Icons of Machismo

Clad in leather or denim, members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club take their Harley-Davidsons and ride out on the open highways of the United States.

As the club’s exact origins are hazy, so are members bestowed with an often ambiguous reputation for free-spirited misbehavior, sometimes bordering on criminal. People believe that the Hells Angels are a bunch of tough guys out to cause some trouble.

If anything, these hog riders have become icons with some similarities identifiable with another macho mainstay – the diesel engine. You might be surprised that some connection can be made between the two, but read on and you might find yourself nodding in agreement.

10. The Intense Push of Life

The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club often meets to go on trips through the highways of the United States. There, they get to see different sights and encounter different people. You might say that theirs is a pretty adventurous and intense life.

This intensity is similar to the high levels of energy diesel engines exert. Unlike gasoline engines, in which fuel and air are mixed before they combust, diesel engines compress the air to reach a temperature at which fuel readily burns. The air is compressed by introducing high levels of energy. Therefore, a more intense push achieves a greater amount of compression, eventually leading to a hot burn.

9. Cool under Pressure

Although these bikers supposedly lead intense lives, they aren’t a bunch of high-strung tough guys. In fact, taking pleasure in just cruising across the countryside is a sign of a relaxed and easy-going group of people. True, motorcycle riding poses its fair share of challenges, which the Hells Angels often face in stride.

Likewise, being cool under pressure is also true for diesel engines. Though much pressure is administered to compress the air, diesel burns at temperatures lower than gasoline. This coolness actually leads to better fuel economy, as less fuel is burned.

8. A Little Bit Dense

Though known to be muscle-clad motorcyclists, the Hells Angels are not exactly known for their wits. Movies often show them as simpletons who communicate with each other through grunts and heavy billowing. You might say that they’re depicted as a bit dense.

Similarly, diesel is denser than normal gasoline. Compared to gasoline engines, those that run on diesel require less fuel to generate a certain level of energy. In this manner, diesel engines are lauded for good fuel economy.

7. Cheapskate

The free-spirited life is often lived with few belongings. The Hells Angels typically pack light while on their cross-country road trips. As long as a knife, some tinder, a few cigarettes and booze are handy, the roughrider life goes on pretty smoothly.

Diesel engines are like the Hells Angels because they too, operate with less. Particularly, these engines don’t have spark plugs because the compressed air is enough to ignite the fuel. With less parts required to operate, less repairs are needed. In this manner, diesel engines can be seen as a cheapskate version of a regular combustion engine.

6. Spewing Like Volcanoes

The common getup of a biker involves leather or denim, tattoos or earrings, and backpacks filled with booze or tobacco. The picture of a member of the Hells Angels usually involves the wind blowing through long, unkempt hair, aviator shades positioned to block out the sun and dust, and a cigarette hanging on the crook of the mouth. Smoke is always in the air around these bikers.

Likewise, older diesel engines are known to spew out excessive amounts of particles into the air. Often, the smoke coming out of the mufflers is dark gray, filled with oxides of nitrogen. Later diesel engine models, however, are designed so that emissions are reduced drastically. Still, the image of a diesel engine spewing out smoke like a volcano is widespread.

5. Not So Quick, but Packs Tremendous Power

Truth be told, most Hells Angels are big, burly men. Check out their current rosters and it would be rare for you to find a thin and lanky or short and stocky member. After all, the Harley-Davidsons they use are such large vehicles, the small-framed are hard pressed to drive them.

Often, the big and burly are associated with the slow yet very powerful. Oddly enough, diesel engines can be described in this way, too. Though these often have long acceleration times, diesel engines provide fantastic pulling power. The torque in these engines is so high that they are often used in heavy machinery. Pop the hood of fire trucks, dump trucks, bulldozers and large pieces of industrial equipment. Chances are you’d find a diesel engine powering the machine.

4. That Pungent Odor

There is nothing like whizzing through open roads and highways at top speeds. It’s no surprise then that the Hells Angels come together from time to time just to ride cross-country.

Traveling at such speeds stirs up desert dust and rams the bikers into airborne creatures like insects. As a result, days and nights spent riding do get the bikers dirty, and when shower breaks often come after long intervals, bikers can emit an odor as distinct as the fumes from diesel engines.

Diesel fuel is a mix that is different from gasoline. When used for combustion, the fuel burns to emit an odor more pungent than gasoline, or perhaps, these riders.

3. What’s with the Noise?

Aside from the cloud of dust rising in the horizon, you know a large group of motorcycles is coming when there’s a distant rumble. Many Harley-Davidson engines running in unison produce a sound deep and thunderous, as if to herald to passersby the coming of the Hells Angels.

In a way, the fanfare serves a purpose. When driving at such speeds, slowing down is not as simple as applying the brakes. It has to be planned out, as the momentum of many bikers makes for a real road hazard.

The rumble becomes definitive of the motorcycle group, much like how diesel engines are known to be a lot noisier than their gasoline counterparts. In fact, many would cite this as a disadvantage to having a diesel engine.

2. In it for the Long Haul

The Hells Angels are known to take their low-riders out for hours at an end. Motorcycle club trips don’t happen every day, so these bikers try to milk every ounce of riding they can get. The Hells Angels are in it for the long haul. The hours may be too much for some, but for these hardy bikers, the time challenge is what makes biking so great.

In the same manner, diesel engines are known to last longer than gasoline engines. If properly maintained, old diesel engines work as if they’re still brand new. To an extent, this is what diesel engine owners are proud of. Like the Hells Angels’ dedication to long biking trips, diesel engines are sure to keep running for quite some time.

1. Grace Comes with Age

There’s nothing as cool as meeting an old Hells Angel biker. The tough guy swagger remains, but now with a tinge of wisdom and experience. For sure, older bikers have been through a lot and have seen many places. This makes them very interesting people to talk to.

The connection with diesel engines might be a bit strained, but can still be seen. Grace comes with age in a diesel engine in the form of higher returns on investment. At the onset, a diesel engine comes at a higher price than one running on gasoline. However, because diesel engines supposedly utilize fuel more efficiently, less is spent in the long run. To reap the full benefits of a diesel engine, it’s best to keep it with you for as long as possible.

The similarities between the Hells Angels and diesel engines are not obviously seen. Regardless, they’re there and it’s interesting to consider diesel engines the machine equivalents of these leather- or denim-clad bikers.

 

(For sure, both the Hell’s Angels and diesel engines have given us a glimpse of true freedom on the road. But in these trying times, it’s best to listen to Fuel-Saving Tips to find ways to Deal With High Gas Prices. )