These look like some fairly serious cats, right? I've got a feeling there's a great story here, but I've got nothing but this single image. Check out the laid back bars, the tall backrest, the exhaust routing, and the tank console. I have no idea where this picture originated or what publication it first appeared in.

The photo of the two brothers rolling their hogs reminds me of a story from my childhood... I grew up on the South Side of Chicago in the so-called "Black Belt". When I was about 7 or so, a couple of rough looking brothers rolled through our streetball game, on loud Choppers.

In my other life I'm a gun nut, and a frequent willing repeat revenue stream for Magpul.

Magpul can be counted upon to produce high-quality, well-designed materials and always with an eye towards creating efficiencies for shooters. For example, (e.g., The Art of the Dynamic Handgun DVD trailer @ YouTube) and the B.A.D. (Battery Assist Device).

When Magpul releases something to the public, the competitors' feelings get hurt.

So, now it appears that they've branched out a bit.

A Black guy in a 1%er club? Yup. And it's on film. Black riders don't typically take to the 1%er way of life. Yes, there are outlaw clubs that are all-Black or include Black members. But, for the most part, you really don't see Black riders sporting the diamond emblem or the other trappings of the classic 1%er.

Who cares? Right?

I finally got around to getting Hell Ride to the top of my NetFlix queue and was surprised to see Michael Beach in it. I actually didn't even recognize him until one real good close up.

Michael Beach and his real life wifey.

He first came to the public eye as the slimy husband of that foxy doctor on ER. Jeannie something or other. He was also in The Abyss, Spawn, Numb3rs, etc. Bruh has been busy. Here's his filmography at iMDB if you really want to know: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004729/

Beach does a gritty turn in a direction we've never seen from him. In this one he's "Goody Two Shoes". A trusted member of "The Victors" (the primary 1%er crew in this film). He sees some dirt and does some dirt, and rides with the best of them.

Like I said in an earlier post here at TheBlackBikerSet.com, it looks like Rides Magazine is taking a serious interest in Harleys. Maybe Sport bikes and Goldwings are next? We'll see.

Anyway...

A few weeks ago I got a promo packet in the mail from Rides Magazine. They were teaming up with Ludacris & Shawnna and showing off the custom bikes that Rides Magazine had built for each. As an aside, I suspect all this work was done well before she split camp to join T-Pain's Nappy Boy roster, pushing Luda to re-record all the female parts on the "Battle of the Sexes" project that he'd been promoting via Twitter since Summer, 2009.

Ludacris has a well-known passion for motorized vehicles but up to now I thought he preferred the 4-wheeled kind. True, he did name check the well-loved "Gixxer" (aka Suzuki GSX-R series sport bikes) on the remix for Shawty Lo's "Dey Know" (2008), but this new Harley side of Luda was a surprise… though, honestly it does make sense.

It looks like Rides Magazine is taking note of the upswing in Black Harley riders and will be showcasing such bikes between their pages.

The Prize

RIDES asked what you wanted to see in a Harley-Davidson Road Glide Custom build. After sifting through thousands of emails, sketches, letters and phone calls, we sat down and organized your suggestions. A few of the unanimous categories were the following: acres of chrome, gallons of custom candy paint and more power to back up all of the show. To make all of this happen, RIDES teamed up with Gene Thomason of Gene Thomason Racing in Los Angeles to help bring your visions to life... and now we’re going to give the bike away.

The contested ended on Jan 31, 2010, but you can still get the scoop on the $49,000 machine

SYNOPSIS: "Wheels of Soul is the only racially mixed 1% outlaw club in America. These bikers do not push drugs, terrorize small towns or lie in wait for little old ladies. Instead, they terrorize pushers, pimps and gang members who plague their inner city neighborhoods. The Wheels of Soul documentary allows the audience a voyeuristic glimpse into the lives of these private men and their families.

The members speak frankly on racism, the history of the club, the biker lifestyle, and the violent world of the outlaw biker. This brotherhood of men, who live by the creed "God Forgives, Wheels Don't" struggle to survive day by day on the mean streets of Philadelphia."

Synopsis: "Glory Road chronicles the history, culture and lifestyle of the African-American biker. The film takes a candid look into the lives of men and women who suffer social prejudice and discrimination not because of their skin color but because of their alternative lifestyle.

From Daytona to the National Bikers Roundup, Glory Road features interviews with authors, historians, women's clubs, social clubs, outlaw clubs, independent riders and every breed of motorcyclist all across America. These bikers of color share their exciting experiences and anecdotes of life on the road."

A few years ago I stumbled across this DVD on Amazon.com. I didn't know what to expect, quality-wise, and I couldn't find any reviews on the web, but as a rider I had to buy it, just to check it out. In fact, it was probably this DVD that planted the seed for this site, TheBlackBikerSet.com. I realized that I couldn't find a good site online where Black riders could talk about the issues discussed in this DVD.

The Black Biker is largely overlooked, but in the past few years we've seen a growing number of publications, videos and events that address Black riders. This site exists to connect the dots in respectful service to The Black Biker Set.

This is your meeting spot. Create an account in the forum, introduce yourself, rep your MC or Social Club, and drop the 411 on what's happening. While the focus is on Black riders, all riders and supporters are welcome.

Ride On!

Tremor