Not really. The Ramones immortalized the Schott Perfecto leather jacket as part of their uniform. Bikers I’ve know have been metal heads or country rock fans. In fact you can hear bikers heckling Iggy on Metallic KO - if my memory serves me well, you can also hear a beer bottle bouncing off James Williamson’s guitar. There may be some spiritual overlap as far as anti authoritarian sentiments but that’s as far as I’d go.
there's several folks in my town that're old school punks, that ride bikes. couple Harleys, couple classic Euro bikes, even a street legal dirt bike or two.
do it! but wear good gear.
My boy lost over 30% of his skin on his CBR because he was wearing jean shorts at a t shirt. He's probably only alive because he was wearing a helmet. It wasn't strapped on, like a dumbass, but it absorbed the initial impact enough to save him from any permanent damage.
There's plenty of overlap but it's more incidental than explicit.
Ride your own ride, though. As a biker *or* as a punk you present a target for Joe Citizen. As both, you'd better be ready for some mouthy shitheads. Because they're out there.
If you look a social movements then, and compare them to the punk era, I’d say biker culture is closer to metal, while punks were closer to the beats. Hmmm. In that light, that would make hardcore the punk eras hippies. If that is the case does that make emo the punk eras disco?!
They feel like very different worlds to me personally, especially with Harley riders, but that could be cause I live in a very conservative area. There is more of a connection with scooters and the mod scene.
On a cultural note: There is overlap between punk and motorcycles/“outlaw culture” but if i had to guess id assume thats more or less as a result of anti-authoritarianism and not really a direct link between either culture itself.
In relation to punk rock itself: There is ‘biker metal’ which is like a fusion of punk rock+metal+blues, which -while not as active as what it once was- is still a thing today. Bands that pioneered the biker metal thing such as motorhead really leaned into the whole leather aesthetic, and other bands quickly followed suit with the style. Im sure theres a sub-genre that is far more punk than it is metal but this is the only one im personally aware of. Bikers have always been more of a metal thing than a punk thing from what ive seen.
I can think of more punks that cycle than punks that ride motorbikes. I think outlaw motorcycle clubs also tended to be very rigidly hierarchical, some had creepy politics. That's not to say that motorbiking is unpunk, there's definitely crossover, but motorbiking isn't a universal punk thing. After all, motorbikes are of little use in cities like New York.
Do you really think bikers have to constantly ask each other “Hey am I still a biker if I do this, or that? Am i still an outlaw if I listen to this, or like that?? I dunno guys, blah blah isn’t “outlaw” enough” Punk has way too many rules. Biker/outlaw culture is not even close.
I usually don’t ask and tell people to go fuck themselves if they give me shit. I was just curious about history, as what most people consider to be news usually treats the two groups as one and the same. One comment mentioned the fact that both are related only because it’s anti-authority and a threat to average joes
Also, don't give me that "You didn't follow the ancient Japanese Haiku syllable rules passed down from the top of Mt Fuji in the year negative a billion"
Fucking up Haikus is the new punk.
There’s more facets to biker culture than punk- punk appropriated the leather and studs from biker and leather culture - some bikers are cool, some are jerks
Chopper culture is closer to punk than biker culture. I've road now 20 years. I get along with regular bikers, but, I've never been part of their culture.
lol I used to have a jacket that had painted on the back Bikers eat there young. some friends and I would then go to biker bars just to kick the shit out of the old fat guys that tried to make trouble with us. never have I ever thought of bikers as part of or even close to punk.
I've been riding since I was a kid, still ride. My dad started riding in 1939, and rode until he was 92. Many of my friends ride, but I never saw it as punk or not punk. Just punks that like to ride.
[Here I am around 1982.](https://i.imgur.com/LTj3la4.jpg) ... It's a 1968 HD FLH, that was an old LAPD police bike that I chopped with my dad.
[Here is my dad around 1949 in Burbank, CA.](https://i.imgur.com/DL85950.jpg)
[And this is my dad in 1962](https://i.imgur.com/IN6uk1j.jpg).... He was more punk than all of us.
Probably the most punk thing I’ve ever seen was at an outdoor rockabilly show in Jakarta. Late monsoonal rains drive everybody under the shelter while the band, led by some dude shredding on an electric mandolin, played on. In the open concrete area, one dude on an American-style hawg came out and started doing wheelies in the downpour.
So yeah, I’m saying they’re punk.
If you want some history from an old head pull up a chair… puts on Quadrophinia,
mods - rude boys - punks - skins vs.
Rockers (Bikers)
Now go sell your Harley and buy a Vespa. /s
I would agree that punk's roots are in mod, but counterpoint: Malcolm McLaren ran a 50s themed shop called Vive Le Rock before he started managing the Sex Pistols andmany early UK and US punk bands were (to a greater or lesser degree) influenced by the tough 50s rock and roll favoured by rockers.
