Sonny Barger, the earlier Angels members of the 1950s were

just as important, while not viewed as such by the Hells Angels of the 1960s. One of the two that

Hunter Thompson tracked down while writing his book was an Angel named Frank. The

“George Washington of Angeldom”, according to Thompson, was highly regarded not only the

San Francisco chapter, but the other chapters as well. Frank led the Hells Angels as president

from 1955 through 1962, and did it with class and style. Frank even bought and wore the shirt

Lee Marvin wore during his film The Wild One, a film who's protagonist many Hells Angels

identify with. Even more impressive, during Frank's seven year tenure as the head of the wildest

Hells Angels chapter, he was never once arrested. The other former member that Thompson was

able to contact was former vice-president Preetam Bobo. In contrast with his president, Bobo

was rowdy, strong, and had a violent temper. While Frank rarely fought, Bobo was quite the

opposite. Bobo won his vice-presidency by beating up seven Angels within the span of one
week, and an incredible three in one night. Interestingly enough, Bobo was never arrested as

well, despite being a feared boxer and at one time running a karate school which engaged in

“death matches”, which I hope is self-explanatory. (Thompson)

There are many myths surrounding the Hells Angels related to initiations, which Barger is

quick to dispel in his book, "To become a Hell's Angel, there never has been any initiation rite

outside of serving as a prospect. As a prospect, you're basically a gopher for the club".(Barger

42) He also denies that the Hells Angels are a criminal organization, while conceding that the

members typically had a criminal record. In addition, there are several rules regarding

membership, such as remaining with one chapter for at least one year before transferring to

another. Moreover, the Hells Angels rejected anyone from one of the other Big Four motorcycle

clubs (Outlaws, Bandidos, Pagans) from joining the Angels. Among the Hells Angels set of

written rules were a few that you would expect to be included in the rulebook for any club, such

as: attending regular meetings, no fighting with other members or messing with another's wife. If

Barger has one rule that stands above all else, it would be the one that says to unconditionally

support fellow Angels. Barger goes on to say, “we stand up for ourselves and a Hell's Angel

should never break and run...when a Hell's Angel fights a citizen or a rival club member,

everybody rat-packs to his side” (148).

When people think about the Hells Angels, they typically imagine guys dressed in leather

and riding motorcycles. Indeed, the motorcycle, more specifically the Harley-Davidson, is an

important aspect of the Hells Angels culture. Hunter Thompson notes in his book that the Angels

greatly prefer the bigger bikes than the lightweight ones that were popular at the time, “the

outlaws who ride them would rather walk than be seen on a Honda, Yamaha, or Suzuki.”

(Thompson 81) To the Angels, their motorcycles are their livelihood, with some even going as

far as describing their feelings towards their bikes as love. “Yeah, I guess you could say that was

love”, Sonny Barger mentions on the topic. They may not have much to be proud of, but their
bikes are the sole thing in life that they've conquered. A Los Angeles cop once noted that “They

worship their motorcycles. They take them inside their homes at night. They sleep on grease-

caked beds, but their bikes are spotless” (88). This description of an Angel's relationship with his

bike is more than likely accurate, since an Angel spends more time taking care of his bike than

he does with anything else. In the words of Hunter Thompson, “he pampers it the same way a

busty Hollywood starlet pampers her body.” (89)

An Angel's love of his motorcycle is more complex than most people realize. Part of it is

explained by the fact they have mostly built their bikes themselves, mainly from stolen or

custom-made parts. In addition the Angels pride themselves on being highly skilled at riding

their motorcycles. There are several modifications an Angel must make to his bike to be able to

ride it as well as they do. Sometimes going as extreme as removing the front-wheel break, the

Angels strip down their bikes to alter its weight-to-power ratio. Their bikes are equipped with

only the bare essentials: a taillight, rear view mirror, and a hand hold for their passengers. Some

even use a small dentist's mirror, which is still legal. Bikes also include a custom gas tank, high

handlebars, a low seat, extended front forks, and any kind of personal flair. Building a bike is not

cheap either, as an Angel often spends as much as $3,000 constructing them. But when they are

finished, an Angel's bike is a work of art. One of the ironies involving the Hells Angels is that

despite their skillfulness in assembling such a masterpiece, taking several months, at any one

moment they could be dismantled within seconds of a crash. (Thompson)

An Angel's motorcycle is his pride and joy, he loves it as if it's his own son, and feels

truly alive when riding it. There is nothing else like watching an Angel ride his bike; even Bill

Murray who holds a condescending view of the Hells Angels, had to admit that he was

captivated by the sight of an Angel known as Blind Bob riding his bike down the highway,

handling “that big powerful machine with consummate ease”. (93) Truly, it is quite a sight to

behold. Nothing makes an Angel feel more powerful than jumping on his hog and accelerating,
riding off into the distance. When an Angel sits down onto his bike, a transformation takes place.

