One Percenter: The Legend of the Outlaw Biker

One Percenter - The Legend Of The Outlaw Biker By Dave Nichols I have just finished reading the book One Percenter - the Legend of the Outlaw Biker - by Dave Nichols I will start off by saying it is not what I expected but that is "My Bad" because I did not pay attention to the Legend part of the title. Having ridden for over 56 years, been the president of a large motorcycle club and even a one percenter for a period of time there is not much I haven't been involved in concerning motorcycles. That is why I can say the following. The author did a real good job of informing the reader of the history that lead up to the Biker Lifestyle as we know it today. I DID ENJOY THE BOOK! It is informative and factual. If you are a long time rider you will enjoy rememberances referred to in the book. If you are a new motorcyclist or just interested in motorcycling the book is something you should Definitely Read. The more you know about the lifestyle will help you fit in and enjoy it.

Whether you're a tatted-up hippy killer or a suburban weekend doofus, you will enjoy Dave Nichols' history of life under the one percenter patch. Dave actually takes us back, way back, to a time before motorcycles even, (is there really such a time?) to find the seeds of Our Thing sprouting all through history. All along there have been guys that found themselves outside normal society and the law, gnarly bros like Huns, Mongols, Vikings, mercenary knights, cowboys, gunslingers and pirates who lived a hard life, lived by their own rules, carved out with sweat, gristle and violence. Then, of course, you get the whole history of bikerdom from the wild ride of the guys that came back from World War II itching for action--booze and broads--to the truth behind the Hollister "riot" and the explosion of the outlaw biker lifestyle around the globe, with an inside peek inside some of the baddest clubs around, and the lowdown on rules and codes behind their rise to worldwide stature. With all the snitch books currently festering on the shelves out there, it's refreshing to read something that tells it like it really is. The book is illustrated throughout with the outstanding biker lifestyle photography of lensman Kim Peterson of In The Wind magazine. They say reading is good for you. There is so much cool bathroom reading here that your butt will get encrusted with dried dingleberries that your ol' lady will have to remove with a kitchen spatula and a Dremel tool.

I started to read this book then put it down. Having read most books based around and written by noted authors about the 1% lifestyle, and from both sides of the fence (one of the best being "Freedom, Credos from the Road" - Sonny Barger) and goings on within it for the past 60 years maybe I have been 1%ed out as far as books are concerned. No way, you really do need to read this book and then take a view on how the next 60 years will turn out. if you also read "Freedom" from an outsiders point of view and then taking both books into consideration you should form a view. The ending came as a bit of a shock really, making the reader sit up and take notice of what is around him/her and what may lay ahead in the future. Altogether a great read and well recommended. Thanks Dave and see you on the right side I hope!!

This is a great book that explains the history of the 1%ers, and give a great insight on the culture.

The majority of reviews here are from people who obviously expected something from this book it never claimed to be. Check the title. One Percenter: The LEGEND of the outlaw biker. The key word is Legend. To the average Jane or Joe Q Public, (or as the book would call them, "the Straights"), this book will be the most accurate way to define what it means to be a One Percenter. If you are with it, then you already know this stuff, but hopefully you will enjoy the ride. The Author weaves true history with real and honest attitude. He says honest, even righteous things about our riding brothers and sisters the way motorcycle club members talked back in the day. Falling into the pages of this book is like tripping back into that time. This is a seldom, and refreshingly swashbuckling comparison of the historical ingredients it takes to make a rebel. It's about how that rebellion spawned an enduring and passionate group of people who don't live a single moment without their beloved 2 wheeled machine at the front of whatever they are doing. This is about how the motorcycle industry has used the "stuff LEGENDS are made of" to parlay its storied past into a non-stop ride into the future. I really enjoyed this book, and have read it 2 times so far. It was everything I expected, with a voice that is fun and familiar. Lighten up, go for a ride, and answer the call of the rebel in you.