PLANET BIKE
The original localised groups and individuals had thrown up a collective concept of biking ideologies. Their interactions created a global Biker identity, through a concurrence of basic ideals shared at local levels. This had filtered back into other localities, who in turn emitted their own cultural feed-back. It gave rise to a situation described as: global in the local, and: local in the global.
Though Bikerdom does not move like a flock of birds - interconnected so acutely as to be a constant one-ness, its commonalities mean that the actions of riders everywhere follow similar patterns. It might be seen as not so much as a Bikerdom, more a Planet Bike; because happenings on a planetary scale are naturally varied. Through aspects of this globality, we can further distil the biking essence. The bike, then motorcycle sport had moved across the globe, even to places where there were no roads. Each new phase and trend had piggy-backed on the travelling Biker and through biking and other media. It would require a book in its own right to describe every biking scene in the world. So just some examples of the cultural aspects of global biking are now described, to underline the extreme differentialities - and commonalities.
Competition across the globe continues to uphold humanitarian values. Several leading motorcycle racers; Norik Abe, Marco Melandri, Alex Criville and Randy Mamola to name a few, all contribute to Riders for Health. When the GP went to Africa in 1999, Eurosport Channel coverage included the bikes that had been provided for medics and teachers to get around on. Special bikes are also being built for the disabled, with all the controls fitted to the handlebars. This enables a quality of life previously unattainable in the bush.
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Popularity of the motorcycle alone is not evidence of a biking community - as the hoards of commuters in Asia will attest. Enthusiasm in modified bike forms, and associations with like-mindedness, are better signifiers of culture. The Danes and Swedes are acknowledged world-wide for their custom bikes. Enthusiasts in Germany join with them in the struggle against legislation that virtually illegalises custom building, while most of Europe shares in a variety of motorcycle gatherings. This pattern emanates across the globe, and while each individual, group or country isn’t constantly aware of another, they only have to make the slightest contact to transform instantly into a greater resolve.
The Australian biking scene had followed similar routes to the developments in Europe and the US, with perhaps less actual manufacturing involvement. The affluence in Australia allowed more people to use bikes for leisure and competition, and the practicalities of the bike gave it a strong foothold. The enjoyment of biking proliferated because of the long, open roads. Even before the Mods and Rockers emerged in the UK, there were stark contrasts in Australia among what have been termed the Bikie and Surfie youth contingencies.
Post W.W.II Australia had subsumed views on individualism, whilst at the same time making its own determinations. The Surfies (who later affected the US surf-boarding scene) and Bikies adhered to bourgeois values and the dominant culture, seemingly at odds with other alternative and subcultures. The undesirable effects of capitalism and consumerism were not so predominant in a country that enjoyed better post war conditions than the US and Europe. Many Brits were taking up the Australian challenge, to go and make a better life for themselves there. Working class values and fears were a thing of the rest of the world, not of Australia.
So the Bikie subculture was not a spectacular one, leading rampages against society. It dressed in protective leather gear rather than any outrageous costume. The contention among Bikies was directly linked to personal budget. The more cash they earned, the less afraid they were of wrecking their bike. This put individuals further up the hierarchy. Some might infer that this is like a child with too many toys, but the idea of not having to worry about being off the road for repairs does dispel a reservedness others cling to. The comfortable earning brings an element of class into the situation. Where alcohol, rock music and drugs were concerned, attitudes were totally different for the Bikies. They presented ways to make money, and to cope with the strains of bourgeois society, rather than mind exploration.
As things stand in Australia (and New Zealand) in the present, there are plenty of rebel types. There are even gangs of Bikers who organise knuckle fights. Others cleave to more genuine biking beliefs. Some of the best turned-out custom bikes have come from the antipodes, and there is a healthy consumption of biking artefacts and ideologies from elsewhere in the world. Australia has its own bands (AC-DC for one) and publications, but also uses many from outside. Van Halen, Motorhead and Iron Maiden have played regularly. Publications consumed cover the whole spectrum, from American rebel/custom to the European race-replica/classic/alternative mags. Here, as with other predominantly Western cultures, the communal biking camaraderie exists. The Pukehoe rally in New Zealand brings out a cross-section of biking types, while Purga Creek in Australia attracts a number of patch clubs.
