ABSTRACT
Biker gangs or outlaw motorcycle clubs began in 1935 with the Outlaws MC, but they came into their own following World War II and expanded rapidly. They now exist in one form or another nationwide in the United States. Outlaw motorcycle clubs engage in crime for economic reasons, often at the wholesale level of drug trafficking or manufacture. They are expanding, but not as fast as some of the Chicago or L.A. based street gangs. However, some of the biker gangs have had significant expansion especially overseas. The biker lifestyle appeals to a small minority of the motorcycle population.
