# What is the current state of the Hell's Angels? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 16, 2004, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-current-state-of-the-hells-angels/255376 "2004-07-16T05:36:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PaulFitzroy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@PaulFitzroy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulFitzroy)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-current-state-of-the-hells-angels/255376/1 "2004-07-16T05:36:13Z")
Are the Hell’s Angels still numerous in rank and riding regularly, or have their numbers thinned out due to fewer people willing to make the commitment? My impression is that most riders today are recreational cyclists who put on their decorative gear a few times a week on nice days and maybe participate in some runs every year, and fewer people are interested in living to ride. Has the motorcycle become another item of conspicuous consumption enveloped by Yuppie culture, or are the outlaws still thriving? ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-current-state-of-the-hells-angels/255376/2 "2004-07-16T11:03:22Z")
They have a web site: [http://www.hells-angels.com](http://www.hells-angels.com) It seems they have shifted from harcore outlaws to recreational riders. ---
**Author:** ![quicken78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/919ad9/32.png) [@quicken78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quicken78)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-current-state-of-the-hells-angels/255376/3 "2004-07-16T11:18:46Z")
I met Sonny Barger a few years back. We used him to promote our new guitar product and his book. I had an interesting chat with him for about half an hour, during which time he carefully explained his views about black people and homosexuals. I thought it best not to argue given that he was surrounded by four very large, leather clad Hell’s Angels. In retrospect, I don’t think much would have happened had I said something. He’s a fairly nasty piece of work but I expect it’s more bark than bite. Anyway, in answer to the OP, they still exist and, curiously, are more active in the UK than anywhere else (according to him). I think that they still have that annual meet at Longleat (or some other stately home). ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-current-state-of-the-hells-angels/255376/4 "2004-07-16T12:00:15Z")
> [@](#): > > What is the current state of the Hell’s Angels? Unwashed, chiefly. They are fading & splitting. 2 groups emerge: rec riders & dope dealers. The dealer are losing their distinctness as Angels, & are becoming just another group of typical bastards. The rec riders are pastel versions of what was. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-current-state-of-the-hells-angels/255376/5 "2004-07-16T12:34:29Z")
> [@quicken78](#): > > Anyway, in answer to the OP, they still exist and, curiously, are more active in the UK than anywhere else (according to him). I think that they still have that annual meet at Longleat (or some other stately home). The english Hell’s Angels are very much a going concern - they are major league criminals heavily involved in the drug trade (Mainly E and Whizz). They are evil viscious criminals who fairly regualrly murder and attack the opposition. The annual meet you are thinking of is the Bulldog Bash (which is enormous fun) details here: > **[Daily Internet](http://www.bulldog-bash.co.uk/)** > > Daily Internet - Providing premium Hosting, Email and Domain Name solutions for all your online requirements since 2007. UK Data Centres and Support Teams. Your first stop for great value services, catering to both home and business users. However they are complete pussycats compared with their Scandinavian counterparts. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-current-state-of-the-hells-angels/255376/6 "2004-07-16T13:39:43Z")
They’re still going strong in Canada. From a [news article](http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/1209/p06s01-woam.htm) from last December: > [@](#): > > [Julian Sher] says the Canadian Hell’s Angels are far more organized than those in the United States. “In the States there is still this myth of the easy rider. They’re the bad boys, the rogues who might drink too much booze, but not organized criminals,” Mr. Sher says. “In Canada, they are now recognized as not only criminal, but as the only national organized crime group in the country.” ---
**Author:** ![PaulFitzroy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@PaulFitzroy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulFitzroy)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-current-state-of-the-hells-angels/255376/7 "2004-07-16T13:51:21Z")
I find the idea of the Hell’s Angels having a website to be kind of strange. Like the Amish having a website. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-current-state-of-the-hells-angels/255376/8 "2004-07-16T14:16:48Z")
> [@PaulFitzroy](#): > > I find the idea of the Hell’s Angels having a website to be kind of strange. Like the Amish having a website. They make a goodly amount of money selling branded product. They are VERY protective of their copyright! ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-current-state-of-the-hells-angels/255376/9 "2004-07-16T14:31:02Z")
