The Most Surprising Enemies (And Allies) Of The “Hells Angels”
Over the years, the Hells Angels have created over 460 chapters in 59 countries. As the largest motorcycle club in the world, the Hells Angels have made many friends and rivals. Most of these are other biker groups worldwide.
Some motorcycle clubs have influenced the Hells Angels' rules and done business with them. Others hate them so much that they started biker wars. One even managed to get into multiple fights with Hells Angels during its short five-year life. Read on to see the complete list of the Hells Angels' allies and enemies – which one surprised you the most?
Bandidos Are Long-Standing Rivals Of The Hells Angels
The Bandidos Motorcycle Club is the second-largest club behind Hells Angels, with over 2,000 members across 22 countries. They are also long-standing rivals of Hells Angels. The skirmish began in the 1990s when the Bandidos expanded into France, where Hells Angels chapters already existed.
According to the FBI, the Bandidos are one of the "big four" crime motorcycle gangs, along with the Outlaws and Hells Angels. Oddly enough, the Bandidos are quite similar to Hells Angels, having a strict hierarchy and riding mainly Harley Davidsons.
The Galloping Goose Created Many Of Hells Angels' Rules
When the Galloping Goose Motorcycle Club formed in 1942, it was initially a Los Angeles racing team. Eventually, they grew into an outlaw club that covered the entire U.S.A. Galloping Goose invented many of the structures that motorcycle clubs still follow today.
The Galloping Goose participated in the 1947 Hollister Rally, where hundreds of motorcycles gathered in Hollister, California. This significantly contributed to the future formation of the Hells Angels. When the meeting broke out into a series of fights, it became known as the Hollister Riot.
The Mongols And Hells Angels Had The Deadliest Biker War
Since the Mongols Motorcycle Club first began in 1969, it has grown to represent over 2,000 members in 11 countries. They are a long-time enemy of the Hells Angels. National Geographic considered their biker war to be the deadliest in history.
In America, the violent rivalry has been going on since 2002. The two groups got into fatal brawls in 2002, 2007, and two in 2008. The feud spread to Germany when a Mongols group opened up in Cologne, where a Hells Angels chapter already existed.
The Red Devils, Hells Angels' Puppet Club
The Red Devils are not an independent motorcycle club; they are a support club for the Hells Angels. Police call them a "puppet club." Unlike the original Red Devils Club, which was founded in 1941, this support club was created in 2001.
Today, the Red Devils have chapters in nearly 20 countries. Members have been caught working with the Hells Angels on money laundering, sting operations, and attacks on rival clubs such as the Bandidos.
The Quebec Biker Wars: Rock Machine Vs. Hells Angels
The motorcycle club Rock Machine first appeared in Montreal, Canada, in 1986. Its founder, Salvatore Cazzetta, was once a friend of the Hells Angels. The two groups got involved in one of history's most brutal motorcycle feuds, the Quebec Biker Wars.
The Quebec Biker Wars began in 1994 when the Hells Angels and Rock Machine fought over a substance distribution monopoly. This led to a series of vicious battles that continued until 2002. After, the Hells Angels' Quebec chapters disbanded, although the groups are still rivals.
Notorious Made Many Enemies During Its Five-Year Run
Notorious was a short-lived motorcycle club in Australia. In 2012, the group disbanded after a five-year run. But during that time, they became one of Australia's most dangerous biker gangs. They also started feuds with other clubs, including Hells Angels.
Australia's first Hells Angels chapter was formed during the same year that Notorious did (2007). The most well-known dispute between the two happened in 2009 when Notorious members raided a Hells Angels clubhouse. Since Notorious no longer exists, the rivalry is hardly relevant.
The Allied Head Hunters Have A Long Criminal History
Head Hunters are a New Zealand motorcycle club that has been around since 1967. Although they only have a few hundred members, the Head Hunters have a long criminal history. The group has over 1,000 criminal convictions.
Head Hunters are international and allies with Hells Angels. They have one known rival--the King Cobras--that are not the enemies of the Hells Angels. In 2001, one Head Hunters member got shot by an ex-Hells Angels member, but the two clubs continue to remain friends.
The Outlaws Have A Catchphrase Deriding Hells Angels
The Outlaws are one of the Hells Angels' most famous enemies. The group was founded in Illinois, 1935 and consider themselves "the original biker gang." They despise Hells Angels; many Outlaws use the phrase "ADIOS," an acronym for "Angels Die In Outlaw States."
Why the clubs became enemies remains a mystery. The most common theory is that one group accused the other of committing a crime against a member's wife. The Hells Angels and Outlaws had many skirmishes in the United States, Belgium, and the United Kingdom.