The transformation from greasy hooligan to confident, fearless biker. It's almost a serene moment

during the second between getting on his bike and accelerating, like nothing could touch him. It

is also true, that most of these moments of peace and calm can lead to a jumbled mess of

motorcycle parts on the side of a highway. In fact, it is rare to see a Hells Angel who has not

been in some kind of accident. Others might consider them reckless, but the Angels encounter

violence on such a perpetual basis that it no longer has an effect on them, which gives them a

kind of apathy towards personal injury; and they wouldn't have it any other way. (Thompson)

Of course, all the building and pampering of their motorcycles means nothing if they

don't get a chance to ride them, and going on runs is a main part of being a Hells Angel.

Beginning in 1963 and lasting for around two decades, the run in Bass Lake, California became

an annual destination for the Hells Angels. While spending time with the Hells Angels for his

book, Hunter Thompson accompanied them to Bass Lake on July 4th, 1965. For some Angels

runs are a lot of fun, they just want to party and not get into much trouble. To others, it's a chance

to find out who's who, as there are many different types of Angels on a run, it's important that

“you find out who's on your side” (113). The local law enforcement are unsure of how to deal

with the mass quantity of Hells Angels that typically go on these large runs, leaving the people of

Bass Lake paranoid and afraid of what will happen when the Hells Angels come to town. As the

bikers traveled through assorted small towns, they were careful to avoid breaking any local laws,

as they'd rather not spend the run in jail. When the bulk of the Hells Angels arrived in Bass Lake,

they were stopped by the mayor, Tiny Baxter, along with a few other policemen and some local

forest rangers. Baxter told them that they were not welcome in the town and reserved a campsite

nearby for them, to which Sonny Barger agreed and the Angels left to go up the mountain where

the campsite was. (Thompson)

Afterward, Thompson went along with Barger and another Angel to purchase beer from a
nearby store, but they were met by a man Thompson calls “burr-head” who told the group of

them to stay away from the store. Things could've gotten ugly soon, but they finally left when

Tiny Baxter arrived telling them to go to another store on the other side of the lake. Baxter knew

that if it came to a fight, the Hells Angels wouldn't stop unless forced by an armed militia of

some kind, and Barger knew it too. So it became a standstill of sorts, the Angels wouldn't do

anything because of Barger, and Baxter had to be careful or he'd have a war on his hands.

Eventually they bought their beer at the other store, and after some unique encounters with the

tourists, they had bought 88 six-packs of beer for $1.50 each. To many peoples' surprise, the

Hells Angels presence in Bass Lake was a boon for the economy; not only do they spent a lot of

money on beer, but they bring in a lot money from tourists who come to see them as well.

(Thompson)

However, just simply riding motorcycles is not all there is to being a Hells Angel; they

are still a gang and therefore enjoy certain perks and advantages. One such benefit is protection,

the Hells Angels always have each others back. Once a fight has begun, trying to reason with

them is an exercise in futility, as an Angel always believes he is right. As explained by one San

Francisco Angel, “Our motto, man, is 'All on One and One on All.' You mess with an Angel, and

you've got twenty-five of them on your neck.” (70) They don't believe in the concept of an eye

for an eye, but total retaliation if any of them gets wronged in the slightest; anything from an

insult to being looked at funny can set them off. If an Angel says something to a stranger's girl,

he can't get offended, or else he'll five or six Angels instead of just the one. In fact, the Angels

take this concept so passionately that it's written into the club charter as Bylaw Number 10:

“When an Angel punches a non-Angel, all other Angels will participate.” (70) One such instance

of total retaliation is when three Angels were told to stay out of a bar, which resulted in the entire

gang returning to destroy it. However, the owner locked the doors and turned the lights off, and

the Angels never did demolish the place. Though this still illustrates the fact that if an Angel is
kicked out of a bar, he doesn't just beat up the owner, he comes back with his entire gang and

dismantles the place. (Thompson)

Most gangs have some sort of initiation, and the Hells Angels are no different. The

