If you’re going stir crazy during the wet weather and itching to get out on your bike it’s probably time to settle yourself in front of your TV or laptop to watch the best biker shows you can find.
Here are Bikesure’s best biker shows, films and Netflix specials celebrating the power and the passion of bikes and biking.
Sons Of Anarchy
Fraternity, felony, fights and furiously fast motorcycle riding, Sons of Anarchy (2008-2014) was an exhilarating crime thriller about a California biker gang struggling to change with the times.
It is one of the best bikers shows and it follows the lives of a group of outlaw motorcyclists with actor Charlie Hunnam riding up front as Jackson “Jax” Teller.
The series explored themes common within real-life motorcycle club culture and even had ex-Hells Angel, David Labrava, as a technical adviser. For added authenticity he also appeared in most of the later shows.
View with caution, the violence is extreme.
Mayans MC
When the Sons of Anarchy rode off into the Californian sunset there was a gap in the market – that gap was filled four years later by the sequel, Mayans MC, which was another of the best biker shows.
The follow-up incorporates some of the same characters and themes as those in Anarchy.
The plot focused on the struggles of Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes, a prospect in the charter of the Mayans MC based on the US–Mexico border. EZ is the gifted son of a proud Mexican family, whose American dream was snuffed out by cartel violence. Now, his need for vengeance drives him toward a life he never intended and can never escape, no matter how fast he rode. More extreme violence I’m afraid.
What’s In The Barn?
For those with a milder ,manner, a reality TV show first aired in 2013 and hosted by petrolhead Dale Walksler, the show, explores random barns and garages across the USA to find the motorbikes hidden within.
Walksler had his own Harley-Davidson dealership and is an expert bike restorer whose life is totally consumed by bikes, biking and the best biker shows.
And he has quite a collection of bikes. Over the years, Walksler has acquired more than 300 classic motorcycles, with the majority of them classed as extremely rare. A definite watch for those who are serious about motorcycles.
The Motorcycle Diaries
This is a 2004 biopic about the journey and written memoir of the 23-year-old Ernesto Guevara, who would become internationally known as the Marxist guerrilla leader and revolutionary Che Guevara.
The film recounts the 14,000km motorcycle expedition across South America by Guevara and his friend Alberto Granado in 1952 on a dilapidated Norton 500 motorcycle, christened La Poderosa (“The Mighty One”).
As well as being a road movie, the film is a coming-of-age film; and an eye-opener as to how Guevara turned into one of the most iconic revolutionary characters of the 20th century. You really should see it as it is one of the very best biker shows.
Nitro Circus
This show follows the life of Travis Pastrana and friends who travel the world performing boggling stunts on motorcycles.
The series concept emerged from a live motorcycle show, which then spawned a number of DVDs. Then, due to great sales, a television show was created in order to show the rest of the world what they had been missing.
A second television followed and then a feature film in 2012 which enabled bike fans to see those machines and the tricks being pulled in glorious 3D.
Click here to get a feel for Nitro Circus.
Unchained: The Untold Story of Freestyle Motocross Stuntmen
Just like it says on the label, this adrenaline-soaked movie from 2016 celebrates the birth and boom of the most extreme sport on the planet: Freestyle Motocross and it conspired to create one of the very best biker shows.
Narrated by Oscar nominated Josh Brolin, the film follows the lives, times and troubles of some of the best known bikers of the day including Mike Metzger, Brian Deegan, Travis Pastrana, Carey Hart, and Seth Enslow.
With near non stop action and candid interviews with riders and their families, this is a must see for those chasing the free spirit characterised by motorcycling.
Why We Ride
From 2013 this is an inspiring celebration of the motorcycling community, sharing the passion of motorcycle riding and illustrating the camaraderie of the friends and families who ride together.
Told by the many racers, riders and pioneers in the sport, the story weaves its way through generations of motorcyclists who live each day to the fullest on their two-wheeled machines.
The refreshing message about the joys of motorcycling, in tandem with out-of-this-world photography, is inspiring and offers a counter-balance to the less savoury side of biking often portrayed. It is also one of the best biker shows you will ever see.
Burnout
A French film, a love story, a crime thriller, and a biking film, so what’s not to like?
It’s the story of biker Tony who wants to ride professionally but his ambitions become blurred when he discovers his wife is having problems with a local drug dealing gang. He saves his wife by sacrificing himself to the bad guys, working for them by night and pursuing his biking dream in the day. But It’s a vicious circle.
Never mind the sub-titles, this is still worth a watch because the motorcycle scenes are magnificent.
Sons of Deuces
Deuces is an American crime drama written and directed by Jamal Hill from 2017.
The story concerns Detective Jason Foster who goes undercover to infiltrate and take down a motorcycle crime ring.
However, Foster finds himself drawn in by the unique persona of ringleader Stephen “Deuces” Brooks and the dual life that he leads. The mission is further complicated when Foster’s sister Janet also falls under Deuce’s spell.
Things get even more complicated when Deuces and Foster realise they have much more in common than they have expected. Oh yes, there’s lots of bike action too.
For a taster, click here.
The World’s Fastest Indian
‘The World’s Fastest Indian tells the true story of Burt Munro, the man who set the land speed world record at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967.
Munro, played by Anthony Hopkins, is a Kiwi who spent years rebuilding a 1920’s Indian motorcycle. Diagnosed with heart disease in the early 1960’s, Burt mortgages his home and sets sail to LA with dreams of riding his homemade Indian on the Salt Flats.
The mechanically minded will love the genius behind Munro’s engineering and the rest will love the fact it’s simply a real heart-warming story. It’s one of the best biker shows and you can watch a clip here.
Hankering for some more nostalgic motorcycling movies and best biker shows on TV? Check out these bad boys.
