THE WORLD GETS A WHEEL IN THE MUD

In the First World War, described as the Great War, the mechanised age wielded frightening power, fighting on land, in the air, and both on and under water. Prior to this conflict, there were many different marques of motorcycle, and the military recognised their advantages. This resulted in some development, but also had negative impacts on the world economy, societal and individual conditions. Virtually every country was hit by debt and human loss. Even after the fighting had stopped, there was a feeling of exhaustion rather than victorious elation.

In 1916, the UK Ministry of Munitions banned the construction of bikes for private use For the Duration. Only the firms serving the war effort were allowed to continue production, but strictly for military purposes. While this gave them some capital to help during post-war years, other bike manufacturers were left to struggle, and many folded. Specialist publications appeared containing articles like Running on Paraffin, expressing the need to cut down fuel costs. A few economic, lightweight makes appeared, like the Kumfurt and Gaby, using small two-stroke engines. Otherwise the demand for raw materials, workshop facilities and other associated trades was pushed into military production. Fuel rationing was also imposed, and these grinding forces left the motorcycle industry in tatters.

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Many people entering military service had never ridden motorcycles until they received their orders. The sport of motorcycle trials was adopted by the military as a means to train riders for the war experience. Through their various uses, bikes became part of the irony of war. They were used to muster the minds behind the destruction, as motorcycle and sidecar combinations (combos) replaced staff cars wherever the terrain was impassable by other means. Solo-mounted despatch riders cemented this by conveying information. With machine guns mounted in the sidecars, bikes enjoined in the actual killing. Then the mobilisation of medical staff on combinations brought the first biking paramedics into existence, to rescue the victims of the carnage.

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The tenacity and brave deeds of motorcycling soldiers gave them a cachet of romance and excitement beyond their inherent speed-freak entity. Purposeful heroism (as opposed to sporting heroics) put the bike in a new societal position, and its users enjoyed a brief spell of unbiased recognition. In the field of combat, despatch riders from opposite sides sometimes met, and would stop to exchange cigarettes and stories. The great respect among some military personnel for each other has been immortalised in stories like that of the 'Red' Baron Von Richtoven; an aviator who would salute an enemy pilot rather than shoot them out of the sky if they couldn't fight back. German decorations of honour, like the Blue Max and Iron Cross were respected as much as other country's decorations because of this international respect for noblesse. It was natural behaviour among people with mutual recognition; Nikolaus August Otto (who designed the petrol engine) and Gottlieb Daimler had been crucial candidates in motorcycle development, so why ostracise them, even if your countries were at war? Yet among civilians, the idiosyncrasy of hatred associations was squarely opposed.

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After the war, of those who were left alive, some continued with bikes, having discovered a practical if not pleasurable use for them. There are stories of some military riders who became so attached to their machines, they were reluctant to return them to the authorities. They were ridden or shipped great distances to get them back home.

The use of sidecars had created a demand for greater power, and Triumph were the first among others to fit motorcycles with larger engines. This power also made it possible to carry pillion passengers on solo machines. At first, a cushion was precariously placed on the luggage carrier (a rack above the rear wheel), and some rode side-saddle. It became tidier and safer when rear foot-rests and pillion seats were fitted. This enabled motorcyclists to take passengers into what had previously been a solitary experience. The all-consuming motorcycle could already make or break human relationships, and the added ability of riding two-up (and more in the 'chair' as sidecars became known) introduced more tension or pleasure, depending on the passenger's view. Biking circles had now expanded beyond the enthusiasts, into family and friends.

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Post W.W.I, economic forces were instrumental in persuading people's choice of transport - high bus-fares in the UK helped with the popularity of lighter motorcycles. This polarised British bike manufacture and left some makers without direction. Should they go for the larger machines and follow race development, or go for the utility market, or both? By October of 1929, Wall Street had crashed. It just missed the end of the racing season, however it had a devastating effect on bike manufacture. Those firms whose production had followed the racing trend retained some stability. At the other end of the market, there were so many firms making little bikes that the market-share was thinly spread. To avoid folding, some companies went into other production, not always vehicular; the builders of AJS motorcycles decided to make radios. The market was also flooded with cheap ex-military machines. While this enabled more people to come into biking, some failing manufacturers blamed it for stinting the sales of new bikes. However, Europe had suffered such great human loss in the war effort, that populations between school-leaving and retirement ages were drastically thinned, removing much of the prospective market for any such product.

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In post W.W.I America, brand loyalty was divided more or less into two extreme camps, that of Harley-Davidson (HD) and Indian. The division was reflected - some would say instigated - at corporate levels. The economic hardship inflicted by the Wall Street crash gave rise to clashes between these early superpowers, the highlight of which became known as the Denver Incident. Walter D. Whiting had been running a successful outlet for HD in Denver. His chief competitor in business was Leslie D. Richards, who had acquired the Indian franchise for Denver from a dealer named Floyd Clymer. Whiting and Richards had worked together to further biking, cosponsoring a local motorcycle club. HD were particularly intolerant of any other brand, and told Whiting that his liaison with an Indian dealer was against their policy. He defended his position by reminding them of his great sales record, but it wasn't enough.

Clymer had previously relinquished the Indian dealership to Richards so that he could devote more time to another enterprise. Meanwhile, this had failed, and he wanted back in. Seeing the weakened position that Whiting was in, he opted to change ships again, and asked HD for Whiting's franchise. Seemingly without any compunction, they allowed Clymer to assume it, putting one of their own best dealers out of commission. The Denver Incident was prominent in US Biker's minds for years afterwards, and contributed to the awkwardness and hostility between followers of Indian and HD motorcycles.

The cut-throat behaviour among some manufacturers was alien to the basic Biker ethic. It was born of greed and corporate arrogance that was only tolerated because some firms were building good bikes. Pre-W.W.I., there had been many makes of motorcycle manufactured in America, but for various reasons, there would soon be only one left. The Indian company was suffering financially, and wealthy (Aryan French) businessman Mr. E. Paul Du Pont had bolstered their business with cash. He was slandered by some business competitors as "That New Jersey Jew". Du Pont expressed resentment not so much at his name-calling, but because HD had reneged on a price-fixing deal. In previous attempts to quell the animosity between themselves, HD and Indian had agreed on an annual price fixing of their various models. This was to prevent undercutting price wars, and at least stabilise their positions in the market; regardless of what other marques were doing. HD had disregarded that agreement.

After the Denver Incident, those HD dealers who had any Indian motorcycles scrapped the slightly older stock remaining in their show rooms. Motorcycle historians have blamed this kind of animosity for the retardation and impediment of all motorcycle development and for the unrest that arose between riders in the US. HD's hatred for other marques had been described as paranoic. Perhaps, in a land of free trading, it is natural to become over-protective toward product and innovation. But competition between manufacturers was usually based on superior product, not by doing the other side down. To HD's credit, they were more generous to their workforce than their contemporaries, paying well above average wages.

