The 10 Baddest Names in Motorcycle Gang History

The use of the word “baddest” may seem a bit odd for an article headline. Your mind automatically wants to change it to “worst.” In this case, it is actually a cleaned-up version of “badassest,” which I would have corrected to “most badass.” You might even read it as “best.”

Anyway, it’s a rundown of American motorcycle gangs with names that should strike fear into their enemies. But not only names; we also get a brief look into the history of the gangs. My eye went straight to the Pissed Off Bastards of Bloomington. My husband was surprised I hadn’t heard of them, but he’s from San Bernardino.  

7. PISSED OFF BASTARDS OF BLOOMINGTON

The Pissed Off Bastards of Bloomington, or POBOB, is one of the oldest motorcycle clubs in the country. Established in 1945 in Bloomington, a small town near San Bernardino, California, POBOB is also known as the Pissed Off Bastards of Berdoo, a nickname for San Bernardino.

POBOB gained notoriety with its involvement in the 1947 Hollister riot, famously immortalized in the 1953 Marlon Brando movie, The Wild One. However, the "riot" was more of a drunken melee that began when inebriated members of another California MC, the Boozefighters, rode their motorcycles into a bar. After the Hollister riot, a prominent POBOB member broke off and started his own club. You may have heard of it: the Hells Angels.

8. HELLS ANGELS

The Hells Angels (that’s non-possessive, by the way) was formed in 1948. A founder named the infamous one-percenter for his World War II squadron, the Hell’s Angels of the Flying Tigers, an American Volunteer Group that flew in China during the war. That squadron was named for a 1930 Howard Hughes film about combat pilots in World War I. While the Hells Angels are certainly the most famous MC, they are considered "too nice" by the Bandidos.

See there, you’ve learned something already. But notice how far down on the list these names are. You’ll want to read the others at mental_floss.