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Whilst it wasn’t until the late 1950’s - early 60’s that Japanese bikes made their impact on the West, there has been an avid interest for the machine since Japan went industrial. The advantageous bike was seen and desired by the locals. Imported models were mostly of larger capacities. Japan followed suite by building large v-twins, however the economy models eventually found greater acceptance among a public needing transport. Japan hosts national and international bike events, and when their riders go abroad, they form their own villages. Not that they segregate themselves, but their language and culture are alien to the host countries. They tend to be very reserved, but this is being overcome by more boisterous activity in victory celebrations. Biking venues in Japan are fewer in proportion to the West; however they are just as accommodating. And there are plenty of open roads to enjoy once you get away from the cities (Japan is 75% mountainous). In the countryside, there are guest houses that prefer biking customers.
Since the 1950’s, vehicular gangs have existed in Japan. They mostly consisted of more affluent youths, who used cars as well as motorcycles. The evolution of gang culture in Japan has a self-recognised tribalism. The tribes consisted of indistinct groups, among whom the individuals referred to themselves as Otokichi; motorbike maniacs or sound freaks.
It was mostly chance encounters that were causal in group rides; people just falling in with the growing group as it travelled. As in the West, it was public and media reaction to their (often antisocial) behaviour that named them; the name Kaminari Zoku (Thunder Tribe), referred to the loud exhaust note of their machines. There are other ways to discern between them. The Thunder tribe can be related to the street, whereas the Circuit Tribes might have obvious associations with competition ideals. As per the café racers, the basis was in a quest for speed through the conversion of bikes into race replicas (if not just tuning them).
All the gangs customised their machines, and they all adhered to the noisiest is best idiom. Air horns with two or more trumpets that played tunes were favoured, and the bikes’ colour-schemes used white backgrounds, onto which reactionary graffiti was applied. Stickers and other paraphernalia with brand names like Yoshimura gave added kudos, in a similar way that Levi or Wrangler designate jeans. The name Yoshimura was synonymous with tuning, and was soon to be seen regularly on bikes in the West.
The riders’ appearance was smart compared to the tattered Western rebels, some wearing clothes reminiscent of the W.W.II Kamikaze pilots. Group names would be carefully sewn in gold or silver thread onto clothing, the preferred colours for which were red or pink. Symbols like the Rising Sun and the Imperial Chrysanthemum were interposed with patriotic phrases and the wearer’s name. Headbands and surgical masks are something most Westerners can associate with anyone Japanese (martial arts and pollution), but their juxtaposition in bike regalia suited the (alien) appearance. Some even carried flags, (another commonly recognised Eastern trait) that would be held by the flag-carriers or Hatamochi; usually the pillion passenger. These flags would be symbolically destroyed when opposing gangs fought.
What all of the gangs - or tribes - aspired to in the first instance was Boso; the unlawful speeding and racing of a machine in busy areas. As a ‘who cares’ statement, risking life and limb in such an overt and careless manner was extreme in the least. The disregard for danger (and law) is not so difficult to understand when the likes of the Kamikaze pilots are brought to mind. To them, there are things in life more important than (your own) life itself, and a feeling of oneness pervaded those who rode together, gathering into euphoria as the risks increased.
Through these activities, the individuals were acquiring a sense of self - something alien to many Eastern mass-cultures. The Bosozoku and other tribal use of recognisable insignia gave them a sense of communal pride, while at the same time it was seen as sacrilegious by formal society. It was all apparently performed as a sense of play, a way to sustain another existence besides the factory-ruled self-sacrifice. The machismo (although many riders were female) predominant in some Japanese biking outfits seems unnatural to their culture, yet they have their Samurai Warriors among other heroes who demonstrated courage so great, it seems foolish by Western standards - or is it that the self preservation of Westerners is pathetic against Eastern courage?