By 1931, the depressed industry was having a knock-on effect into other biking fields. Only one publication remained in America. Formerly known as the Pacific Motorcyclist and Bicyclist, it became known at this time as The Motorcyclist. It also became the official HD magazine. Outspoken journalists looking for work sent in manuscripts but were turned down. The only people fit to write about HDs were in-house writers as far as HD were concerned. In the mass media, racing was featured less and less, and local events went unreported. All this left America with only one motorcycling voice for a considerable period.

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One alleged cause for the demise in US racing and bike sales was the heavy import tax in the commonwealth countries, that made it easier for them to export to the US. The Buy British movement in particular inspired UK manufacturers, and British marques like AJS, Norton and Triumph were beating the American machines on their home ground. Other European firms like Moto-Guzzi also met with success. The comparative lightness and high power of these machines attracted many US riders, while others regarded them as effete. Reliability was another factor, as American bikes were more suited to their own climate and unending roads.

Meanwhile the US home market was still active. Besides the bikes, HD were now selling their three-wheeled Servicar to the US Police force and exporting them to tradespeople around the world, including Japan, as a handy delivery vehicle. Meanwhile, Indian had bolstered their sales by fitting the twist-grip throttle on the left handlebar. This allowed armed police pursuers to use a gun in their right hand. It was a bright move, as the motorcycle had found itself put to illegal uses in America. Some of those avoiding the prohibition of alcohol used motorcycles to make their deliveries. The Rum-Runners, as they were called, had preferred HD sidecar outfits because they were too quick for police cars to catch them.

Other more formalised groups were also established in the US. They did charity events and promoted an All-American, nice side of biking. Various motorcycle drill teams were formed, including among others, police riders, and The Nobles of The Mystic Shrine, an elite order of the Masons. Verna Griffith formed a group for female riders, known as the Motor Maids Of America. Recognised by the AMA, the Motor Maids were mostly HD riders, but some rode Indians. It has been said that these 'diminutive' riders were admired for their ability to heft big bikes. Oddly, some did not attribute this to their physical prowess, but to the excellent ignition systems on HDs - corporate bull that wouldn't wash with genuine riders.

While some clubs were a healthy embodiment of biking proper, others were comparable with a sort of motorcycle Disney World. Besides indulging in formation riding, their social events included picnics on well equipped machines (i.e. overloaded with accessories). These clubs used smart uniforms that were mandatory at functions. An obsession with control and formality spoilt its own efforts by insisting on compliance. This created an extension of mass society which many believed was now out-dated if not defunct. It was not in the true spirit of the modern age that many believed they were entering. Bikerdom's unregulated ethos allowed cliques to put their own peculiar spin on biking. The Western obsession with proper behaviour was masking out the underlying camaraderie that had no use for imagery or societal pretenses.

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Leisure and freedom had suddenly gained importance on both sides of the Atlantic as people recovered from the post-war depression. Travel and motorcycle racing had been so popular during this new age of independence that the first ever travel agency, run by the originator of the business, Thomas Cook, provided coach excursions from the UK to the Ulster Motorcycle Grand Prix. Elsewhere in the UK, previously forgotten villages had signs advertising tea rooms for weary travellers, while Bed and Breakfast houses and camping took over where coaching inns had left off. Along with this, media growth was permitting an indirect cultural exchange. Popular songs that had previously been sold in sheet form were now heard on radios and phonographs. These media mechanisms were the vehicles for the later subcultural messages.

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Among W.W.I's survivors was a generation that had been pushed to its limits, who were seeking something to replace if not alleviate the extremes of war. This condition in post W.W.II has been pointed as at least a part of the cause for rebels on motorcycles. There are similarities with these combat refugees, but post W.W.I, this was not so much evidence for a rebel Biker, as an attempt to sustain the pure biking spirit. Most people were just relieved as the hostilities ceased. The water-closet was replacing the midden, and gas, coal and electricity provided light and heat for better domestic environments. An element of fun rather than social or political thought was present, with dances like the Charleston being popular. There were however, signs of an identifiable generation gap, particularly in inner cities. The old, pre-modernist ways with extended families were breaking down. And it was among jazz aficionados that new social, not just musical terms were being coined. The us-and-them battles were signified by the use of 'hip' and 'square'.

The Roaring Twenties, as they became known, were a frivolous party mood. In the UK, the Edwardian Dandies appeared; arrogant, smooth and well dressed. The Dandies were nothing to do with the motorcyclists of their times, but were predecessors in a breeding ground that would later give rise to a use of bikes beyond the pleasure of riding. It is alleged that the human loss of the war had left many youths without parental control and management. Gangs were a phenomenon of these times, but not always criminal, and not always youths. They were often made up of restless working class people, with some kind of protest in mind - like those who marched from Jarrow. Under the financially difficult conditions of the time, the motorcycle was still out of reach if not difficult to acquire for the lower-paid. Its position as cheap transport was a relative assumption rather than a reality.

The inter-war recovery period did allow motorcycling to become more popular. At the Olympia Show of 1930, thirty-eight makes of British bikes appeared, and American makes were turning up in showrooms across the UK. Attendance at the show was enormous and held out some hope despite the depressed economy. British manufacturers read the market well, and set their own precedent for making the lightest bike with the biggest engine at the lowest price. Accessories like shock-proof watches As worn by TT riders became available. Those who couldn't afford luxuries cashed in on the availability of ex-military clothing; despatch riders' boots and weather-proofs became sensible civilian biking kit.

Racing development now included the foot gear-change, which made riding even easier by freeing the hands for other controls. The continued de-fangling of bikes was key to removing their mystery to outsiders and promoting sales. Easier handling and lower fuel consumption became part of their attraction. The developers turned to light, strong modern metals like duraluminium, as used in the aircraft industry. This super-efficiency kept motorcycles on the edge of technological advancement.

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The last day of 1930 was of significance, creating two new areas of biking, by splitting history. The Vintage Club had stated that: "A vintage motorcycle is one manufactured between January 1st 1915 and December 31st 1930." Machines made prior to this were now to be regarded as veterans. Such hindsight and zonal interference with time has lead to other distinct areas, like the first Golden Age of motorcycling around the 1930s. The disappearance of quality marques triggered a hankering for them that was not entirely sentimental. Many designs had been ahead of their time, which had contributed to their demise. Whatever the reason, certain bikes were sought out and preserved not as decorous show pieces but because of their excellent rideability. Motorcycling was accruing a heritage.