Angels have a reputation of being dirty, greasy, and overall sloppy; while this is true, most of

their odor stems from their uniforms, not their body stench. During initiation, the recruits wear a

uniform that consists of: a new pair of Levis, a matching jacket with the sleeves cut off, and a

spotless emblem on the back. While different chapters may have their own ceremonies, the one

staple always consists of the new uniform being defiled. “A bucket of dung and urine will be

collected during the meeting, then poured on the newcomer's head in a solemn baptismal. Or he

will take off his clothes and stand naked while the bucket of slop is poured over them and the

others stomp in it.” (45) Such a disgusting initiation seems appropriate for the Hells Angels who

wear their uniforms every day until they literally fall apart, though not in the same condition that

resulted from the initiation. Their new uniforms are referred to as their “originals”, and the Levi's

are then dipped in oil and hung out in the sun to dry. The Angels view the condition of their

uniforms as a sort of status symbol, “it takes a year or two before they get ripe enough to make a

man feel he has really made the grade.” (Thompson 46)

So far I've painted a picture of the Hells Angels as a dirty, violent gang, and more often

that not that is true, but one facet of the Hells Angels that most aren't familiar with is their

charitable side. The charity work the Angels take part in are motorcycle rides to raise money for

a specific cause, which is usually accompanied by some form of law enforcement, in some cases

SWAT members are present. Such was the case in Laconia, New Hampshire during their

Salvation Army shelter run in 2006, when they raised $5,000 for the shelter. At another ride they

raised over $5,000 by charging $25 per rider for the MDA Telethon. Once again, the riders were

patrolled by the SWAT team, but the Angels didn't seem to be unfazed by it, and just enjoyed the

ride and had fun. In December 2008, the Tucson chapter sponsored a ride in Yuma, AZ for
terminally ill children and charged each rider $20, in response to their purpose for organizing the

ride: “It's for the kids” (“Bukisa”).

The Hells Angels are people too, people with families by the same diseases as everyone

else, and care about them too. When one man who was a Harley rider but not an Angel died from

diabetes, the Niagara Falls chapter did a ride to benefit a wilderness camp for diabetic children,

people were asked to make donations in the man's name; the money they raised was enough to

send one child to that camp on the MB scholarship fund. (“Bukisa”) During the weekend of

December 4th, 2010, the Hells Angels of Fresno “donated 30 bikes and about 500 toys to the

Poverello House for kids whose parents can't afford to go shopping for Christmas gifts.” In

addition, for the past 12 years the Angels played Santa for a day at the Poverello House, plus

various other motorcycle groups. The secretary of the Fresno Hells Angels mentions "People

read what they want to read, and believe what they want to believe, we believe in these kids. We

want to make sure to bring these toys here for these kids to have a great Christmas." (“Bikers”)

As it turns out, most people's perception of the Hells Angels is more or less accurate.

Yes, they do ride motorcycles; yes, they do smell bad; and yes they actually do participate in

charities. Thompson's unique journalistic style not only provided information about the Angels to

the public, but also did it's best to show what really makes them tick. It is also interesting to note

the public's fascination with not only the Hells Angels, but motorcycle gangs in general. Perhaps

it's the appeal of freedom, the type of freedom that one can only experience by riding a

motorcycle onto the open road. Indeed, men who go through middle-age crises often purchase

motorcycles, at least that's what we're led to believe. And why not? It provides a unique

experience, riding down the highway on your bike, only a few inches separating you from the

pavement, which may seem as a fantasy to most is the reality of the Hells Angels. Thus, the

public's obsession with the Hells Angels could be due to the fact that they often find themselves

living vicariously through the bikers so often glamorized in the media.

 Works Cited

Barger, Ralph. Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels

Motorcycle Club. New York: William Morrow, 2000.

"Bikers Give Bikes to Needy Kids." KMPH. Fox, 04 Dec. 2010. Web. 07 Dec. 2010.

<http://www.kmph.com/Global/story.asp?S=13618767>.

Brian, Greg. "The History of the Hells Angels: 60 Years of Raising Hell." Associated Content.

Yahoo, 12 Mar. 2008. Web. 5 Dec. 2010.

<http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/643217/the_history_of_the_hells_angels_60.html?

cat=27>.

James, Randy. "A Brief History of the Hells Angels.” Time. 03 Aug. 2009. Web. 05 Dec. 2010.

<http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1914201,00.html>.

" O u t l a w M o t o r c y c l e G a n g . " D e p a r t m e n t o f J u s t i c e , n . d . We b . 0 7 D e c 2 0 1 0 .

< h t t p : / / w w w. j u s t i c e . g o v / c r i m i n a l / g a n g u n i t / g a n g s / m o t o r c y c l e . h t m l > .

"The Angels of Hell's Angels." Bukisa. 6 Apr. 2009. Web. 07 Dec. 2010.

<http://www.bukisa.com/articles/58098_the-angels-of-hells-angels>.

Thompson, Hunter S. Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga. New York: Modern Library,

1999.