There were other (tribal) named outfits, like Thrill Zoku and Mach Zoku. The activities of the gangs included vandalism as well as breaking speed limits and wild stunt-riding. They enjoyed showing off, and attracted large crowds, on occasions up to a thousand strong. Certain gangs would lead the riding, and it was up to them to clear a way for the ensuing cavalcade. A rear guard would practice tail wagging, by swapping lanes to prevent police pursuit vehicles from over-taking them. Yet more media attention grew from this, and by the 1970’s, the Bosozoku had become an integrated and organised amalgamation of gangs. Their antics continued into the 1980’s, however, legislation clamped down heavily, and by the 90’s, there was little room for Bosozoku activity in towns and built-up areas.
High crime figures were officially associated with the gangs, and crime was noticeably reduced when legislation banning communal driving broke the Boso society down. There is still evidence of riding out, though its character is changed. Out-of-town roads and venues play host to speeding, and Bikers who just meet up for socialising. In the early hours of the morning, when the gatherings drift homewards, they go round after themselves picking up litter. The maniacal Bosozoku have now been tenderised in comics, playing out heroic roles as law-abiding goodies. It seems that Japanese Bikerdom has found a similar equilibrium that the West started out with and eventually returned to.
In 1990’s Japan there was a liking for the factory custom, however mid-sized British bikes were much sought after, creating a market for British look-alike machines, with, for example, replicas of the BSA Gold Star. Japan has not only gone seriously into bike production by dominating global markets, but has spawned many excellent competitive riders, who are emulated on race replica machines of all sizes. Not just in Japan, but across most of the world. Japanese (and Italian) bikes and riders dominated the 125 and 250cc motorcycling Grands Prix of the 90’s. The talent and power of Japanese riders, like their bikes, is also being felt across the spectrum of biking sport.
Japanese regalia that is recognisable to Westerners found its way into Biker iconography through an appreciation of Japanese bikes in the 70’s. Whilst it was disliked among larger Japanese society, it also engendered some misapprehension in the West among those who had known that nation as the enemy. For them, the Rising Sun was as sinister as the Swastika, while at biking levels, it was merely a signal of adulation, like Ferrari’s prancing horse. In the 21st century, it is the British, American and Italian bikes that are in the minority, sometimes even viewed with the same suspicions reserved for the early Japanese models.
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India has seen motorcycles since pre-W.W.I, mainly of British manufacture. Here, as in most of Asia, smaller commuter bikes are now most popular. But India can claim to have the weirdest Biker in the world. Called Papa-Gee, he belongs to a Hindu cult of Sadhus; holy men who sometimes make pilgrimages. Excepting a loin-cloth and some body-painting, they mostly go naked. Papa-Gee makes his naked voyage of self-discovery on an Enfield motorcycle, complete with tinselly decor and stereo.
India eventually acquired a license to build Enfield motorcycles, with the Royal part of the name dropped. Many larger Indian cities have bike shops that include old British and other bikes in their stock, that are rebuilt carefully if not accurately to be functional. In areas like the Paharganj in Delhi, second-hand businesses thrive selling parts. At the dealerships selling British bikes, you can make similar conversation to anywhere else in the Western world. It seems incongruous to have a Sikh going into raptures about the Vincent Black Shadow, but the biking essence is there. Little workshops that are sometimes part of the pavement are often prepared to fix whatever you’ve broken, from punctures to rebores. They reflect the old bicycle dealerships and blacksmiths in the West, who at one time catered for the motorist in similar ways. There are also accessory shops selling the kind of luminous and tinselly add-ons associated with Asian tastes. Brightly coloured handlebar grips vie with the must-have crash bars. Tinted visors are cheap compared to Western prices, although the quality is sometimes poor.