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A Taxation Scale introduced by Neville Chamberlain in 1930 had adversely affected many UK businesses, motorcycle firms included. It meant a bracketing of bike-types that made taxes on the small utility machines too high. Such meddling further encouraged the move from two onto three or more wheels. It was exacerbated when fitting a sidecar reduced solo insurance by 50%. This, however, also allowed three-wheelers like Reliant to gain popularity over the car. Three-wheel cars or tricycles were generally considered to have lost out to bikes (or cars). However, prior to the enclosed Reliant, when the V-Twin engines of Matchless and J.A. Prestwich (JAP) were put into open three-wheeled sports cars like the Morgan, their popularity had grown. Concurrent with the development of sidecars and other three-wheelers, some businesses (not all of them motorcycle manufacturers) had evolved the cycle car. They formed a mechanistic relationship with bikes, having similar chassis designs and even bike engines. This culminated in the quads of the 1980s, some of which are enclosed; but they, like tikes, remain on the periphery of the bike world.

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One guest at a banquet held for the 1934 Olympia show in the UK was Dr. E. L. Burgin. He said that the motorcycle industry had suffered less than any other business during the depression. However, Burgin's comments didn't reflect the actual losses. Many manufacturers only continued because they were bought out by others or had acquired support during the war years from the military. Much Badge Engineering resulted from the buy-outs. Financial difficulties hit Rudge, who soon ceased bike production after being bought out by HMV, later known as EMI. (A reversal of that could have had an interesting impact on later recording artistes.) Besides the disappearance of many bike manufacturers, other related businesses were lost as a result of W.W.I. For example Pratts, a petroleum company synonymous with motoring were bought out by Esso.

People in high places began to make further impressions on motorcycling. In 1933 Prince George gave the TT a royal seal of approval by joining the spectators. Reich Chancellor Hitler also became interested in racing and motors; he declared that new machines were exempt from tax provided they stayed with the original owners. By 1934, Germany was the largest biking country in the world, with three-quarters of a million riders. Adolph Hitler took pride in his BMW riders. German machines regularly won races, and a BMW won the Isle of Man TT in 1934.

The imminence of another war again lead to trials being set up by the military in the UK and abroad. The results of one event were deemed void by the British. In the face of the impending hostilities, their team withdrew, and the Germans declared a victory by default. Meanwhile the Italian Fascist press supported the use of motorcycles, proposing that the people become: "A nation of motorized centaurs." This fell in line with the personal interests of biking enthusiast Mussolini, who preferred his officials to use bikes as a means to be nearer the people. Quite a clever move, not just because of the fanaticism among Italians for motorcycles; but because to many people, the only important things to happen occur at street-level.

There was another force that was able to affect public opinions: the cinema. In the late 1930's, a Lancashire lad by the name of George Formby gained immense popularity. A keen rider in real life, he performed humorous songs, accompanying himself on a ukulele banjo. The film producers had recognised the power of song in association with movies, and Formby sang about his exploits as a TT rider, in the 1935 film, No Limit. His light yet down-to-earth attitude reflected the mood of the UK, where enthusiastic motorcycling was more domestically acceptable if not practiced.

Other attempts to affect street-life came from celebrities, who were used as endorsements to give biking some added kudos. Hollywood's Victor Fleming and Clarke Gable were photographed with bikes, and American Keenan Wynn spoke out in Life magazine against drinking and driving, which was a common accusation aimed at US post-war riders.

Aviators and motorcyclists became intrinsically bound, partly through the adventuresome spirit shared by the riders and pilots. It was also due to their joint appearances at fairs and shows. The barnstormers - stunt aviators - performed alongside dirt track and wall of death riders (where motorcycles were ridden up the inside wall of a wooden tower about 20 feet in diameter). T. E. Lawrence was among others who had engaged in land-air racing between motorcycle and aeroplane, and US stunt pilot Charles Lindbergh cemented the relationship by riding bikes as well. Also in the US, the horse's association with motorcycles was echoed by Roy Roger's enthusiasm for bikes.

In later years, it helped to quell public misgivings knowing that Haile Selassie, Che Guevara, actor John Pertwee, author Stephen King, Senator Ben Campbell and King Albert I of Belgium also rode. This biking fame is more common knowledge among Bikers than mass-society, which questions the viability of such patronisation. It did perhaps create some tolerance where negativity had previously existed, as the existence of George Formby fans among others attests.

The filtration system from upper echelons of society down to the street conveys many affectations, and media messages can support or destroy their intentions. The receivers - the people on the street - view the activities of celebrities as acceptable or intolerable. It depends on their position, and the position of the role models. There are some riders who look to such figures in creating themselves, but largely, people get into bikes because of what they are. To those outside of biking, the lowest common denominator can be the ruling factor. For example, their esteem of any celebrity might diminish if that celebrity became associated with bikes; the opposite of the intended effect.

The momentum that kept the early motorcycle fraternity running came from people who rode motorcycles in earnest. In 1934, Florence Blenkiron was awarded the Gold Star; this medal was awarded to riders for lapping Brooklands at over 100 mph. Due to gender attitudes in those times, Blenkiron's achievement carried a positive message to other female riders. She also travelled from London to Capetown and back, but her partner for the mission, Theresa Wallach, missed the return trip through illness. A subdued reception met Blenkiron, in sad comparison to the noisy accolades that greeted men's achievements. Yet another message for the female rider, if not so positive, in that it highlighted how much more difficult things were for women. In 1939, it was Theresa Wallach's turn to acquire the Gold Star. The existence of this award encouraged many innovators as well as riders, and eventually lead to the manufacture of a BSA of the same name, that played an important role in later biking.

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During this time, an admix of authors were setting down travelogues, including those who employed lackeys to reconnoiter, fetch and carry, as well as the more earnest adventurer. Luckily for such travellers, the simple design of early bikes made it easy to make improvised repairs. Some, like Geoffrey Malins, set down what seemed like a catalogue of hardships called Going Further, in 1931. He and his companion, another Brit called Charles Oliver, encountered adventure despite their having letters of introduction to make them welcome in the back of beyond. The motorcycle had again become multimedia property, and was more popular than its comparative minority status might suggest.

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In 1936, Edward Turner joined Triumph, and designed a twin cylinder engine. It became the standard by which BSA (British Small Arms) and other firms worked, in a new era of bike design. Discussions among riders and designers had divided camps of followers behind the twin and single cylinder engines. The simplicity of the single allowed ease of maintenance, however Turner's twin merely doubled up on certain components. It eventually proved its reliability and power, and became such a popular design that it lingered long after other breakthroughs had been made. This eventually created a complacency that contributed to the UK's downfall in bike manufacture and supremacy.

A firm called Villiers did well in the utility market with their small two-stroke engines. Some machines powered by them became known as Pip-squeaks, after cartoon characters Pip, Squeak (and Wilfrid). On the small bike theme, Royal Enfield made the Flying Flea, which was a folding bike that could be dropped with parachutists. The adaptation of cartoon characters and nicknaming of bikes continued to add a cachét of curiosity to biking.

