Not Like Every Other City's Bikers

August 12, 2011   The New York Times/The Bay Citizen

On any given day in the Bay Area, you’re bound to see a wild array of two-wheeled motorized vehicles whizzing around the streets.

 While the image of a rebellious Marlon Brando in his dusty leather jacket in the 1953 biker classic “The Wild One” still resonates, the Bay Area’s historically important scene is outrageously diverse — and growing more so, as electric vehicles take their place alongside idiosyncratic homemade “dirtbag” creations.

For every kind of machinery, from Vespa scooters to Harley-Davidson hogs, there is a tribe. Vintage cafe racer collectors, urban commuters, weekend dirt bikers and high-performance racers share the streets.

“San Francisco motorcycle culture is totally unique,” said Gabe Ets-Hokin, editor and owner of the free monthly newspaper CityBike.  (more)

Photo courtesy of Rebecca Hinden.