At Naini Tal in the north, is a bike belonging to the hardest Biker in the World. It has no seat, but is in working order and in use - the paint is worn from the frame where the rider has rubbed and bounced around. The tank had the word Tuff painted crudely across it. Further south, at Agra, an Enfield bore a 750 sticker. Had kits had been made to upgrade the sluggish thumpers? No. The owner confessed that it was a 350cc model, and he was just trying to make an impression. His appearance qualified his confession, with Cuban-heeled boots, black Elvis shirt and shades. The introduction of TV and other media have spread much of Western ideologies into India and Nepal, and many Asian Bikers have latched onto rebel themes. Shades, boots and bandannas with coif hair styles are common themes among both Nepalese and Indian biking youths. Black drainpipe jeans are also popular, but due to the climate, leather jackets are seldom seen. The bandannas have gaudy imagery with stylised bikes and bestiary, and carry miss-spelt slogans. Wilo Spipit is meant to read Wild Spirit, while Free Spipit and Happy Dividson might explain themselves.
There are many factory customs in India and Nepal that come out of Taiwan and Japan. Models like the Daelim, Kang Wang and Kymco, all of around 125ccs putter round, with female passengers riding side saddle and wearing saris. Among the shiny chrome accessories is an ornate but unusual curved and pierced grille that covers the near-side of the rear wheel, to prevent saris getting tangled.
In the past, neither India nor Nepal had any Outlaw or youth cult Bikers as such. Enthusiasm (which is so often satiated by smaller bikes, due to road and traffic conditions) is purer. Bikes are being used as statements particularly among young men, but not so much in any rage against society. It is more in the way the earliest customisers felt a need to tinker. India has adapted the rebel styles to its own ends, in much the same way Asian cultures take redundant objects and put them to some peculiar use.
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Human nature, in so much as the recognition of like-types, has enabled Biker culture to manifest in surprisingly remote places. Ingenuity keeps bikes running that would fail the road-worthy tests inflicted by Western countries. Nothing is wasted, and even an old tyre is not discarded; in Mongolia, these are cut into a convenient shape to be used as horse shoes. Their durable but soft construction is apparently appreciated by horses. The cost of replacing throw-away items is met by affecting crude repairs - something that has become less frequent in the consumerist West (except where the rat bike survives).
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South African roads tend to empty in summer - it’s just too hot to wear full leathers. Winter time sees places like the Kosmos getting busy, the South African equivalent of the UK’s Devil’s Bridge. Bikes are very expensive to buy here, and average wages are low. Biking dedication is marked by the number of new and desirable machines that are used, race replicas being predominant over custom types.
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As a footnote to all that has gone down in America, there is a peculiarity among some of its riders not found elsewhere. The Southern Hick persona has made an impression on US biking, bringing the Southern flag, uniforms from the civil war and an appreciation for whiskey into the reb scene. It is a natural progression, as many (biking) Americans still feel a part of a Southern independence. They do not acknowledge the Yankee victory. The rustic, dusty appearance of being well-travelled suits their tough yet hospitable Southern-ness. The artefacts from this aspect have bled into the over-all rebel image that has become a commodity in the (global) West. But just as rock music is a biking passion, country music is no less a home-truth for these riders. Their influence can be found across the world, in groups of riders who enjoy both country and rock and roll.
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Nowhere in the world is Biker culture predominant against any mass-culture, but it is present virtually everywhere that the motorcycle exists. When biking is looked at from a global perspective, more of the original ideals can be seen, and this concept throws some questionability over the alleged contentions in the West. Just how much of it was media-hype? Certainly a greater proportion than actually existed. What every biking contingency boils down to, once its cultural make-up is wiped away, is a basic enthusiasm for bikes and biking - a single yet powerful trigger for cognisance among the most alien of peoples.