For a brief window in time, people outside of Bikerdom acknowledged it for what it was, not what they or the social commentors thought it should be. Because of personal preferences, the motorcycle would never become as domesticated as the radio or motorcar. But its appearance in sport, film, leisure and the war gave it a permanent position in social history. Whilst to some degree its involvement in the war had been critical to humanitarian issues, it remained a peculiar outsider. The motorcycle was here to stay, yet its fraternal following became more of a satellite, rather than an off-shot of mass-society.

Although the ubiquitous black leather jacket had now arrived, people who weren't avid enthusiasts still used everyday clothes on their bikes. Working clothes, some weather protection and the current fashions were still predominant in the biking world. From its earliest beginnings, biking had spread from the seclusion of the inventor's shed and embraced the world.

Culture

LAW, NOISE, BUSINESS AND OUTLAWS

"Reason alone is sufficient to govern a rational creature." (Jonathon Swift).

What sustains people through other aspects of life is the knowledge that play will eventually be resumed. Provided it is not so anti-social as to be criminal, banning leisure is impossible. This did not stop the persecution of motorcyclists, which went beyond an emotive or ethical disapproval. Through the courts, it became a pro-active determination to make life difficult for them, if not to eradicate the problem altogether. This oppression created defiance among the early Bikers, which grew beyond the individual into a group concept.

Whilst the motorcycle was becoming accepted to some degree, others compensated by over-reacting. Sharing the roads with horses wasn't just a hazard for the animals. Irate horse owners often plied their whips on motorcyclists, whose machines were dubbed: Those damn motorbikes in the courts. Many rural people feared for their jobs because machines could do the work of several people or animals. They viewed the bike as yet another machine. These people were in the service of the Gentry, who often held positions within the judiciary. When complaints were made about motorcycles, biased attitudes meant that the rider was regarded as guilty until proven innocent.

In the UK, interference from the police was also geared by local business people who also served on the judiciary. They recognised an easy source of income for the courts through the fines imposed on riders and drivers of motor vehicles. They were doomed to break the inept laws; like that in the UK which restricted speed to 4 miles per hour. This attitude also spread through Europe, and in Switzerland, some Cantons (local authorities) banned motor vehicles altogether. France however, understood the need for vehicles and was more lenient, as motorcycles and cars were vital to its industry. For similar reasons, America also had a better attitude towards progress. A UK publication titled Wheel World, commented that the law had: "Cruelly and unnecessarily clipped the wings of many a lover of rapid motion." Comparing this with the reference to 'Damned motorbikes', clearly shows the societal divide that had isolated and identified motorcyclists as an undesirable other.

It was around this time that the Automobile Association (AA) appeared in the UK. Users of various vehicles joined, and adopted the military salute to acknowledge each other on the road. When a member's salute was not returned, it was not disrespectful, but a warning that a speed trap or other problem lay ahead. More than a salute, more than a convoluted message, it indicated that a camaraderie was growing out on the road.

Another UK law allowed the popularity of vehicles to be measured by census. In 1904, the Motor Car Act required the registration of all motor vehicles. It gave a barometric reading of the population's over-all condition, with 22,126 motorcycles registered against 18,340 cars. At this early stage, public opinion might have put the motorcycle where the car is today. However, exposure to the elements and other practicalities determined that even motorcycle combinations weren't enough for general transport. Motorcycles were to remain the premise of enthusiasts and those on lower incomes.

In the late 1800s, the Self-propelled Traffic Association enlisted support from the press and politicians. They brought a new bill known as The Locomotives on Highways Bill before parliament. The Locomotive Bill's becoming an act coincided with the first Motor Show at Kensington, which might have further promoted biking. However, the motorcycle was poorly represented there. This was possibly due to negative public opinion and legislative squeezing, making the future outlook for bikes (and therefore prospective sales) rather bleak. Whatever the reasons, the manufacturers and riders of motorcycles have had to create their own events, further broadening the rift between themselves and the rest of society.

On New Year's Day in 1931, the Road Traffic Act came into force in the UK. Replacing the Motor Car Act, it raised the speed limit to 20 mph (still too slow for bikes), and larger rear number plates helped the police to trace reckless rather than speeding motorists. This latter was partly because their attitudes toward speed and motorcycles had changed, having learnt the advantages of them for themselves.

The Traffic Act totally altered UK motoring because it included the publication of the Highway Code. This was intended to be a regulatory guideline for road user's behaviour. Not the letter of the law, it did enforce some sensibility and clarified the muddle of unregulated traffic. However it embodied an imbalance within the Traffic Act regarding certain vehicles. Like the motorcycle, equestrian and cyclist use of the roads does not contribute so much to wear and tear. However horses and bicycles were not required to pay vehicle licence fees. Nor did their users have to pass a driving test in order to obtain a driver's licence. Many of them were too young to hold one, which questions the sense if not the double values of allowing them onto the roads. Bicycles were also exempt from the Ministry of Transport's road worthy testing and equine health never came into question. It is argued whether such requirements are viable in these cases. After all, pedestrians don't need a licence to walk. But common sense alone requires some responsibility among all road users.

Busier roads led to an increase in motor accidents, creating a viable market for insurance companies. Eventually, ructions arising from un-insured accidents made the minimum third party insurance compulsory for all road users. Yet again, equestrians and cyclists were excepted from this ruling. Unfortunate motorists who had an accident caused by an equestrian or cyclist had to resort to the courts for any claims. All this shows the different attitudes and values between those merely using transport and the biking enthusiast.

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It was in 1935 that Colonel T.E. Lawrence entered motorcycling history books, having died in mysterious circumstances. He allegedly swerved to avoid two boys on bicycles and crashed into a ditch. Another account states that he swerved to avoid a car and struck one of the cyclists, while other contentions suggest he was surreptitiously murdered, possibly in connection with his exploits in Arabia. Part of the reason for so much theorising is that no-one could accept how such an accomplished rider could simply loose control. This, however difficult to prove, is so often the get-out clause where deceased riders are unable to establish the truth. It has been revealed that a black car was seen leaving the scene of the accident, which might support the conspiracy theories. On examining the bike, George Brough found traces of black paint; yet strangely, he did not come forwards. Lawrence was allegedly about to assume the post as Head of British Intelligence. Under those circumstances, his being a gay Biker might not only have invoked his misfortune, but would certainly have meant that no-one was likely to investigate his apparent unlawful killing to a satisfactory conclusion.

Whatever the truth was, this was not the first, nor would it be the last time that a motorcycling accident would be shrouded in mystery. Much-maligned attitudes have held sway over the evidence of police and witnesses, if not the decisions of magistrates, ever since bikes first appeared. More unfortunately, assumptions about the dangerous motorcycle have allowed many biking deaths and injuries to be dismissed as misadventure, rather than apportioning any blame.

