8: Ethnography of Motor-Bike Boys

I made contact with a motor-bike club in a large English city in 1969, and continued field work and interviews there over a period of nine months. The club is now closed and the members disbanded. During the period of ‘the research’ the club was very successful, and always full, and had an official membership in their hundreds. The boys were in the typical style of the motor-bike boy, or ‘rocker’ or ‘greaser’. Studded leather jackets and greasy denim jeans were the norm. Large motor-cycle boots or large marching boots were worn on the feet. Hair was normally long and greasy, swept back with a small quiff at the front. The leather jackets were frequently adorned with badges and mottoes.