Forty years of evolution of the motorcycling movement in France

Forty years of shaking the handlebars, shouting against ridiculous reforms, defending with all their might the roaring machines of every neighborhood, every road, every asphalt in France. Since 1980, the French Federation of Angry Bikers, or FFMC for those close and the warriors of the handlebars, is the voice that refuses to be silenced. And let me tell you, this book by Guillaume Chocteau, a guy who knows his stuff and has dived into the depths of this story as electric as a rev on a Harley-Davidson, packs a punch.

Fast Start: Birth and Rise of the French Biker Movement

Le Havre, 1980. Not for a cricket, but for a cry of exasperation: insurance at a gold price, motorcycle tax hanging over the bikers' heads, and a vast emptiness in terms of representation. This is where the FFMC was born, to stand up and, above all, to kick the anthill. And like a Kawasaki coming out of a turn, the federation quickly elbowed its way through. No way were they going to stay in the shadow of BMW Motorrad and other giants: bikers, often from the working class, wanted their share of the asphalt and respect. The result? A dedicated mutual (the Mutual of Bikers, 1983), a newspaper to hit hard (Moto Magazine), and a home school (AFDM, 1986) to stop the deaths on the road.

The Milestones Marking Forty Years of Battle

With Guillaume Chocteau at the helm of the pen, we rewind these four decades, through sharp interviews and images that smell of castor oil and the embers of the Bol d’Or. The transition from the governance of motorcycles' horsepower (end of the regulated 100 horsepower) and the titanic struggle against technical inspections for motorcycles are examples of this daily fight. It smells of sweat as much as burned tar at the dawn of a protest, and it makes even the Sunday riders on their well-behaved Hondas and Ducatis think.

When FFMC Hits the Gas on Biker Defense

The first twenty years were a cold war against the weakening of rights, the rise of taxes, and the wild jungle of environmental regulations. Today, in 2025, the battle shows no signs of weakening, especially with current issues surrounding noise and ecology. It seems that neither Honda, nor Suzuki, nor Triumph, nor even KTM and Aprilia are easily surrendering on this front! The FFMC is the fist that rumbles in the street and the voice that resonates in parliament, putting it in 6th gear to defend the very essence of biking in France.

The Journey Towards 2025: The Handlebars Remain Hot

You can feel it: this is not a dusty epic placed on the encyclopedia shelf, but a name still alive that spits and roars in the wind. Every year, from Le Havre to Toulouse, from Paris to the Alps, national bikers on Yamahas or Aprilias know that behind their helmets, there is a family that holds its ground. Guillaume's book, available for 18.50 euros and online (for fans of biker culture, it's worth checking out at Le Repaire des Motards or Moto Magazine), is the itinerary of a fight that shoots faster than a Ducati down a straight line.

Yes, you, there, in front of your screen, with your CB500 and your dreams of wheelies, this story is yours. No way am I dealing with dealerships here. Would I buy this? Not with my money. But if someone lends it to me, I’d ride all the way to Valence with one hand in my pants and a Quattro flooring it.

To dive deeper into the biker world and its rants, take a look at Motard en Balade or join the fight against the absurd technical inspection on Motards boycott contrôle technique. It's not just burned rubber; it's a life on the handlebars that we defend.