Harley's angels.

• Author: Malanowski, Jamie
• Position: Book Review

BORN TO BE WILD: A History of the American Biker and Bikes, 1947-2002 by Paul Garson & the editors of Easyriders Simon & Schuster, $26.00

READING Born To Be Wild: A History of the American Biker and Bikes is like looking at a fan's scrapbook. It's full of photos and facts, and while there are interesting parts, the book is less than a history, and it's less than compelling, at least to a non-biker. If you're a biker, this may be just the sort of thing you'll wallow in for hours. (Although I suspect that if you're truly a biker, this is the sort of thing that will sit on a shelf while you go and ride your bike for hours.) In any event, if you like this paragraph--"New in '91 was the FXDB Dyna Glide Sturgis. For '92, there was also the FXDB Dyna Glide Daytona, a limited edition model, as well as the FXDB Dyna Glide Custom. For '93, H-D added the Dyna Wide Glide, FXDB Dyna Low Rider, and limited edition FLSTN Heritage Softail Nostalgia"--then this is the book for you. (By the way, the paragraph does go on, but if you want to find out what happened in '94, you're just going to have to buy a copy.)

There are some cool nuggets here, such as a three-page discussion about why Langlitz Leathers of Portland, Ore., makes the best motorcycle jackets. Langlitz has 15 workers, who custom-make six jackets a day; you have to be prepared to wait seven months for your order to be filled. "To make more," says owner Dave Hansen, "I'd have to hire more people, because none of us likes to work late or on weekends. Then I'd have to find a bigger building. And I like this building." But on the whole, the book is lacking.

Nevertheless, after reading this choppy, inelegant pastiche, you do come away with an insight into the nature of American rebelliousness. Born to be Wild spends some time, for instance, on the seminal event in Biker Culture, the moment when the image of the motorcyclist as an outlaw became permanently fixed in the public's mind. In 1947, there was a kind of permanent floating bikers' festival; enthusiasts looking for a reason to ride would all head for some little town--this one this week, another one next week--where they'd hang out and drink beer and have races and other contests. Over the July 4th weekend, the bikers descended on sleepy Hollister, Calif. There, the gentlemanly enthusiasts were joined by a more raffish element--the Booze Sinners, Satan's Sinners, Satan's Daughters, the Winoes. Apparently, they took over the town in such a loud...