Back Street Heroes (est. 1983) is a monthly UK custom bike magazine that helped to popularize a "new breed" of

custom motorcycle A custom motorcycle is a motorcycle with stylistic and/or structural changes to the 'standard' mass-produced machine offered by major manufacturers. Custom motorcycles might be unique, or built in limited quantities. While individual motorcyclis ...

, distinct from previous

choppers Chopper may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Chopper (comics), ''Chopper'' (comics), a horror comic book mini-series * Chopper (film), ''Chopper'' (film), a 2000 Australian film by and about Mark "Chopper" Read * Chopper (Judge Dredd), Chopper ...

because they combined

rat bike Rat bikes are motorcycles that have fallen apart over time and have been kept on the road and maintained for little or no cost by employing kludge A kludge or kluge () is a workaround or quick-and-dirty solution that is clumsy, inelegant, in ...

-influenced

utilitarian In ethical philosophy, utilitarianism is a family of normative ethical theories that prescribe actions that maximize happiness and well-being for all affected individuals. Although different varieties of utilitarianism admit different charac ...

and

minimalist In visual arts, music and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in post–World War II in Western art, most strongly with American visual arts in the 1960s and early 1970s. Prominent artists associated with minimalism include Don ...

design with greater use of high tech gadgetry, but catering to an upscale buyer in the ''

Robb Report The ''Robb Report'' is an American, English-language, luxury-lifestyle magazine featuring products, including automobiles, aviation, boating, real estate and watches. Founded in 1976, it is currently owned by Penske Media Corporation. It also dist ...

'' demographic. Back Street Heroes "celebrates the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, black leather, long hair and open exhausts aspect of motorcycling," targeting, like its US counterpart ''

Easyriders ''Easyriders'' is an American motorcycle magazine, founded in 1970. It was published monthly by Paisano Publications for over 50 years. In addition to its coverage of motorcycles (particularly Harley-Davidsons) and related activities, ''Easyriders ...

'', the "hardcore" niche. It is one of a handful of biker magazines that included

fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditi ...

until 2016. The magazine tied together geographically isolated enthusiasts of biker culture by keeping them up to date on custom bike mechanical techniques and styles, and motorcycle rallies, as well related culture, such as biker music and their music. All this earned the magazine credibility with the mainstream press on the subject of

outlaw motorcycle club An outlaw motorcycle club is a motorcycle subculture generally centered on the use of Cruiser (motorcycle), cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and chopper (motorcycle), choppers, and a set of ideals that purport to celebrate fre ...

s. The magazine was launched in 1983 by former SuperBike contributor Steven Myatt, a journalist and custom bike builder. Early contributor and staff members included Maz Harris, Jim Fogg, Alison Leight, Mike Holland, Rob Baker, Ian Mutch, Stuart Garland, Rich King, Odgie and Clink. Ian 'Maz' Harris, PhD, founder of the Bulldog Bash rally and spokesman for the

Hells Angels The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) is a worldwide outlaw motorcycle club whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporatio ...

, was a regular contributor. Another Hells Angel, Brian 'Moke' Thompson, was also featured in the magazine.

L. J. K. Setright Leonard John Kensell Setright (10 August 1931 – 7 September 2005) was an English journalist, motoring journalist and author. Early life and education Setright was born in London to Australian parents; his father, Henry Roy Setright, was an e ...

contributed technical articles, and Paul Sample's '' Ogri'' cartoon moved to ''Back Street Heroes'' in 2009 for a short while (ceased in 2012), after 35 years at ''

Bike A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. Bic ...

''.

Notes

External links

* {{Biker culture Motorcycle magazines published in the United Kingdom 1983 establishments in the United Kingdom Magazines established in 1983 Monthly magazines published in the United Kingdom Magazines published in London