What Do Real Bikers Think of Sons of Anarchy?

The arrival of Sons of Anarchy on TV screens in 2008 quickly became a major biker cultural phenomenon. Viewers were drawn into this TV show through its portrayal of the SAMCRO (Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original), which presents a combination of complex characters and gripping stories along with dramatic moments.

On the other hand, real bikers reacted differently to how this motorbike TV series depicted outlaw biker culture. The question emerged: “What do real bikers think of Sons of Anarchy?”

By getting to know the views and stances of expert riders and members of biker gangs and biker culture, it must be explained how Sons of Anarchy influenced the biker community. What a genuine biker has to say about the SOA must also be explored. Also, the portrayal of real Hells Angels in Sons of Anarchy and the acceptability of wearing Sons of Anarchy vests are topics that must be addressed.

The very famous motorcycle TV show Sons of Anarchy exists as a fiction as an MC. The Sons of Anarchy is not a real MC. The creator, Kurt Sutter, made this unreal gang his version of outlaw biker gangs, such as the Hells Angels.

The depiction of biker gangs in Sons of Anarchy and how MCs operate resembles actual biker clubs. However, this show is still a dramatized version of the real biker club lifestyle. As far as the real biker clubs are concerned, they have detailed charters, guidelines, and rules that exceed what viewers see on TV.

The SOA includes info from real bikers to enhance the show’s authenticity and to keep things real. One such good example of keeping this biker TV show close to reality is the inclusion of the actor David Labrava, who played the role of Happy Lowman. Many of us may not know, but he belongs to Hells Angels in real.

The fictional events in the show are brought closer to reality thanks to David Labrava. However, there still remains an ample difference between reality and fiction or entertainment.

If you want to know whether SAMCRO was copied from a real club, read our guide on whether Sons of Anarchy is based on the Hells Angels.

Among all outlaw motorcycle clubs, Hells Angels stand as the most well-known worldwide, but not for the good. They are the most ill-famed when it comes to committing crimes and involvement in illegal activities.

Hells Angels demonstrate different opinions about SOA. Although some Hells Angels members support the show for mainstream exposure of biker culture, other members disapprove because it idealizes violence along with wrong depictions of biker clubs’ lifestyles.

Real members of Hells Angels appeared in the Sons of Anarchy show to create a relatable link between the two MCs, including Hells Angels and Sons of Anarchy. The role of David Labrava, as a full-patch member, brought reality to his acting in the SOA show. Though it could have been a problem for the makers of this TV show, the inclusion of real Hells Angels in Sons of Anarchy proved to be very valuable.

Another brilliant actor, Rusty Coones, who played Happy’s loyal right-hand man in the show, is also a real Hells Angels member. Though their participation in the sow added reality, certain members of Hells Angels believed that the show had used their club imagery for amusement, which is not right.

Not every outlaw biker is against Sons of Anarchy. Some of them actually enjoyed it. Charlie Hunnam, who played Jax Teller, has said that most of the criticism he heard came from people who do not really know the biker world. According to him, people who know this world well see the show as a slightly exaggerated version of reality, and they respect how it treats their culture.

Sonny Barger, a founding member of the Oakland chapter of the Hells Angels, was also a fan. He said he and his friends watched the show every week, and he even appeared in it as Lenny "The Pimp" Janowitz.

The creator, Kurt Sutter, also tried to show respect to real clubs. As per reports, the show was first going to be called "Forever Sam Crow," but he changed the name to Sons of Anarchy out of respect for the bikers he was learning from.

So the answer is not simple. Many bikers dislike how the show glorifies violence, but others see it as entertainment made with care.

So, what do real bikers think of Sons of Anarchy? Whether biker club members or just real bikers, they hold different opinions and views about Sons of Anarchy. The answer to this question varies a lot. Like most real bikers, the show is designed to please and entertain viewers through its script, drama, emotions, fun value, and the display of biker culture to them.

