Australian letter is the weekly newsletter from our Australian office. This week's edition is written by Julia Bergin, a reporter based in the Northern Territory.
Ron Noll is known for riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle in flip-flops, or flip-flops as they are known here, preferring the ventilation and comfort of hassle-free shoes during Central Australian desert heat.
But on Sunday morning, he rolled into a gas station in Alice Springs wearing heavy duty boots. Mr. Noll reluctantly admitted to a group of amused riders that he had made a “necessary change” in the interest of safety.
The four riders – Mr. Noll, Richard Blom, Daniel Bowman and Marcia Fels – are members of the local Harley Owners Group, with a total membership of about 25. They all wear denim, leather and of course wearing boots. This roomy ensemble is completed with a leather vest topped with an eagle and Harley wheel insignia.
Their attire might suggest the stereotype of a menacing biker gang. But their preference for tea and apple pie is a sign that the club does not want to bend the rules.
Two patches on the back of their Harley jackets confirmed this. Another patch will signal that they are in an outlaw gang, like the Hells Angels, Bandidos or Comancheros. In Australia, these clubs are called MCs or motorcycle clubs. Mr. Noll and his fellow riders belong to a distinct category: the SMC, or social motorcycle club. In short, they are simply motorcycle enthusiasts.
After covering a distance of approximately 130 km (80 miles) in one hour, the Alice Springs HOG stopped at the Kata Anga Tea Room in the Indigenous community of Ntaria, also known as Hermannsburg, southwest of Alice Springs. There, over a cup of tea, they talk about the dangers that lurk social clubs that don't stay in their lane and respect the unwritten rules of local cycling culture.
The best way to avoid trouble, Mr. Noll said wryly, is to do “as little as possible.”
Although there is no Outlaw MC based in Central Australiathey can still exert influence in the region.
According to the Alice Springs riders, another social club recently attempted to move into South Australia and ended up encroaching on the territory of a famous MC. As a result, they say, it was forced to close, or “patched” in biker slang.
“If you're in their territory, what they do is come, come to your clubhouse and say, 'Give us your keys. You have a choice, you walk out the door, you leave your bike here, we'll get you through,'” Mr. Blom said between his mouth full of apple pie.
Shannon Althouse, a former leader of the Darwin Rebels club who served seven years in prison for attempted murder, said it was an example of a social club wanting to “try to join the gang”. (Mr. Althouse, who is not at the tea shop, is now the youth coach for the team Arrernte Community Boxing Academy in Alice Springs.)
Mr Blom said too many riders were influenced by films that encouraged violence, hierarchy and gang culture in general – as well as poor driving habits.
“You see these biker movies, even in 'Wild Hogs,' where they have four bikes going two and two together,” he said. “You should never ride level like that, because when a crow, an eagle or a bird jumps in your face, you react.” That could lead to carnage, he said — a swerve, a crash, someone being thrown off the road.
Mr. Bowman agreed. “This is dangerous but they still do it,” he said. “The MC group from Alice last year — the Mongols — they were all together.”
Alice Springs HOG rides in staggered formation. The person in front, the “road commander” – chosen purely based on whether their bike has cruise control – stays on the right side of the road, followed by someone some distance to the left, etc. This gives everyone an unobstructed view and space to react quickly if needed.
This group has regulations against “mixing behavior” on the road and Mr. Blom said they will punish very severely, with a fine of 5 Australian dollars (about 3.25 USD) for anyone who dares to pass a driver. road commander.
“Ron always pays $100 in advance at the beginning of the year,” Mr. Blom, the tour leader, said of Mr. Noll, the driver who liked to wear flip-flops.
Mr. Noll has his reasons. “No way, I'm waiting for you at the end of the trip,” he said quietly.
Now here are our stories for the week.
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