Throughout biking's early years, a legislative pattern had emerged that has virtually blue-printed relations between Bikers, (bike) technology, the public, and the law. As bikes improved there was a public reaction that lead to legislation. Whilst this was aimed at regulating the dangerous or unacceptable driving of all vehicles, it often served to curtail development. Bikers have had to defend and modify their position accordingly.

The motorcycle's comparative vulnerability has made self-regulation and sensible development a recurring theme throughout its history. This self regulation naturally spread into motorcycle competition, where rules and regulations had to be formulated. Any game can only be played fairly by such impositions. Even though such laws were written, participants willingly submitted to them. Their voluntary behaviour on the circuits upheld chivalry and courtesy, for example by one rider's allowing another to cross the finish line before them. They would do this when they themselves had no chance of winning a championship, while the person they let pass needed those vital points to clinch their position. Similarly, tail-enders moved out of the way of oncoming leaders, despite perhaps being in a duel of their own. These and other examples of track behaviour arise from the code of the road - based on respect and trust for other like-types. Some might dismiss it as gung-ho, but it was tempered with a sharp sense of reality, garnered through the experiences that cultivated the knights of the road.

Despite the complex wranglings of sporting rules, most competitors still abide by the written codes. However, commerciality is making its mark. Prior to the start of Grands Prix and World Superbike races, riders are compelled to remove their crash helmets, so that television audiences can recognise them. At other times, prior to and after races, they are seen without helmets (which usually bear their name). During the races, their bikes are numbered, and their names and numbers are flashed up on the screen. Sensible legislation is desirable, therefore effective. Unnecessary impingements will be contested, because some businesses and legislators are too remote from the people whom they serve to be capable of grasping a clear concept of what is required.

There are many other examples, including that of Japanese ace Noriyuki Haga. He took medicine for a cold, not knowing it contained a stimulant prohibited by racing authorities. At first they took away vital points and banned him from meetings. Appeals and wrangling between his team and the authorities lasted the remainder of the season, effectively denying Haga the championship he richly deserved. Many purport that this is what persuaded him to move into GP racing. Certainly his WSB team echoed the sentiment by withdrawing from superbikes themselves. The law is the law, but an accident is an accident - other riders who have performed belligerently on the track have got away with no punishment. Flexibility and lenience are human, and while it is human to err, a legislative body has to transcend that, if it is to garner any respect. Notably, many people involved in these decisions are not riders themselves. Other disputes concerning technology and what is or isn't permitted highlight the need for more knowledgeable people to govern their own activities.

Law within the road-going motorcycling fraternity had no cause for written formulation, because initially, there were none among them with any malicious intent. The outlook of the Biker psyche was positive, in individual and group ideals, creating an equilibrium that found its own natural balance. Civility and mutual respect told an individual not to interfere with a stranger's machine without consent. If something was borrowed, it was returned, and mutuality suggested that a favour was due in the other direction - but not wholly necessary. Because respect was a predominant proviso, life among motorcyclists was as straightforwards and undemanding as it was unrestricted. Freedom had been made to work without the imposition of threat or warning from anyone elected to keep the peace.

However, the impositions made on biking created a need to establish organisations that spoke on behalf of motorcyclists. The UK's Auto Cycle Union among others had to make incursions into the world of politics to protect the interests of the motorcycling public. Whilst it is true that there were elements associated with motorcyclists who infringed upon criminal and civil law, this did not give the authorities carte blanche to legislate against Bikers en masse. But that is precisely what some misinformed individuals are still practicing. Many Bikers wish that bike thieves were pursued with such enthusiasm.

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As populations grew, and people were forced to live in closer proximity with one another, the excesses of enthusiastic activities became a nuisance to others. When an engine is tuned for performance, its breathing has to be free. This meant that tuned machines used straight-through exhausts, with no silencing baffles. While most riders were content with their machine's state of tune, enthusiasts enjoy performance development, and the music of a tuned engine.

The noise debate had identified sectionalised groups within biking as early as 1909. An article by Alfred Hastch in Harper's Weekly, titled The Rise of the Motorcycle, stated that: "They would ride in city or in open country with their mufflers cut out, or in some cases absolutely devoid of muffling attachment. In some cases it was the rider's desire for noise, or to bring attention to the fact that he owned a motorcycle; in other instances it was the owner's desire for more power; but whichever case, this offence in principle and in conjunction with that of unsuitable attire has done more to retard the advancement of motorcycling in general than all other arguments combined."

While a silent running motorcycle has its own appeal, there is an optimum balance between excessive and productive noise emissions, that is satisfactory to the enthusiast. What Hastch differentiates between is those who enjoyed that noise, and those who were making excessive noises for all the wrong reasons, like attracting attention to themselves. Just what he meant by unsuitable attire is not clear. He could have alluded to those who neglected to wear any protective clothing, who would have included a number of respectable people who preferred contemporary fashions.

In America, an attempt to dissuade riders from meddling with stock systems occasioned Harley Davidson to dub those with open pipes as boobs. A letter from an enthusiast to the New York Times in 1912 stated: "As to noise, which is often the cause of ill-feeling, practically all motorcycles do run very silently, but the comparatively few 'open muffler fiends' put the whole fraternity of motorcycle riders in a bad light." The noise nuisance is a valid factor, yet the motorcycle's minority among other noise polluting vehicles might suggest that this was an excuse for biased thinkers to single them out for criticism.

The Times letter continued: "I am often asked: 'But doesn't the thing (!) shake you to death?' Yet the same person thinks it very pleasant to be tossed about more violently on horseback....A little less prejudice and a wider recognition of the reliability of the motorcycle will be a means of extending to more people a very exhilarating recreation as well as an economical means of transportation, which is unfortunately considered by many to be beneath them." These allusions to prejudice and inferior status are an early sign of class being dragged into the debate. That argument had no basis within biking, because the bike was already popular across the social divides.

In 1921, ordinary people made an impression on motorcycle development. The British Motor Cycle Racing Club's 500 race at Brooklands in that year started at 7 AM. The Motorcycle magazine said: "The sharp crack of so many well tuned exhausts, the clouds of Castrol mingling with the mists of early morning, the semi-comic aspect of so many running and leaping men, formed a spectacle which repaid the company for its early rising." This points to the enjoyment sought in biking, rather than any deliberate intrusion. However the noise of well tuned exhausts at this and other events at Brooklands lead to complaints from the locals, causing noise restrictions to be introduced. Bike developers reacted by trying to create a quieter engine with no loss of power. Research into engine characteristics showed that some back-pressure in the exhaust system helps to develop more power, so this criticism actually helped the motorcycle's progress.

