Looking over the television listings in recent months it seems as though there's suddenly a worldwide fascination with motorcycle clubs and the biker lifestyle. In the U.S. we have the fictional Sons of Anarchy series on FX, plus about half a dozen "reality TV" shows following around various biker clubs in different parts of the country. In Australia, they're getting ready for the upcoming mini-series entitled "Bikie Wars: Brothers in Arms."
The new mini-series chronicles the events surrounding the start of the Bandidos in Australia and their feud with rival club, the Comancheros. The president of Australia's first Bandidos chapter was apparently a past member of the Comancheros until an internal dispute between two Comancheros chapters cause that group to split. When they split he left the club and applied with the Bandidos in the USA to start the first Australian chapter.
If you've never seen any of these television programs before you really ought to take a look. It's more than just motorcycles, tattoos, beer, and guys wearing leather vests covered with club and stock patches. A couple of programs I've seen show bikers as real human beings loyal to one another and their families. Their loyalty is so strong that there's nothing these bikers won't do to support each other or watch one another's backs. It's truly a sight to see.
It will be interesting to see how the Australian mini-series goes and how well the Bandidos respond to it. If it does as well as Sons of Anarchy here in the States it will probably have a legion of fans wanting more once the series is over. Like it or not, motorcycle clubs are here to stay. We're likely to see their custom club patches up and down the highways as long as there are motorcycles.