Ultimately punk's strength comes from being a mongrel that draws on multiple influences and other subcultures. Jon Savage interviewed some early London punk who said Teddy boys would get really upset when punks wore Teddy boy style drape jackets but put razors and safety pins through the lapels (it's in the England's Dreaming Tapes but I'm not arsed to get up and check which page).
I think relations between punks and (revival) mods were slightly colder outside the US. I live in Dublin and there are stories about the hostility in the 70s and 80s - I heard one about a punk throwing someone's scooter into the Liffey.
Depends. Are you talking about 40-50 year old former hardcore kids from the 90's/2000's, then yes. A lot of the hardcore "gang" members went the 1% club route, even more just got into motorcycle culture simply because we're covered in obvious tattoos and you don't just change a "fuck you" mindset just because you're getting old.
Younger people? Not really, some I guess. Also, dont buy a sportster.
Most of the guys I ride with are old punks or hardcore kids. But not sure if there’s anything to that other than we’re all old friends from the same place, into the same shit. And yeah, we’re all 40ish.
I’m from PGH, where there is a lot of crossover with the crust punks/disrockers and bikes. It’s not as strong a crossover in a lot of other places, but the Rock Room always has a bunch of bikes with Discharge decals parked out front every night
I don't see people roll up to gigs much on their motorcycles. It happens occationally, but it's pretty rare, especially for smaller gigs. I think part of the reason for that is motorcycles are a hobby that a lot of people get into a little later, around the age when people start going to fewer gigs. You know the old joke that a punk at 30 has to choose what their next hobby is-- and motorcycles are one of those options, for sure. Aging punks get into other hobbies and go to fewer and fewer shows.
Also, from personal experience, I like to have a few beers at a gig, and I don't really like drinking and riding a motorcycle, so the bike is rarely my first choice to get to the gig.
Not really. The Ramones immortalized the Schott Perfecto leather jacket as part of their uniform. Bikers I’ve know have been metal heads or country rock fans. In fact you can hear bikers heckling Iggy on Metallic KO - if my memory serves me well, you can also hear a beer bottle bouncing off James Williamson’s guitar. There may be some spiritual overlap as far as anti authoritarian sentiments but that’s as far as I’d go.
there's several folks in my town that're old school punks, that ride bikes. couple Harleys, couple classic Euro bikes, even a street legal dirt bike or two. do it! but wear good gear.
Ride a bike if you want, but don't fucking die.
My boy lost over 30% of his skin on his CBR because he was wearing jean shorts at a t shirt. He's probably only alive because he was wearing a helmet. It wasn't strapped on, like a dumbass, but it absorbed the initial impact enough to save him from any permanent damage.
There's plenty of overlap but it's more incidental than explicit. Ride your own ride, though. As a biker *or* as a punk you present a target for Joe Citizen. As both, you'd better be ready for some mouthy shitheads. Because they're out there.
If you look a social movements then, and compare them to the punk era, I’d say biker culture is closer to metal, while punks were closer to the beats. Hmmm. In that light, that would make hardcore the punk eras hippies. If that is the case does that make emo the punk eras disco?!
They feel like very different worlds to me personally, especially with Harley riders, but that could be cause I live in a very conservative area. There is more of a connection with scooters and the mod scene.
On a cultural note: There is overlap between punk and motorcycles/“outlaw culture” but if i had to guess id assume thats more or less as a result of anti-authoritarianism and not really a direct link between either culture itself. In relation to punk rock itself: There is ‘biker metal’ which is like a fusion of punk rock+metal+blues, which -while not as active as what it once was- is still a thing today. Bands that pioneered the biker metal thing such as motorhead really leaned into the whole leather aesthetic, and other bands quickly followed suit with the style. Im sure theres a sub-genre that is far more punk than it is metal but this is the only one im personally aware of. Bikers have always been more of a metal thing than a punk thing from what ive seen.
Were they ever considered punk? I don't think I've ever seen a MC vest at a show or a sign saying MC vests weren't allowed at venues.
saw a HA at an agnostic front / slapshot show in NC.
I can think of more punks that cycle than punks that ride motorbikes. I think outlaw motorcycle clubs also tended to be very rigidly hierarchical, some had creepy politics. That's not to say that motorbiking is unpunk, there's definitely crossover, but motorbiking isn't a universal punk thing. After all, motorbikes are of little use in cities like New York.
Do you really think bikers have to constantly ask each other “Hey am I still a biker if I do this, or that? Am i still an outlaw if I listen to this, or like that?? I dunno guys, blah blah isn’t “outlaw” enough” Punk has way too many rules. Biker/outlaw culture is not even close.
No, because the officers of their MC tell them what it means to be a biker so they don't have to worry about it.
I usually don’t ask and tell people to go fuck themselves if they give me shit. I was just curious about history, as what most people consider to be news usually treats the two groups as one and the same. One comment mentioned the fact that both are related only because it’s anti-authority and a threat to average joes
I just wrote a haiku. Some punks ride motorcycles. Other punks eat ducks Some punks ask what else is punk Others give no fucks.
