Outlaw Bikers - the DVD Series

I recently received a set of DVD's from the E1 Entertainment  office here in Canada. They wanted me to watch series and then write a review on them so here goes - Outlaw Bikers - is is a 3 DVD box set - actually six because it contains both French and English versions of the shows.

The set is divided into the individual shows as they aired on A & E:

1. Hells Angels
2. Masters of Mayhem
3. The Road to Hell
4. Angels Go Global
5. Angels Descending
6. Inside the Outlaws
7. Warlock War
8. Bandido Nation
9. Outlaw Women Bikers

The series delves in to the world of the one percenter motorcycle clubs from the perspective of both the one percenters and law enforcement. I found it interesting that in this DVD series - and when I originally watched in on A & E last year - that all of the police officers who infiltrated the clubs seemed to actually bond with the outlaws they were sworn to arrest. I also found it interesting that in many cases their police officer family did not support the officers the way the one percenters did.

I found the whole series to be enlightening. It was fairly well balanced as well and when it comes to dealing with the two sides/faces of the law that is a tough job.

The police officers involved in the series did their jobs but it did appear to be tough on them, some by their own admission, rebelled and felt guilt for doing their jobs. In a lot of ways they seemed to really get the life style - a couple of them made me think that if they were younger and hadn't chosen law enforcement for a career that the life of a one percenter would be their choice. They truly understood on some level that they were betraying their "brothers". It's almost as if the cops and the clubbers are the opposite sides of the same coin. It is as if the cops respected and  - admired the clubbers on some level.

All of the Hells Angels segments were engaging - interesting and - yes, scary and fascinating.

Again though -what I find is the scariest, the most fascinating of everything that these shows portray is the police officers and how they truly love the life even though they are sworn to uphold the law.

The Warlocks segment was very interesting - done from their perspective it goes through their history.
Their definitions and explanations of who they are and how they came to being in their own words makes the Warlock segment very interesting to me anyway. It clearly and explicitly shows the contradictory way the police feel about their involvement with the "brotherhood". Betrayal, brotherhood and exile is what this segment is all about.

The Bandido segment was again one of those that makes you realize that maybe the reason the cops don't appear to be able to shut down the "criminals" is that they don't want to. I get the feeling, the impression that the officers see some of themselves in the one percenters they "chase" and that they truly revel in the chase.


I have one criticism and that is of the Outlaw Women Bikers segment.
I felt the whole thing made all women who ride look like wanna be one percenters to those who don't ride and or are not part of the riding community.

The women of the Leather and Lace MC are NOT one percenters nor are they really an outlaw club - their patch is not one percenter or an outlaw club,  the founder - Jennifer Chaffin - may have been be married to a one percenter and may be currently married to a one percenter but that does not make her club a one percenter club or an outlaw club.  She might be a biker woman - but an outlaw? Hmmm. I have investigated a lot of the various women's MC's and honestly - there are few that truly emulated anything outlaw or one percenter. In this instance Leather and Lace MC do not have a prospecting phase and their patch is not that of an outlaw or a one percenter club - there is no territory in the bottom rocker.

I also found the way the "Property of" patch and segment was introduced to be again, for the outsider a tad confusing.       

On a personal level, I have never understood a woman being proud to be viewed as property of...I guess that is why I am an independent...

That was my impression of the Outlaw Women Bikers segment - yours may be different. I feel that the way the women riders were portrayed they could have been any female and I feel that the women who ride pillion with the outlaw and one percenter clubs - if they were going to be included in the series, a more in depth look into the psyche of these women who feel the need to live that type of lifestyle would have been more appropriate. I guess I just felt it was confusing two "types" of women - I think the segment should have been called the Women of the Outlaw Biker World - to me that would have been a more accurate title.

Over all - I think the series was well done though and found it very informative. 

I would be interested in your take on the DVD Series - or it you watched it on A & E. I am always interested in what others thinks about films and TV Series that expose the "other" side of our community.

We have 2 of these DVD sets to give away.
How should I do that?
I will give one away to the person who suggests the best way for me to give away the second one...I will choose the way on Monday...

As always - your comments, feed back and insight are welcome here - I love it when others share divergent and different ideas. It's how we grow!

In the news today:
In BC a rider laid in the ditch, injured and also impaired and completely ignored by fellow motorists.
Also in BC a former cop offers some suggestions so that you don't become a victim of a road rager after a 61 year old motorcyclists exhibited road rage at  its worst.

BCCOM is looking for volunteers.

In Alberta the count down is on for the beginning of tickets for the new noise bylaw and if what a few of the people who participate in my Face Book group are right, Harley Davidson is along with all of the manufacturers responsible for this bylaw to be coming in to efect - and that is supported by the City of Edmonton Police's memo and a Globe and Mail article on the MMIC's involvement in the creation of the SAE standard. The manufacturers official party line is that this makes testing less subjective but we are told that the motivation is to boost new motorcycle sales as anything but OEM equipment will not pass the test.

It appears, from what we are being told that the after market industry is being targeted via law enforcement by the manufactures and that law enforcement is only too happy to oblige...perhaps my take on things is wrong but this is my personal understanding of everything I have read. I guess we will need to have the lawyers sort this one out. Too bad CADA never went anywhere - the Canadian After Market Dealers Association was originally started after the RCMP started targeting custom made and custom manufactured bikes about 5 years ago.  It could have represented its industry and customers and could have maybe helped in the fight but as usual, no one had time to do anything in and with the organization so it folded almost as soon as it started.

BMW is recalling a ton of Motorcycles - read why!
In New Brunswick and in Ontario a couple of riders find themselves in serious trouble over excessive speed...
There is lots of other news today - visit the home page of www.beltdrivebetty.com to read all about it!

There are a number of events this weekend rigfht across this fair country of ours - which ever one you are attending, where ever you are riding to, please ride like everyone around you si blind and can not see you and IS out to get you and ride proud not loud.

Belt Drive Betty

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