On the other hand, real bikers are also seen criticizing Sons of Anarchy because it shows an overly attractive version of the outlaw biker club’s life. Most riders believe that it sets a wrong narrative and sends a bad message to viewers and those who ride and love bikes. It may attract bikers to join and be a part of outlaw biker gangs’ culture, which is not good.

So many real bikers have the point of view regarding Sons of Anarchy that it stretches reality beyond reasonable limits when it comes to operating bikes. This TV show has featured motorbike engine revving and wheelies performed at an unreal level that can only exist in TV shows and dramas but not in real-life bike riding.

True bikers state that Sons of Anarchy portrays riders riding their bikes in ways that would result in arrests or bike crashes if done in real life.

A real outlaw biker has also reviewed the show. Pat Matter, a former Hells Angels chapter president who spent 31 years in outlaw motorcycle clubs, went through scenes from Sons of Anarchy and other biker shows and rated how real they are. He covers things like the motorcycle chase, club tattoos, and the vest and leather jacket. You can watch his full review here.

Sons of Anarchy exists as a TV show that creatively recreates the biker culture through dramatic storytelling. This TV show provides an imperfect display of biker life, which has helped to start dialogues among new bikers who aspire to join biker clubs or start their own.

Whether non-bikers or bikers, they must study real biker culture and honor the traditions and customs that define the biker culture. It is unjust to only get inspired by the show and make up your mind about the biker culture. They must consider it twice before wearing the Sons of Anarchy vest.

Real bikers have mixed thoughts and views about the Sons of Anarchy fans. Most bikers appreciate the concept and like the idea of the show. As per them, the show brings new and young riders to biker clubs’ culture.

However, on the other hand, some Sons of Anarchy fans or enthusiasts cross limits and boundaries by trying to mimic the show’s characters in real life. They most probably do this without knowing the consequences of their actions.

Sons of Anarchy has made people many people and bikers close to motorbikes and their culture. Nonetheless, the biking experience stands apart from the outlaw and trouble-making lifestyle adopted by outlaw biker gangs.

The essence of bike riding stands as freedom together with brotherhood and respect. Anything that fans enjoy about the Sons of Anarchy show is fine, but trying to imitate the show content in real life is not cool. This is what the Sons of Anarchy fans must understand.

The show's popularity also had a side effect. Many people who had never ridden a motorcycle started wearing full leather, and some even tried to start their own clubs, copying Jax Teller. Real clubs do not take this as a compliment, because a real club is built over years of trust, not by buying a vest. To learn how real outlaw clubs work, read What Does One Percenter (1%er) Mean in Motorcycle Clubs?

Sons of Anarchy got some things right and some things wrong. Creator Kurt Sutter researched real clubs, and it shows in many details. But the show is still a drama, so many things were changed to make a better story.

So when real bikers say the show "gets it wrong," they usually mean the drama, not the basic club culture.

The viewers or fans of the famous motorcycle TV show Sons of Anarchy usually ask whether the use of the bikes in the show was real. Overall, the answer to this question is “Yes”. The main actors, including Charlie Hunnam, who played Jax Teller, and Kim Coates, who played Tig Trager, both learned how to ride motorbikes for the show.

On the other hand, it cannot be denied that there were certain actors on this show who lacked experience in riding motorbikes. There were also many stuntmen used for the show to perform bike riding scenes and actions.

However, to ensure everything looks real, CGI enhancements were used only a few times in Sons of Anarchy. The use of computer-aided graphics was limited in this show, and the overall biking scenes were real.

Not every actor could ride when the show started. Kim Coates (Tig) has said that only three of the lead actors could ride at the beginning: Mark Boone Junior (Bobby), David Labrava (Happy), and himself. Everyone else had to go to bike school. Coates also said some actors claimed they could ride, but after a few falls everyone knew the truth.

By the end of season seven, Coates says Charlie Hunnam had become the best rider of the group, because he rode his bike to work every day. Ron Perlman, who played Clay Morrow, has joked that bikes do not like him, so not everyone on the cast became a rider.

