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24. From Cool Youth Fashion to Uncool Geezers
Today, the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) does not carry the kind of cachet it used to once upon a time. Especially among the modern era’s young motorcyclists, Hells Angels no longer come across as dashing dangerous types whose gear makes a cool fashion statement. Instead, they come across as aging or aged unkempt bikers who ride around in overpriced and underperforming Harley-Davidsons. However, although they might no longer be dashing, they’re still dangerous: the US Department of Justice sees the Hells Angels as a crime syndicate.
With members often involved in violent organized crime, extortion, prostitution, narcotics, and the traffic in stolen goods, some countries have banned Hells Angels chapters or even the entire club. Strange as it might seem, the world’s most infamous outlaw bikers began as innocent WWII veterans groups. In 1940, Harley Davidson began to make a limited number of motorcycles for the US Army. Production skyrocketed when America joined the war the following year. Known as Harley-Davidson WLA Liberators, they had 739 cc displacement, 3-speed transmissions, 23.5 horsepower, and could do 65 miles per hour.