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On the business side of things, it was the arrival of cheap motorcars like Henry Ford's Model T, that contributed to difficulties among all bike manufacturers. Also, their previous success had encouraged them to build various models. The vast ranges were too great to sustain in a competitive market. As the market declined, the US manufacturers played a dangerous game of inflated sales figures. They also made wild claims about the abilities of motorcycles. Harley-Davidson historian, Dr. Harry V. Sucher, stated that bike advertising took on: "The literary stature of a vaudeville handbill." He added that the advertising of Indian bikes: "Paralleled Biblical prophesies." Harley-Davidson published an in-house magazine in this vein called The Dealer, that was later destroyed in shame because of its far-fetched claims.

Eventually, the US publication, Motorcycle and Bicycle Illustrated spoke out. Editor H. W. Parsons commented that the motorcycle was no longer used as transport, and had become the plaything of wealthy people. The assertion that biking was a gentleman's pastime began inquiries into the sales and marketing of vehicles, by the US trade paper, Automotive Industries. They suggested that the answer was in market analysis (which became the forerunner of marketing sciences used in current business practice). Part of that research concluded that the large capacity engines, size and weight of motorcycles being built in the US had narrowed its own market, becoming only suitable for those who could manhandle such machines. Such conditions caused the American motorcycle industry to assess its own position and product, and also to look at the touring, youth and female markets - a realism that has helped sustain motorcycling popularity by meeting public demand.

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Alongside propositions about biking being for the wealthy gentry, Parsons also noted that motorcyclists had become an ever-shrinking minority, and expressed concerns over the antisocial behaviour of a minority within that minority. Motorcycling histories indicate that this group consisted of people who were indulging in impromptu sport, in much the same way as their counterparts in the UK. Due to the depression in the 1920's, professional racing was much reduced. The American Motorcycle Association (AMA) didn't have the resources to fund all racing, and were unable to bring to the people what they wanted. People began to organise their own scrambles, and dirt or flat tracking became popular at fairs and shows. In the UK and Europe, locally organised races were simply regarded as a means for riders to entertain themselves. But the AMA took a different view. Parsons noted after a meeting with them that rule-bending and gamesmanship in this sector were spoiling their good reputation.

The AMA then set themselves up as an authority over an area which they had previously allowed to slip from their jurisdiction. Rather than do something positive - or even nothing, they outlawed impromptu racing activities. So the concept of motorcycle outlaws arose in 1920s America, (allegedly) in the name of sport. Contrary to what the AMA expected, this enlivened and sustained that which they wished to quell. The humour and attitudes of some riders caused them to adopt the Outlaw image and ideal, tongue-in-cheek. In the US, characters like Josey Wales, who held out against imperialist oppression, were admired by many. The biking Outlaws were seeing themselves in much the same way. With the emergence of the Outlaw.. -->[if !supportFootnotes]-->[1].. -->[endif]-->, and the wranglings concerning law, noise and appearance, the earliest arguments about genuine Biker identity had begun. They were the disgruntled result of an apparent hour-glass through which biking was passing - along with other activities that were similarly restrained by economics and other public affairs of those times.

It should not be forgotten, however, that an Outlaw is one who lives by their own rules. They make break others' rules in the process, but only with the best intentions. If a championship could be decided in a courtroom rather than on the track, what kind of victory (or defeat) is that? And just because you can't afford a chequered flag, doesn't mean your racing is any less intense if you use a handkerchief instead. Take this philosophical attitude and apply it to life - a life outside of economic or other repression, and that is the outlawry of Robin Hood, Hereward The Wake, Geronimo, and Bikers.

COMPETITION

Competition is a natural part of any evolutionary development, and among the things that distinguish a culture are its achievements. What the early riders achieved in a very short time was not just the creation of a hobby, but the elevation of motorcycle sport to international status. This occurred at the same time that professional athletics and sports (for example the Olympics and football) were breaking similar ground. Had biking not been an acquired taste with a tarnished reputation, it might have become the national sport in one country or another – Spain is a prime example of ordinary public adoration for bikes.

The natural desire to compete pushed forwards the technical development of motorcycles. It also affected the social conditions surrounding them. This occurred wherever bikes could be found and grew into a means of cultural exchange among geographically distant like-types. An attraction for other off-road activities lead to the organisation of trials and scrambles (over rough terrain se also motoX), and eventually grass tracking, dirt track and speedway made their appearances. Endurance and land speed records were also attempted, further stretching the envelope of the motorcycle's capabilities and amazing the public.

The changes to the bikes not only satisfied the competitive user, but made them more accessible to prospective customers. Endurance tests and trials were set up by motorcycle manufacturers to demonstrate their product, and as early as 1901, road-going replicas of various sports models were produced and sold. Besides benefiting the buying public by producing ever better machines, competition also created tradition. For example, the Scott Trials were named after the motorcycles that had dominated them. Not to mention Mad Sunday on the Isle of Man, the firework displays in Spain, the parties in Italy after Grands Prix races…

Firms supplying components, like Champion, who made sparking plugs, and Castrol, a manufacturer of lubricants, benefited from the publicity generated by competition. Some even came into existence because of it, like Astralite wheels in later years. Advertising and product placement lent a commercial imagery to competitive scenes, and helped finance the fledgling motorcycle media. Many of these enterprises were run by people who rode bikes themselves. They were aware of the values in an earnest, rather than hard sell. And there was always that inverse humour, that later named Joseph Lucas, who sold lighting systems, 'The Prince of Darkness'. This was an example of the light regard for things arcane that later became the substance of criticism and condemnation of Bikers and biking.

Vast numbers of manufacturers entered their machines in the mainstream events, enriching motorcycle history with a plethora of styles. The road-going versions they built for sale to the public were usually finished with an appearance that made their owners proud. Stylishly painted petrol tanks, polished fittings and engine covers began to give motorcycles a desirable, rather than just practicable appearance. Marques that were successful in competition are the more commonly remembered names of the times, because that success spilled over into sales. Scott, Indian, Harley-Davidson, Norton, Matchless and Triumph are among a random smattering, of which a few are still in production. The growing identities of motorcycles provided a part of the bonding not just between bike and rider, but also among riders who preferred specific marques. That difference sectionalised people, yet became another basis for the common understanding that continues to exist among Bikers. In its early days, the Norton workshop became the centre for technical discussion among bike builders, and was known as The Club. They were obviously on to a good thing, as Norton became dominant over many years of  racing. Such casual meetings were enjoyed at all levels, generating more of the biking spirit. Norton's aim was to provide road-going machines that could perform as well as their racers. The author of Tarka the Otter, Henry Williamson, wrote to the firm saying how pleased he was with his "As you can buy" Norton. In 1957, many years after Pa Norton's death in 1925, Jim Sheldon of the Motorcycling magazine told how Pa had been a leading figure in the Salvation Army. He said that: "His motorcycles seemed to reflect his whole attitude to life." This was perhaps the first acknowledgment of a genuine Biker-type. A few months after Norton's death, Birmingham University began the Norton Scholarship in his memory. Funds from across the globe were received to support this gesture and innovation. These points demonstrate the mutual admiration and respect that had grown (and has remained) among motorcycling fraternities and individuals.

