Chapter 8 Summary and Analysis

Harley-Davidson is an American manufacturer of motorcycles, known to Hell's Angels and others as simply a 'Harley'. Nearly all Hell's Angels of the mid-1960s rode Harleys. Other large motorcycles were noted for their rarity. No matter the brand name, a Hell's Angel's motorcycle must be large, heavy and fast. The Harley model 74 was preferred by nearly all mid-1960s motorcycle outlaws, as well as the police. When a model 74 left the factory it weighed nearly 700 pounds. Hell's Angels would strip the motorcycle to its bare essentials and then heavily customize the remaining machine, resulting in a hard-riding but extremely fast motorcycle weighing around 500 pounds. These motorcycles were capable of reaching 130 miles per hour. The extensive stripping and alterations would frequently cost as much as $3000 and result in a hard-riding, but personalized, motorcycle known as a chopped hog, hog, or chopper...