Plot

Two rival motorcycle gangs terrorize a small town after one of their leaders is thrown in jail.

Cop-hating Johnny Strabler is recounting the fateful events that led up to the "whole mess" as he calls it, his role in the mess and whether he could have stopped it from happening. The Black Rebels, a motorcycle gang of which Johnny is the leader, cause a ruckus using intimidation wherever they go, with their actions bordering on the unlawful. On the day of the mess, they invade a motorcycle racing event, at which they cause a general disturbance culminating with one of the gang members stealing a second place trophy to give to Johnny. Despite not being the larger winning trophy, it symbolizes to Johnny his leadership within the group. Their next stop is a small town where their disturbance and intimidation tactics continue. Some in town don't mind their arrival as long as they spend money. Harry Bleeker, the local sheriff, doesn't much like them but is so ineffective and weak that he doesn't do anything to stop them, much to the annoyance of some of the other townsfolk, who see the gang as being a criminal element not to be tolerated. Johnny is attracted to the innocent Kathie Bleeker, the waitress at the local café, who is initially intimidated by Johnny and the gang. His feelings change when he learns she is Sheriff Bleeker's daughter. The actions of the gang escalates when the Beetles, a splinter group of the Black Rebels, arrive in town. As things start to get out of hand between the gangs, some of the townsfolk, such as Charlie Thomas who is in his own right a bully albeit one of the "establishment", decide to take matters into their own hands. But Kathie may make Johnny change his beliefs, especially about what is happening this day in the town.—Huggo

Defined by rebellion and driven by hate, Johnny, the rugged leader of the Black Rebels Motorcycle Club--a rowdy gang of bikers reeking of alcohol and gasoline--rides into Wrightsville, California, on his precious Triumph Thunderbird 6T motorcycle with a prize trophy strapped to its handlebars. Everyone knows that swaggering, Perfecto-clad Johnny's word is law; however, as an accident traps his companions in the sleepy town, insolence ratchets up the tension, catching the attention of Chino's Beetles, a rival biker gang, and the law. Now, as the Rebels continue to wreak havoc looking for trouble, Kathie, the attractive, clean-cut waitress of the Bleeker's Cafe/Bar, finds herself before an emotional cul-de-sac, torn between reason and silent, unconfessed desire. But the allure of the long, empty stretches of road is irresistible. When the entire world is the enemy, who has time for love and heartbreak?—Nick Riganas

A gang of forty motorcyclists, the Black Rebels Motorcycle Club, gate-crash a legitimate motorcycle race. They are eventually thrown out, but one of the gang steals the second prize trophy and gives it to their leader, Johnny. The gang then ride into Wrightsville, where they race up and down the main street before piling into Bleekers - the local bar. The owner of the bar is happy to let the bikers spend their money, so does not support the sheriff's attempt to address any disturbances. Stuck in town following an accident to a Black Rebel, Johnny falls for the sheriff's daughter and tries to impress her with the trophy. When a rival gang, The Beetles, ride into town, trouble is just around the corner.—Colin Tinto <cst@imdb.com>