Jax Teller rode a Harley-Davidson Dyna on the show. If you ride a Dyna and want the same classic club look, check out our Dyna saddlebags, and read more about Jax Teller's bike.

Most viewers of the show find themselves drawn to Sons of Anarchy vests and SOA patches as fashion items. Real biker club members have strong respect for their vests and patches. Within the biker club culture and norms, members of the club must earn their patches and vests instead of purchasing them. Wearing or displaying Sons of Anarchy patches or vests may offend real biker club members who have invested years to achieve their member patch.

The biker club vest and the patch embody unity, loyalty, and respect for the MC and biker community. The true meaning of wearing a biker vest and patch belongs to those who have worked for their rank in the biker club rather than those who simply dress up.

It is suggested that you do not wear SOA vests unless you want to offend rear biker club members because such a practice is not acceptable to real biker gangs.

According to the lead cast members of Sons of Anarchy, including Charlie Hunnam and David Labrava, “Chill Will the Biker” is the main inspiration behind Jax Teller’s character. It has been confirmed by Charlie Hunnam, who played Jax Teller in Sons of Anarchy. He is also a good friend of David Labrava, who played Happy Lowman on a TV show.

Many actors who were cast in the Sons of Anarchy TV show based on a biker gang were real members of biker clubs. Both David Labrava (who played Happy Lowman) and Rusty Coones (who played the right-hand man of Happy Lowman) were members of Hells Angels. They provided their biker gang experience to enhance their performance in Sons of Anarchy.

In real life, Kim Koates (who played Tig Trager) and Ron Perlman (who played Clay Morrow) are both passionate bike riders. However, none of the Sons of Anarchy cast members had previous bike riding experience. Therefore, they were trained to ride bikes for the show. Charlie Hunnam (Jax Teller) learned how to ride a bike for this show, which made him develop a love for bikes even after the show.

The actual number of real bikers taking part in Sons of Anarchy may be unclear, but it includes many real bikers appearing both in front of and behind the camera. The actors, along with consultants and stuntmen, worked together to make the bike scenes and actions look real. Nonetheless, most cast members in Sons of Anarchy worked as actors instead of bikers.

David Labrava and Rusty Coones are not the only real Hells Angels connected to the show. Here are the main names:

• David Labrava (Happy Lowman): A real biker who also worked on the show as a technical consultant, helping keep the club details close to real life. [CHECK: use "was a Hells Angels member" if he is no longer a member.]
• Rusty Coones (Rane Quinn): He played Rane Quinn, the president of the Nomad charter, in 25 episodes. In real life, he was president of the San Fernando Valley and Orange County chapters of the Hells Angels, and he later became a custom bike builder. He even rode his own custom 2013 Hellrazor on the show.
• Chuck Zito (Frankie Diamonds): A former Hells Angel and the former president of the New York Nomad chapter. In 2010 he sued FX, claiming the show copied his idea for a motorcycle drama. He later appeared in the show as Frankie Diamonds.
• Sonny Barger (Lenny "The Pimp" Janowitz): The founding member of the Oakland chapter of the Hells Angels. He appeared as Lenny, who is a founding member of the club in the show, much like in his real life. Barger passed away on June 29, 2022, at age 83.

Their real-life experience helped the show feel more real, even though SAMCRO itself is fictional. For a closer look at this topic, read our guide on the Hells Angels and Sons of Anarchy.

There are mixed views regarding what real bikers think of Sons of Anarchy. If you are a fan of this show, there is nothing wrong with it. However, make sure you don’t take inspiration from anything negative shown in this TV series. It is also advised not to try to mimic any outlaw or negative character from Sons of Anarchy as it can have severe consequences.

Take it as a TV show designed primarily for entertainment and fun. Don’t get indulged in any illegal activities. If you are a biker, there are many lawful and good biker clubs out there that you can join to work for the good and betterment of society. Always ride safely and follow all the traffic laws.