Brian Overend photographs modern motorcycle culture in the US
The image of the quintessential American biker is notably divisive and has been since the early 20th century. The Hells Angels remain the most notorious gang on two wheels, and their reputation precedes them like the thunderous roar of their collective engine. Like a swarm of hornets, their rumble incites a tremor in the hand of the upstanding citizen in roadside diners across the US – at least this is the Hollywood portrayal. Today’s photography collection, shared by Brian Overend, gives an unfiltered view of modern bilker culture.
The Hells Angels, led by the late Sonny Barger, were accompanied by the unorthodox journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson in the mid-1960s. After befriending members of the West Coast chapters of the organisation, Thompson sought to debunk any media-spread myths about the gang.
As Thompson’s non-fictional account, titled Hell’s Angels, depicted, the gang was founded on an image of lawlessness, hedonism and violence. But the media’s depiction was often exaggerated, and the gang mostly consisted of lost causes, a doomed subclass with limited prospects looking for purpose and a sense of belonging. Though most were tough and a minority were prone to unwarranted violence, the visage of threat was only a protective blanket for the members.
In another, more recent reflection of life on the road with American biker gangs, Overend has shared some remarkable photographs from a 1,100-kilometer road trip with a group of bikers. The tour led a route down the West Coast of North America, beginning in Los Angeles and terminating at Ensenada, Mexico. The biker groups call this route El Diablo or “Devil’s Road”.
Overend has been a biker for most of his life. His father and uncles taught him how to ride, and he continues to take trips with his friends when he can. The collection seen below was taken in 2015 on a tour hosted by the helmet company Bitwell. According to the company’s website, the event isn’t for people who “think they’re tough guys”. Instead, it’s for those who love bikes, beer and Mexican cuisine.
Upon perusing this collection, the tattoos, beards, beer and debauchery are on the money regarding stereotypes, but the most overpowering image is one of friendship. These men are smiling, cheering and laughing, even with a bust lip and a trickle of blood.
The violence exhibited is clearly a sporting exercise void of malice. The beach fight photo shows the group forming a circle around willing combatants with helmets and batons, charging at one another as if in a playground reenactment of bumper cars.
As the bikers made their way towards the equator, the scorching sun tempted thick black leather off the skin as sun-kissed tattoos appeared. Fittingly, the terminus in Ensenada was just a stone’s throw from a beach in San Felipe, where the gang could take a dip in the Pacific Ocean and drink a few Chamoyadas, a local drink made with pickled mangoes, chilli powder and sweet tamarind.
Check out the photographs below.