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The instinct to compete not only pitted riders against each other, but brought them together in large crowds. Racing had actually begun on the open road, and to make the sport more enjoyable for spectators, it was brought into the stadiums. This meant that the spectators could enjoy the entire race, rather than just waiting by the road or track side to catch the action as the competitors passed by. Often known as velodromes, the stadiums had previously been built for bicycle racing. These enclosed events took away the challenge that some competitors enjoyed, so specialised circuits also began to appear. Both ideas, along with other sporting venues, created breeding grounds for identities and activities that were pure motorcycling despite their polar interests. Because the first competitors were biking enthusiasts, they took the biking spirit into competition with them. This rubbed off onto other competitors, the riders who came to watch, and any latent Bikers attracted by these events.

Virtually anyone with a bike could fancy their chances, and an atmosphere of openness enlivened the competition. Through the amateur participation in motorcycle sport, a broader cross-section of society was attracted; a stark comparison with the motor-car racing scene, whose publicity posters invited patronage from "The right people." Motorcars had replaced the carriage and horses of the leisured classes and became a status symbol. The custom of gentlemen electing jockeys to ride horses transferred into car-racing, but motorcycle races had a more open feel. Anyone with a passion for speed (and of course enough money to fund their activity) could enter. Competitors from the universities rode against themselves and others. Race-entrants included trades people who either built or sold motorcycles, and were anathema to aristocratic ideals. The attitudes and admix of competitors, audiences and business people began to make biking a cosmopolitan, or class-less society (i.e. how much money you had or who your family are, were not an issue).

Enthusiasts occasionally had to stay away from home when following biking sport, as did the competitors. They would all gather in hotels, even book rooms together, where sing-alongs and pub games would be indulged. Some US competitors even rented brothels together. The camaraderie founded in bikes was changing people's lives by creating a need for preferred company.

The eventual emergence of racing teams made changes out on the tracks. Due to their financial muscle, supplied by specific marques and sponsors, their bikes were better developed. The likelihood of winning became remote without factory support. Occasionally this was over-turned. German racer, Herman Lang tuned his brother's machine, and while it was unable to compete in straight line speed, he used riding technique to get ahead through the corners. This kind of feat illustrates how the stuff of heroes, not just technology, remained prevalent in biking circles.

As the appearance of financed teams curtailed the freelancer's ability to compete, amateur class events evolved to accommodate the demand for private competition. Below that existed impromptu competition among rider friends and acquaintances - where it had all actually begun. Some of these were the moneyed buyers of new models, but an even greater number were keen motorcyclists on shoestring budgets, who converted road bikes to whatever cause they followed. Ingenuity and thrift became the mainstays of street-level riders. The author lived at the lower stratum of this band, racing any comer on an mot-failed BSA Bantam round the fields where he lived. No prizes, just the satisfaction of where you finished. I was often 1^st against bigger bikes, partly due to bravado, some talent and largely no brakes.

In the UK, drastically low speed limits on the roads retarded the development of British machines, which lost their competitive edge on the continent. To promote home racing, a democratically voted body called the Auto Cycle Union (ACU), along with other enthusiasts, devised a new concept. Frenchman The Marquis de Mouzilly St. Mars offered a trophy as the prize for the successful competitor. The object of the competition was officially intended to: "Assist the development of an ideal touring motorcycle of the power required by the ordinary user, regardless of the number of cylinders. It is not intended for racing motorcycles, and is not necessarily a race between existing standard types."

This became known as the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, or TT. It not only attracted competitors, but also prospective businesses and their customers. And there was another lure to take riders onto the island: there was no speed limit. This made it especially attractive, as both a testing ground and a sporting venue. So much so that the Isle Of Man TT became one of the most popular biking events in the world. Through the spirit of competition, the island course became less of a chance meeting place, more of a regular camp for cementing biking relationships.

Safety was a primary concern for all involved, and Pioneer riders recall lamp-posts being removed from the course to avoid accidents. An act of the Isle of Man Government (known as Tynwald) in 1928 included full road closures, not just for racing, but for practice. This was enacted after the first fatal accident on the island. A rider for the Rudge motorcycle manufacturer's team, Victor Surridge, had collided with a milk delivery van during practice. The resulting track closure and other cooperative acts demonstrated that supportive rather than repressive actions could allow separate cultures to endure if not enjoy each other's existence. The truth of this survived into the 21st century, whereby an Isle of Man police force numbering around 300 easily accommodated the tens of thousands of Bikers arriving for the TT.

The dangers of racing also made a contribution to rider appearance, by introducing protective clothing. Ordinary motorcycle gear so far had included rain-coats, long leather coats and rubber ponchos. A TT rider called Jack Marshall was one of the first to wear a leather waist-coat, breeches and knee-boots. The boots became known as TT boots and along with the leather coat and waistcoat, they became standards for the enthusiast's appearance. Happily, the rubber poncho didn't catch on, but the later use of crash-helmets (introduced by Americans) made a major contribution to motorcycling safety. These earliest skid-lids were often the same leather items worn by aviators.

The TT finally became more like a race for fast bikes, and the radical claims and self-styled tests of bike manufacturers were meeting with misgivings among the public. Norton among others now looked to the promotion of their machines through the newly devised Maudes Trophy in 1923. This trophy was the idea of a Mr. Pettyt, who worked for a firm called Maudes Motor Mart of Exeter (the award was originally presented as the Pettyt Cup). The aim was to annually award a trophy based on strict observation (by the ACU) of public bike testing. Norton went to great pains to allow the ACU to select parts from the Norton stocks. Under strict supervision, they would be built into the machines to be used in various trials and tests. This demonstrates a genuine concern, not just for winning races and making sales, but in providing an excellence for the customer. Such bikes were being built by Bikers for Bikers; the profit and growth were by-products.

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The prominent personalities of famous racers were comparable in stature with the then contemporary film and music stars. The Collier brothers, who raced Matchless motorcycles, were seen as down to earth heroes, whose intention was winning cleanly. This reflected the sporting spirit and good manners that existed among racers. And that's what enamoured them as heroes when they met with success. American Jake De Rosier was also admired as a down-to-earth sporting gentleman, rather than a deified hero. Bikers understood that hero-worship was naive, and that mutual respect is more valuable. Even so, such competitors made great news stories that helped put biking into mainstream media across the world. The critics, who'd expected motorcycles not to survive childhood, only had each other's ears as biking went from strength to strength, capturing even the public imagination.

