Have you ever noticed that bikers seem to be obsessed with skulls? They're also obsessed with full skeletons, flames, and iron crosses, but skulls seem to dominate everything from club patches to biker jewelry to paint jobs. I was curious as to why this might be so I did some research. Unfortunately, when I came to the end of that road I could find no definitive reason. But based on the opinions of bikers themselves, I can at least give you some possibilities.
- Motorcycles are Dangerous - From the perspective of transportation safety, motorcycles are inherently dangerous. For some, the skull is a representation of the inherent danger found in motorcycles and the perseverance of bikers who won't let the risk of death or injury get in the way of riding.
- The Counterculture Mentality - Since we see skulls on stock patches as often as custom club patches, it's fair to say it's not just a one-percenter thing. A couple of forum comments I read seem to suggest that some bikers embrace of skulls and skeletons just because it's the counterculture thing to do. The whole point of the counterculture is to live in a world that's outside the norm.
- Intimidation - This last possibility goes back to the roots of motorcycle clubs in general. Many of the earliest clubs were formed by war veterans looking to replace the brotherhood they knew in the military. And just as they learned from war, they adopted menacing graphical images and slogans as a means of intimidating those who would try to mess with them.
So there you have it; three possible explanations for the biker obsession with skulls. We may never know the real reason behind the phenomena; maybe it's something we don't need to know.
