Finks, Nomads, Bandidos: Instagrammed lives of OMCG members
Historically secretive, one percenters are increasingly taking to social media, providing a fascinating look inside flashy club life never seen before. See the photos.
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After decades of keeping their flashy lifestyles under wraps, outlaw motorcycle gangs are now flaunting their activities online, sharing rare glimpses behind clubhouse walls.
Instagram profiles show off luxe bikes, clothing and jewellery, and take followers inside the out-of-control parties of gang members.
One popular page, Australian MC History, curates photos from clubs across the country.
The man behind the profile, ‘Road Runner’, a one percenter of 35 years, said he started the page to keep “real” biking culture alive.
“There have been big changes and a shift in the bikie culture and style because of the conduct of some of these so-called Nike bikies,” Road Runner said.
“My goal is to remember the real biker culture, the old school way, and to keep the legacy of those that have passed away.”
Road Runner said the photos he posted were a mix from his personal collection and images contributed by other clubs.
Of his over 6000 followers, he estimated about 70 per cent were outlaws, and the rest were the general public.
“Biking, partying and fun will always be popular,” he said.
“Most people don’t have the opportunity or the contacts to be able to attend such biker parties so posting online gives people a bit of an insight to the culture.”
AUSTRALIAN MC HISTORY
Australian MC History is not linked to any specific gang, but rather provides a comprehensive look at motorcycle clubs past and present.
Hells Angels, Bandidos, Lone Wolf, Coffin Cheaters, Finks and Rebels are just some of the clubs featured on the account.
Many of the posts depict the ‘good old days’ of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s.
The page features rarely-seen and often not-safe-for-work pictures from club parties, with nude women and drunken antics in no short supply.
The page, which aims to preserve classic biker culture, also shares historical tid-bits such as a newspaper advertisement for the Lone Wolf Tattoo Show held at Hoxton Park in 1987, and a hand-drawn poster for the Finks Adelaide Easter Run in 1978.
FINKS
The Finks have one of the most active accounts of any club on Instagram, with more than 5000 followers.
The Finks MC Official profile shares photos from chapters across the globe, with Germany, Thailand and Canada featuring heavily.
New Zealand members, who established a chapter there in recent years after being deported from Australia for their alleged roles in criminal activity, are also pictured.
Australian chapters including Sydney and Brisbane are featured, but the majority of posts are of the club’s notorious Newcastle/Hunter Valley arm.
Benjamin Main, Tate Ward and Jon Ponsford from the Newcastle City chapter are among high-profile members pictured regularly.
Bikies are shown at their clubhouses, partying and on rides. While most of the posts are recent, some are throwbacks to decades ago.
There is no shortage of Finks paraphernalia, with members donning branded shirts, jumpers and caps, in addition to their patched vests.
The page also pays tribute to fallen Finks, including Tamworth City boss Bodie Dwyer, who was killed in a motorcycle crash near Cessnock earlier this year.
“A true Fink taken way too early, love ya brother, ya free now,” wrote one member in honour of the deceased president.
“Was only in (your) presence hours prior and how blessed I was to have a brother so close,” wrote another.
NOMADS
The profiles of individual Nomads chapters have become popular on Instagram, with pages for the Central Highlands and Melbourne City chapters sharing close to 1000 followers.
One percenter ‘Chops’ was a founding member of both chapters, according to the bio of his own very active Instagram profile.
The pages offer a glimpse inside the chapters’ respective clubhouses, with one picture showing two-dozen bikies posing in front of a mural reading, “Nomads 1% MC Australia”.
Another wall is emblazoned with one of the club’s slogans, “Retaliation is a must”.
Both pages depict Nomads bikies on group rides and doing burnouts in suburban streets to the delight of onlookers.
Club paraphernalia of course features heavily, with most members dressed head-to-toe in the MC’s branded clothing.
HELLS ANGELS
The Hells Angels, one of the nation’s largest OMCGs, boasts more than 3000 followers on its Perth chapter page alone.
But unlike other clubs, the Hells Angels profile is more secretive, with the administrator choosing not to post images of members’ faces.
Group rides with impressive turnouts feature heavily, with the picturesque West Coast Highway an apparent favourite route.
Other posts flash expensive Harley Davidson motorcycles, including one photo depicting 20 bikes lined up under the Spanda sculpture at Perth’s Elizabeth Quay.
BANDIDOS
Australian bikies are among those featured on the Bandidos MC Worldwide page, which has more than 5000 followers.
Pictures posted on the account are contributed from across the globe, with one showing a meeting between Bandidos from the US, Philippines, France and Greece.
Aussie one percenters can be seen in pictures of group rides, the ultimate show of an MC’s numbers.
Some photos are evidence of the extreme measures one percenters will take to represent their clubs, showing Bandidos tattoos on chests, faces and shaved heads.
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