Bikers and Tattoos have always been synonymous. They simply fit, don’t they? Bikers are deeply individualistic people. The biker tattoos they have on their bodies symbolize their dedication to their way of life and their perceptions of what that means to them. Whether they choose to have a tat of their bike’s maker-usually Harley Davidson– or they choose one that shows what the bike means to them; freedom, speed, or whatever the open road means to them. Heck, someone out there probably has a tat of the open road for sleeve art.
How it all started back in the day
Back in the day, when our WWII soldiers, sailors, and Marines came home from the war, they were generally disenfranchised with the world at large. Even though they had lived the last few years saving the world, when they came home they wanted nothing to do with it. One way of gaining that freedom was by hitting the open road on a Hog, aka Harley Davidson, an American made motorcycle built for glory.
These men of war expressed their desire for freedom and rebellion with tattoos. They were usually meant to indicate their affiliation with a biker gang of men like them. Their tattoos of skulls with wings, Eagles soaring in the open sky or sitting on a branch, and of course their Harley Davidson tattoos told the world who they were and what they wanted out of life. Along with those tattoos were the emblems of their military branches and divisions: paratroopers, scouts, snipers, cavalry, and so on.
Biker Culture among the youths of the 60’s
As the biker culture of the post-WWII moved on, the culture of the 1960s became youth oriented. Young men and women who were disenfranchised with the establishment gravitated toward each other through biker gangs and clubs. The youth gangs tended to prefer tattoos with their gang names, peace symbols, and music preferences. They told the world what the world could do with their traditions as they tore down the highways on their bikes.
Mainstream bikers of today
Not all bikers and biker clubs are tough dudes. In fact, in the current age, many are mainstream guys and gals who simply live to ride when they aren’t working to support their lives and those of their loved ones. Many clubs perform charitable work, too. Now, along with the old school tattoos are more artistic, stylized art that covers the arms completely, as well as the backs and chest areas. Heck, they pretty much cover any part of the body these days. Today’s tattoos will still celebrate the open road and the biker’s maker. But, along with the gang affiliation tattoos and music choices, they may have a tattoo that celebrates their charities and families.
Biker tattoos started out with former military telling the world to go away. Now, they prefer to tell the world to come along and commit to the ride down the open road.