Well, the Smithsonian tale is patent BS, obviously. The rest isn't. The Hell's Angels routinely did motorcyle stunts on a brief short section of
the road (pre-helmet) on the way to their usual 4th of July campsite up at a particular reservoir in the pines. Nobody could chop a Harley
of they'd come after them, so they chopped Triumphs instead, or else rode dressed Harleys. The locals eventually got sick of getting their
daughters raped etc, and threatened to shoot any Hell's Amgel on sight if they left the campground itself. But what stopped them cold is when three in a row got knifed in the neighborhood Indian bar. It's a long story how that feud got started. Since those days, I've lived right next door to one here in the city. He had a cute little cottage with window boxes and flowers, but on the weekend dressed up to ride. Then my wife served as an alternate juror on a huge Fed drug case where the famous defender of the Hell's Angels, Tony Serra, was defending some other hard drug dealers. Then Tony went to prison himself for income tax evasion, but is now allegedly out. He had a tiny little shack right on the Rift Zone in Pt Reyes, which has now been converted into the shower house for a popular horse camp. It's still a photogenic though "aromatic" walk through there. BBQ grills in the redwoods, right beside whatever horses leave behind tied up. Otherwise, the Hell's
Angels are probably the primary home-grown drug distribution ring of "oakie" drugs, as opposed to cocaine, heroin, etc. You've probably
heard about their last big brawl with the Mongols, which got the Mongols logo officially banned in several Western states per racketeering
laws. Hundred of Hells Angels rode in convoy right down the freeway here on their way to that burial of one of their remaining elder statesmen that a Mongol shot.