Motorcycle hooliganism includes street racing, street stunting, and games of tag on public roads, or simply cruising, often in very large numbers, against local ordinances.
Demographics
Historian Jeremy Packer wrote that the newest motorcycle "gangs" are unlike the outlaw motorcycle clubs widely reported in the media since the late 1940s. They now ride sport bikes, often customized in the streetfighter style, rather than cruisers, passing through both rural and urban areas, playing "elaborate games of tag and follow the leader, continually pushing each other to ride harder." Besides being younger and favoring high-performance motorcycles, these groups are "loosely affiliated and come together mostly to ride." Traditional outlaw motorcycle clubs are known for having detailed charters and membership lists, prescribing codes of behavior, dress, type and brand of motorcycle members may ride, and vigorously enforcing procedures for admitting new members, banishing members who break club rules, and protecting the club's territory and name from anyone falsely pretending to be a member.
Packer wrote in 2008 that media attention, such as the popular A&E television documentary The Wild Ride of the Outlaw Bikers (1999) and the Guggenheim show The Art of the Motorcycle, erroneously only covered the baby boomer Harley-Davidson rider culture, failing to note a shift in demographics, bikes, and behavior. Packer said this promotes the Harley-Davidson brand and promotes "a type of motorcycle affiliation that is palatable, family friendly, and marketable" as part of a narrative that outlaw bikers, "though once a dangerous element, are now a useful and even valuable part of society." The StarPhoenix of Saskatoon wrote that the new marketing push to "transform motorcycling into an acceptable, mainstream pastime" has led to young riders rebelling.
In Los Angeles and New York City, some affluent urban motorcycle owners are self-described hooligans, or display motorcycles described as "hooligan chic" and an "object of fetish consumerism."
Behaviors
Hooligans engage in many types of unlawful behavior.
Vandalism, theft and petty crime
In South and Southeast Asia, thieves use motorcycles in the act of purse snatching.
Racing on public roads
Racing has been implicated in a number of deaths, and is targeted by law enforcement in North America, Asia and Europe.
Stunting on public roads
The fact that many stunters perform their stunts on public roads draws the ire of other motorcyclists and lawmakers. They intentionally draw a lot of attention to their apparently reckless behavior, and other motorcyclists, especially sportbike riders, feel that stunters give all riders a reputation for being irresponsible and dangerous to others.
Riding nude
While clothing-optional bicycling is allowed in many places, similar behavior by motorcyclists is often seen as reckless and has even led to accidents when the rider was stung by an insect.
Nude rider complaints are recorded in Coventry, England, where 21 riders proceeded naked through the town; Salt Lake City; Murfreesboro, Tennessee (claimed to be the first nude motorcycle rally); Providence, Rhode Island; and southern Sweden.
Cruising
In some jurisdictions, the act of cruising is unlawful.
In Malaysia, over 100,000 outlaw motorcyclists called Mat Rempit are reported to cruise and race on the streets every night.
Unlicensed riding
Riders, including under-age youth, without a valid driver's license, have been described as "dangerous and illegal" and "hooligans."
Street stunt riders on unlicensed dirtbikes are reported to be a problem in Baltimore, Maryland.
Speeding
Speeding is often referred to as a "hooligan" activity due to inherent risk to the public.
"Hooligan" motorcycles
Some types of motorcycles or specific models associated with hooligan behavior are informally referred to as "hooligan" motorcycles.
Notable examples
In Seattle in 2010, a Washington State Patrol highway police trooper rolled his patrol car while chasing speeding motorcyclists, who then returned to jeer and taunt him. The motorcyclists said they were engaging in a semi-organized mass ride. The event attracted much media attention.