The Hells Angels and the Bandidos: two biker gangs or two motorcycle clubs? Both born in the United States, these two groups have a lot in common, although they like to scream about their differences. They are both a part of the “Big Four,” the four most famous, global motorcycle clubs, the other two being the Outlaws and Pagans. Both are from the South of the US since the Hells Angels were born in California and the Bandidos in Texas.
The Hells Angels and the Bandidos were born from a need to rebel, which gained them shady reputations. Whether they deserve them is another story. They share the same core values and these rare pictures prove it.
10 Hells Angels: Old Time Portraits
The black and white pictures of the Hells Angels are frame-worthy. They tell the story of the club’s beginnings, when cameras didn’t have colored film and when the hair was long. The old-time photos of the Hells Angels chronicle the journey of the bikers, who always rode shiny Harley-Davidsons, and the journey of bikers who always had a clear identity: rebels with gorgeous souls.
9 Bandidos: Hopping On
The Bandidos Motorcycle Club was founded in 1966 with the motto “We are the people our parents warned us about.” Founded by one single man, Donald Eugene Chambers, the club in 2005 counted 5000 members in 210 chapters, located in 22 countries. Seven years later, the Bandidos counted 104 chapters in the US. Members of this group hop on their bikes all over the world to meet and have fun together.
8 Hells Angels: Team Details
Recognizing a member of the Hells Angels is easy since they have a few markers that they all share. Harley-Davidson bikes aside, these bikers wear leather jackets with patches that identify: the club’s name (Hells Angels), the club’s logo (the winged skull), and the local chapter (for example Oakland).
The official colors of the Hells Angels are red lettering displayed on a white background—hence the club's nickname "The Red and White".
7 Bandidos: Honoring The Members
Both the Hells Angels and the Bandidos honor their fallen. Once a member dies, their funeral is an occasion for commemoration and gathering. The bikers of the local chapter accompany the coffin and they stand with the family at the cemetery. The members of both motorcycle clubs escort the coffins and they pay respect to the memory of their fallen. Once a member of these bikers’ clubs, always a member.
6 Hells Angels: The Women
The role of women in the Hells Angels has always been ambiguous and up for debate. Rumor has it that the bikers have always been masochists and sexists, rarely allowing women to become members. According to stories from outsiders, women in the Hells Angels were used as an object. Still, it’s all rumors. Despite the bad reputation, Timeline reports the story of photographer Bill Ray, who shadowed the Hells Angels for some time. “The girls weren’t there in chains, or against their will or anything. They had to want that life if they were going to be accepted by the Angels. These guys were kings of the road. I don’t think they ever felt they had to look around for girls. Girls would come to them, and they would take their pick,” said Ray to the magazine. The truth? The women have never spoken up.
5 Bandidos: Brotherhood
The members of the Bandidos are more than people who share the same passion for big bikes and speed. Once a newcomer becomes a full-fledged member of the motorcycle club, the Bandidos become family. They are brothers always looking out for one another. They ride together, they fight, and they laugh together.
Just like the Hells Angels, the Bandidos believe in strong values that unite the club, instead of creating division -as their reputation wants it.
4 Hells Angels: The Club
Every local chapter of the Hells Angels has its own clubhouse to hang out in. These are meeting places where only members are allowed. As of 2012, the Hells Angels counted 77 chapters in the U.S. but none in Singapore. What goes on behind closed door is anyone’s guess, but if there are Harley-Davidsons outside of a door, inside there is probably a crowded bar with brothers wearing the same leather jacket, some with tattoos, others without, and all of them carrying the patches of the Hells Angels.
3 Bandidos: Panoramic View
When these clubs gather, they are a sight to behold. It’s hundreds of them, strolling down the road, taking over the town, and making noise. It’s an ensemble of shiny and fast bikes that glare through the streets, taking over the lanes, and the quiet.
The Bandidos are colorful and they are loud, as is rebellion.
2 Hells Angels: The Founder
The California native is widely regarded as the founder of the Hells Angles. Ralph Hubert "Sonny" Barger was born in Oakland in 1938, Barger founded his city’s chapter of the biking club in 1957. His decision started the heritage and story of the Hells Angels. Three decades later, Barger was diagnosed with throat cancer due to his heavy smoking. His vocal cords were removed, so he had to learn to vocalize using the muscles in his esophagus. Sonny is also a convicted felon.
In 1988, he was accused of conspiring to blow up the clubhouse of a rival motorcycle club, The Outlaws in Louisville. He was convicted and he spent four years in an Arizona prison. Ten years later he moved to that some Southern state, where he started the Cave Creek chapter. After his tumultuous past, Barger is now a promoter of bike safety.
1 Bandidos: The Founder
Born eight years before Barger, Donald Eugene Chambers was a Texas native. He was an American marine who fought in the Vietnam War. He founded the Bandidos motorcycle club after deployment, in 1966 and he chose the club's colors, red and gold, after the official colors of the U.S. Marine Corps. What Barger and Chambers have in common is a crime. The Texan biker was convicted for murder in the 70s after he and his associates shot two drug dealers. He received a life sentence and he was later paroled in 1983. While he was away, he lost his title as President of the Bandidos. Chambers died in 1999 in his hometown of El Paso, Texas, and his grave carries the message of the Bandidos: “We are the people our parents warned us about."