There is something intangible about the way great racers are appreciated. The muscular effort required to push evenly-matched bikes to the front, the skill and daring, and the exhausted personas witnessed after an event, all commingle to inspire a gut feeling in the observer. Racing motorcyclists had to be as strong and brave as they were smart; the intelligence used in perfecting technique is only recognised and justified when the physical effort and daring matches the idea. In The Perfect Vehicle, authoress Melissa Holbrook Pierson describes the fanship of racers as: "That unnamed centre of the gut that knows without thinking how to read the poetry of extremity." Although riders generally cannot ride as freely on the roads as racers in competitions do, they have an understanding of what their heroes are going through from their own experiences. They have, under simulated conditions, been there, and can appreciate the nuances of spectacular performance. What may look like a smooth roundy-roundy thing, is actually a juddering, wrenching struggle to stay aboard, let alone pass the machine in front.

'Fearless' Freddie Dixon earned his nickname through his innovative but aggressive riding of Harley Davidsons. He had a reputation for fighting, however, this didn't incite others into brawling. The problematic behaviour of people in any field of fame has always been accepted as the tolerable downside of able or artistic personas; Vincent Van Gogh's self-mutilation didn't spawn a plethora of one-eared artists.

Other riders like the Italian Nuvolari gained fame through the development of riding technique. He would follow another rider, using the slip-stream. This is a hole in the air created behind a bike. The slip-stream offers less resistance to any bike that can enter it, enabling less powerful machines to maintain similar speeds to those in front, by being dragged along. He also rode rather spectacularly styled machines, like the Rococo framed Fongri. The Italian name Fongri does not ring bells like the famous Moto Guzzi, nor did the marque hang around for quite as long, but it does show that bike builders appreciated style as well as design. Function or style alone can create sales, but by combining them, the manufacturers were acknowledging the architectural art in bike construction was part of the motorcycling experience.

Racing legislation and other forces began to intrude on motorcycle development and many riders suffered frustrations caused by non-competitive bikes. While this made heroes of people whose fearlessness and audacity made up for inferior machines, it also caused riders to make the career-change into racing cars. Heroes like Vorzi and later John Surtees were instrumental in popularising that sport, as well as biking. This was innocent enough, however it fuelled the misconception that bikes were just a step-up to cars. In the last line of his book on bikes, The Golden Years, author Rupert Prior stated: "Motorcycling is the finest training on earth for safe and fast car navigation. My vote is for the latter." It was a logical yet strange thing to say, and underlines how some apparently dedicated 'Bikers' were not what they seemed. When bike development began to improve, some of the absent racers returned. They were warmly welcomed back, even by other riders, who saw them as added competition to their own efforts. Persona is highly valued in biking spheres, but to some, the actions of these riders were an infidelity. Those who returned to motorcycle sport were perhaps the earliest Born-Again Bikers.

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Special pit-boards were used by racing teams to inform riders of the varying situations, but they weren't always visible to others who desired that information. The demands of the media pressed time-keeping officials into displaying lap-times and results more prominently. This was eventually done with large electronic boards. The first circuit to use telephones was the Nurburg Ring, in Germany. They were set up at various points round the track and used to relay information back to the pits and the press, who hung around the grandstand. Races such as the Brooklands 500 in the 1920s began to attract ciné-cameras, and footage was shown at cinemas. This inclusion of information technology created an even wider audience for motorcycling. But as ever, the media has a negative side, and board track racing in the US came under legislative and journalistic fire. A racing accident killed spectators, and some tracks were closed following Grand Jury inquiries. Board track racing was declared "A murderous spectacle." by the American press, who said that it detracted from, rather than added to a desire for the prospective customer to own a motorcycle.

A circuit builder in America named Prince was accused of taking short-cuts and cashing in on the sensationalism of horror as well as the racing, but none of his tracks were proven structurally dangerous. Neither was sensationalism the motive when a Sunday paper, the News of The World, sponsored races in the UK. Both Prince's and the paper's interests stemmed from the growing popularity of the sport itself. A newspaper article in the US, however, used the imminent fears involved after a day's racing at the Los Angeles Stadium. The headline stated: "Ten thousand see Bikers flirt with death." This demonstrates an interest in gory spectacle rather than sporting appreciation. Accidents did happen, but to all involved, that was all they were; accidents - unplanned, undesirable and certainly not showmanship. It was the defiance of danger, not its ugly manifestation, that fired rider and spectator thrills. Racing is a sport, and sport is entertainment, but the enjoyment of gore is deviance. To the competitors and their followers, it was the ghoulish onlookers, who sought out the macabre, that were the aliens.

The same US newspaper report went on to say that, although few automobile fans had attended the races, the place was still packed with bike fans. Such large attendances witnessed the burgeoning enthusiasm for bikes, despite the dangers for all involved, and also despite America's problems in setting up competition: days like Sunday had to be avoided to avert the wrath of religious organisations. The usage of the term Biker is also notable in the news headline, showing that its colloquial, if not generic use, was already around. Whether it came from inside or outside of biking doesn't matter; just like the word motorcycle before it, it would eventually acquire a marked significance.

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Other people's interference began to infringe upon the sporting but civilised conduct of motorcyclists. An unknown person or persons scattered nails in the paths of racers in the US, while suffragettes deposited broken glass on the TT circuit. The nails might be explained by people against machines, but this is purely supposition. Despite there being no blanket exclusion to women from biking, the suffragettes had an ethic concerning any male-dominated situation. Even the law was a male enclave that subjugated them; therefore, it must be attacked. Likewise the TT. Whatever the early riders might be accused or guilty of as individuals, the fact that they were motorcyclists was the thing that was often held against them. Their latter-day counterparts also understand that frowning judgmental attitudes are something that any eccentric becomes accustomed too. It was primarily the negative attitudes of outsiders that put the wedge of spite into the rift between motorcyclists and the public.

Meanwhile, the noblesse of biking heroes on the track was officially recognised by racing authorities. Brave and sporting action was awarded by the Nisbet Trophy. It represents an honour among people whose spirit is pure. Italian rider Achille Vorzi received it after the 1924 TT, by avoiding a fallen rider - and causing himself to crash. The fact that actions like Vorzi's were rewarded shows that high standards of humanity existed throughout the biking world. It is a quality that is cognisant between motorcyclists, as a kind of elite, though not superior bonding. In earlier history, errant Knights were viewed as chivalrous, noble people who could be trusted whether you knew them or not (excepting the odd black knight). The extinct camaraderie of Knights had now found a new identity and membership. Motorcyclist's courtesy towards themselves and others (on and off the track), had caused them to be dubbed Knights of the Road.

The British Empire, America and Europe were all ripe grounds for the societal changes that were coming about. Biking, from street to circuit level, was riding this wave of change across societal boundaries. The condition of the Western globe itself allowed new concepts to manifest, and what motorcycle competition did was to show to the world the (noble) spirit of an emergent Bikerdom.