The Hells Angels Helped The Sons Of Silence Grow
The Sons of Silence Motorcycle Club first appeared in Colorado in 1966. With just over 250 members, Sons of Silence is far smaller than Hells Angels' 3,500 members. But that hasn't stopped the two clubs from interacting.
In 1968, Sons of Silence formed an alliance with Hells Angels, which allowed them to grow. The partnership continues to this day, and the two clubs share many enemies, including the Outlaws. However, the two have also had some feuds. In October 2019, an arson was linked to a battle between the Hells Angels and the Sons of Silence.
As An Ally, The 69ers Also Ride American-Made Motorcycles
The 69ers are a motorcycle club founded in the 1980s, New York. Like the Hells Angels, the 69ers ride Harley Davidsons at every opportunity. Many motorcycle clubs aim to ride American-made bikes, the most popular of which are Harley Davidsons. Both Hells Angels and the 69ers tend to follow this rule.
Hells Angels have been around for longer than the 69ers, having started in the 1940s. While the 69ers only operate in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Hells Angels are spread throughout 56 countries and still growing.
Breed Got Into Many Fights With Hells Angels
Breed was an American motorcycle club that formed in 1965, New Jersey. Before it disbanded in 2006, the group was an enemy of the Hells Angels. The two groups were such vicious enemies that they frequently got into fights.
The feud began in 1971, where Breed bikers in Ohio got into a skirmish with the Hells Angels. Over the next few years, the two groups got into many fights that resulted in the deaths of bikers on both sides.
The "Law-Abiding Citizens," Iron Order, Are Hells Angels' Rivals
The Iron Order is a bit different from other one-percenter motorcycle clubs. Instead of committing crimes, Iron Order bikers pride themselves on being "law-abiding citizens." The Hells Angels consider them to be enemies, although it is unclear why.
Members of the Iron Order propose that the Hells Angels might feel threatened by them. The Angels follow a code of secrecy, and members are never allowed to talk to police or join the force. Since the Iron Order can work with police, the Angels might consider them to be dangerous.
Hells Angels' Enemy, Gremium, Runs Germany
Gremium is the largest biker group in Germany, but details about their formation is scarce. However, some believe that the group branched off from other gangs, including Bones and Hells Angels. This could explain why Gremium is an enemy of the Hells Angels.
Although Gremium began in Germany in 1972, it eventually spread to 71 other countries. Hells Angels also ride in Germany. Perhaps these two gangs clash in several other countries.
Hells Angels Dislike The Highly Secretive Pagans
The Pagan's Motorcycle Club (shortened to the Pagans) have conquered the middle and eastern United States since 1959. They are well-known rivals of Hells Angels and have gotten into many fights with them. However, little is known about them.
The Pagans are highly secretive. Despite this, they seem to be growing in popularity, exceeding 1,500 members in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Unlike Hells Angels, the Pagans do not have clubhouses. They hold meetings at a secret area that members call "church."
Fortunately, Bacchus Have Avoided Conflict With Hells Angels
Named after the Roman god of wine and agriculture, Bacchus is the oldest motorcycle club in Canada. Since 1972, their members have only ridden Harley Davidson motorcycles, much like the Hells Angels.
Bacchus members have gone out of their way to avoid conflict with Hells Angels. On the backs of their jackets, members iron on a patch that says where their chapter is located. Bacchus switched their location from "Ontario" to "Canada" to assuage the Hells Angels chapter that already existed there.
The Oldest Biker Club In The UK Is Against The Hells Angels
The Road Rats are England's oldest motorcycle club. Since the group began in the early 1960s, the Road Rats have gotten into scuffles with every other motorcycle club in the United Kingdom. Of course, this includes the Hells Angels.
It is unclear why these two groups have become enemies. According to a rumor, the Hells Angels once offered the Road Rats to prospect, which basically means join them. The Road Rats refused and have remained independent to this day.
The Hells Angels Appreciate Forbidden Wheels
The Forbidden Wheels Motorcycle Club was founded in 1968 Michigan, where they remain to this day. They are best known for their long-standing rivalry with the Avengers Motorcycle Club. However, they have a positive relationship with the Hells Angels.
The Department of Justice claimed that Hells Angels and the Forbidden Wheels have a mutual appreciation for each other. The Hells Angels have no rivalry or friendship with the Avengers; they seem to remain neutral on the long-standing feud.
The Iron Horsemen And Hells Angels Have Common Enemies
Since the 1960s, the Iron Horsemen Motorcycle Club has ridden through the midwestern and northeastern United States. Not to be confused with the Iron Order, the Iron Horsemen are allied with the Hells Angels. Both groups are rivals of the Outlaws and Iron Order.
Like the Hells Angels, the Iron Horsemen are mostly peaceful. They are called "one-percenter" biker gangs, meaning that only 1% of the members commit crimes. However, both the Hells Angels and Iron Horsemen have participated in narcotic distribution rings.