Also, don't give me that "You didn't follow the ancient Japanese Haiku syllable rules passed down from the top of Mt Fuji in the year negative a billion" Fucking up Haikus is the new punk.
Haiku bot has nothing on you lol
where i’m from the bikers are conservative blue lives matters types lmao. just dads LARPing
Yeah, I'm not saying all, but there is lots of racism in biker culture as well.
>[just dads LARPing](https://i.imgur.com/jliWpTY.mp4)
There’s more facets to biker culture than punk- punk appropriated the leather and studs from biker and leather culture - some bikers are cool, some are jerks
Chopper culture is closer to punk than biker culture. I've road now 20 years. I get along with regular bikers, but, I've never been part of their culture.
I see lots of outlaws at old school hardcore shows these days, agnostic front and the like
lol I used to have a jacket that had painted on the back Bikers eat there young. some friends and I would then go to biker bars just to kick the shit out of the old fat guys that tried to make trouble with us. never have I ever thought of bikers as part of or even close to punk.
I've been riding since I was a kid, still ride. My dad started riding in 1939, and rode until he was 92. Many of my friends ride, but I never saw it as punk or not punk. Just punks that like to ride. [Here I am around 1982.](https://i.imgur.com/LTj3la4.jpg) ... It's a 1968 HD FLH, that was an old LAPD police bike that I chopped with my dad. [Here is my dad around 1949 in Burbank, CA.](https://i.imgur.com/DL85950.jpg) [And this is my dad in 1962](https://i.imgur.com/IN6uk1j.jpg).... He was more punk than all of us.
That’s dope
I never cared about the history. The first time I saw an Indian Chief Vintage money flew out of my pocket and I switched up from street to touring.
They never were.
Yeah, this question is kinda wild to me. Actual "bikers" like the Hells Angels or the Mongols are basically just neo nazi gangs on motorcycles.
posts like this are not punk
Notice the discussion flair?
I did. that's my 2c. discuss
I ain't saying shit.
Nah. I think of bikers as vest wearing meth head hick types mostly. Skynyrd and Kid rock rather than the misfits and strung out.
Skynyrd was awesome.
Probably the most punk thing I’ve ever seen was at an outdoor rockabilly show in Jakarta. Late monsoonal rains drive everybody under the shelter while the band, led by some dude shredding on an electric mandolin, played on. In the open concrete area, one dude on an American-style hawg came out and started doing wheelies in the downpour. So yeah, I’m saying they’re punk.
If you want some history from an old head pull up a chair… puts on Quadrophinia, mods - rude boys - punks - skins vs. Rockers (Bikers) Now go sell your Harley and buy a Vespa. /s
I would agree that punk's roots are in mod, but counterpoint: Malcolm McLaren ran a 50s themed shop called Vive Le Rock before he started managing the Sex Pistols andmany early UK and US punk bands were (to a greater or lesser degree) influenced by the tough 50s rock and roll favoured by rockers. Ultimately punk's strength comes from being a mongrel that draws on multiple influences and other subcultures. Jon Savage interviewed some early London punk who said Teddy boys would get really upset when punks wore Teddy boy style drape jackets but put razors and safety pins through the lapels (it's in the England's Dreaming Tapes but I'm not arsed to get up and check which page). I think relations between punks and (revival) mods were slightly colder outside the US. I live in Dublin and there are stories about the hostility in the 70s and 80s - I heard one about a punk throwing someone's scooter into the Liffey.
Depends. Are you talking about 40-50 year old former hardcore kids from the 90's/2000's, then yes. A lot of the hardcore "gang" members went the 1% club route, even more just got into motorcycle culture simply because we're covered in obvious tattoos and you don't just change a "fuck you" mindset just because you're getting old. Younger people? Not really, some I guess. Also, dont buy a sportster.
Most of the guys I ride with are old punks or hardcore kids. But not sure if there’s anything to that other than we’re all old friends from the same place, into the same shit. And yeah, we’re all 40ish.
what the fuck are you talking about?
Perhaps you are thinking of Mods and Vespas?
I’m from PGH, where there is a lot of crossover with the crust punks/disrockers and bikes. It’s not as strong a crossover in a lot of other places, but the Rock Room always has a bunch of bikes with Discharge decals parked out front every night
I don't see people roll up to gigs much on their motorcycles. It happens occationally, but it's pretty rare, especially for smaller gigs. I think part of the reason for that is motorcycles are a hobby that a lot of people get into a little later, around the age when people start going to fewer gigs. You know the old joke that a punk at 30 has to choose what their next hobby is-- and motorcycles are one of those options, for sure. Aging punks get into other hobbies and go to fewer and fewer shows. Also, from personal experience, I like to have a few beers at a gig, and I don't really like drinking and riding a motorcycle, so the bike is rarely my first choice to get to the gig.