re: Do biker gangs attract the same mindset as pirates from 1700s

I may or may not know a few right now. There are a few bad eggs, but most just like the community, relationships they share with the other members. A lot of them served in Vietnam, gulf war etc. got into motorcycles when stationed in Germany or some place.

Do they protect local businesses for a small fee. Maybe. From what I haven't figured out, certainly not any state/government official as far as I can tell.