Outlaw Bikers biggest contribution to mainstream society may be their unique sense of style. Both Thompson and Barger provide readers with vivid descriptions of the stripping down and customizing which transformed stock Harley Davidson "full-dressers" into outlaw choppers. As Barger writes, "(Choppers) weren't the easiest bikes to ride, but what the hell, we looked cool." Presumably, a movie about the Hell's Angels would include lots of great shots of those chromed out, flame painted choppers cruising the streets of Oakland. A great musical background for these scenes would be "What is Hip", the grinding funk workout by fellow Oakland residents Tower of Power. "Superbad", by godfather of soul James Brown, is another funk tune that embodies the strutting machismo that is such an essential part of the biker mystique. Of course, no musician will ever do "macho" as well as Muddy Waters; "Mannish Boy" has got to be one of the most testosterone-drenched songs ever recorded.

Well, that concludes my imaginary soundtrack. Maybe one day you'll be at the local multiplex, and find yourself watching a promo for a movie about the Hell's Angels featuring Justin Timberlake pretending to ride a 2005 Harley Fatboy while wearing a few thousand dollars worth of faux-biker gear from The Gap. When you hear Lenny Kravitz start to sing a really bad cover version of "Born to Be Wild", don't say I didn't warn you.