It’s my understanding that they have an outer personna and an inner personna. You ain’t gonna find out about the inner personna unless you patch with them. You will find that they’re still outlaws, but the original members have mellowed. They are shrewd businessmen and have gobs of money. Sonny’s bite is worse than his bark, from everything I’ve read. He’s done time for blowing up the Outlaw’s clubhouse. He is NOT a nice guy, although he sometimes appears that way on tv. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-current-state-of-the-hells-angels/255376/10 "2004-07-16T14:57:20Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > They are evil viscious criminals. And a bit thick, so I hear…🙂 ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-current-state-of-the-hells-angels/255376/11 "2004-07-16T15:09:18Z")
> [@Shade](#): > > And a bit thick, so I hear…🙂 I can spell I can’t type. I used to have a Triumph (which similarly to the Triumph of God could be heard all over the land), and to get it fixed I used to use a satanic mechanic from the Wessex HAs. Very scary people indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-current-state-of-the-hells-angels/255376/12 "2004-07-16T16:19:32Z")
Well, they had a shoot-out at Harrah’s in Laughlin a couple of years back. It was with a rival gang called the **Mongols** who my dealer (cards not drugs) described as “a bunch of LA pussys who rode in on a bus towing their bikes.” :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-current-state-of-the-hells-angels/255376/13 "2004-07-16T17:43:03Z")
I think the mystique of the Angels comes from their existence on the borderlines of life; the rest of us want to imagine that they are basically stand-up guys who booze it up and get rowdy, but will respect you if you respect them. The fascination lies in how much of this view still holds up the more you learn about them. And the answer to that is “not much”, based on this and other threads. The thing I don’t get, though, is this: why and when did the Angels, and the other big “outlaw” clubs, get to be violent criminals? I don’t see how just riding around on bikes–even if you “live to ride”–necessarily leads to that. I think the answer may be that early prominent club leaders, including Barger, had definite violent tendencies, and left a permanent stamp on the Hells Angels, and the other large clubs as well. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-current-state-of-the-hells-angels/255376/14 "2004-07-16T18:12:32Z")
Just yesterday I saw someone riding, wearing a “Hell’s Angels New Hampshire” jacket. So I guess they exist!!! ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-current-state-of-the-hells-angels/255376/15 "2004-07-16T19:58:53Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > . . . major league criminals heavily involved in the drug trade (Mainly E and Whizz). Whizz? What’s that? > [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > I used to have a Triumph (which similarly to the Triumph of God could be heard all over the land), and to get it fixed I used to use a satanic mechanic from the Wessex HAs. That you, Brad? RR ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-current-state-of-the-hells-angels/255376/16 "2004-07-16T20:11:15Z")
And here I thought that the current state of the Hell’s Angels was South Dakota. Or is that not until later in the summer? ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-current-state-of-the-hells-angels/255376/17 "2004-07-16T23:24:45Z")
Many years ago, I had a casual friend who owned a Harley repair shop in Santa Cruz, CA. He employed a mechanic who built some really great choppers and who had ties to the Oakland HAs. The shop got to be kind of HA hangout, whenever they graced Santa Cruz with their presence. It cost the guy some business, but he never even thought about asking them not to come by. He once said that when they did stop by, he hoped for the best and expected total destruction. ---
**Author:** ![Ultraviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/c77e96/32.png) [@Ultraviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ultraviolet)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-current-state-of-the-hells-angels/255376/18 "2004-07-17T02:15:05Z")
> [@RiverRunner](#): > > Whizz? What’s that? Whizz (or wizz) is amphetamines (speed). ---
**Author:** ![PaulFitzroy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@PaulFitzroy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulFitzroy)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-current-state-of-the-hells-angels/255376/19 "2004-07-17T02:40:01Z")
Especially popular at those all-night gatherings. If you fell asleep at an Angels party, you would get the most terrible pranks played on you. Like when you were on an overnight as a kid… ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-current-state-of-the-hells-angels/255376/20 "2004-07-17T03:10:22Z")
In Canada they are a very serious problem. Here is an overview: [http://www.cisc.gc.ca/AnnualReport2003/Cisc2003/outlaw2003.html](http://www.cisc.gc.ca/AnnualReport2003/Cisc2003/outlaw2003.html) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-current-state-of-the-hells-angels/255376.md?page=2)