Later on, the iconic motorcycle scene was relived when Pam Anderson donned the Barb Wire super hero persona and pulled on a tight pair of leather pants and bustier and strapped a 300-pound power machine between her legs to fight off crime. Every man woman and child, gay or not, can find something sexy about the motorcycle. So where does this sexy iconic machine get it's roots?

The inspiration for the earliest motorcycle was designed and built by the German inventors Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Bad Cannstatt. The first petroleum-powered vehicle, it was essentially a motorized bicycle and in 1894, the Hildebrand & Wolfmüller became the first motorcycle available for purchase. Since that time the invention has made several transformations and the popularity has grown for both sport and recreation. Today the Japanese manufacturers, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha dominate the motorcycle industry, although Harley-Davidson still maintains a high degree of popularity in the United States.

Harley is one of the two remaining American mass-producers of motorcycles along with Victory Motorcycles. The company emphasizes heavy bikes designed for cruising and are known for their distinctive exhaust sound. In 1994 the Harley Davidson Company went so far as to file for a trademark for the sound produced by their engines. Although the trademark was dropped, the reputation of the Harley has attracted many fans to become dedicated followers of the Harley Davidson brand.

Around the world, motorcycles have historically been associated with subcultures of loose-knit social groups such as the cafe racers of 1950s in Britain, and the Mods and Rockers of the 1960s. The most well known of these groups in the United States is the Harley Owners Group better known as HOG. But the subculture of the motorcycle generation has expanded and many sub groups have been growing throughout the gay community.

Motorcycle clubs, a mainstay of gay culture since the 1950s, ushered in a new brand of queer masculinity and is strongly associated to the beginnings of today's leather/SM community. By the mid-1960s, San Francisco's South of Market district had become a hotbed of the gay motorcycle scene, and home to clubs such as the Constantines and the Barbary Coasters.

While early gay motorcycle clubs were men-only, some lesbians also embraced the lifestyle, forming women's clubs such as the Moving Violations in Boston and the Sirens in New York City. The most well-known gay women motorcyclists are the "Dykes on Bikes". The original group, which rode in the 1976 San Francisco Pride Parade, became a nonprofit organization officially known as the Women's Motorcycle Contingent because the US Patent and Trademark Office twice rejected the group's application claiming the word "dyke" was derogatory and vulgar. The group did finally registered the name "Dykes on Bikes" in 2005 and the has been successful in organized fundraisers and awareness programs for the gay community, as well as being a present force in Gay Pride Parades across the country.

While motorcycle clubs no longer play as prominent a role in the gay world, the culture continues to thrive, and new clubs emerge, such as the Stonewall Knights in Ft. Lauderdale and the Cavaliers of New Orleans, both founded in 2002. Mirroring trends in the larger LGBT community, many of today's motorcycle clubs welcome members of all genders and sexual orientations. Whether it's Batgirl or Marlon Brando from the Wild One, the image of motorcycles sparks a sex appeal that is envied and emulated throughout our culture, but the gay motorcycle groups bring so much more than just sex appeal. They offer a place for friendship, comoradory, and self-expression to grow.

For more information on gay & lesbian motorcycle groups, visit www.dmoz.org .

Until next time!