There’s no adrenaline rush quite like riding a motorcycle. Don’t have a chopper, hog, or crotch rocket at hand? Well, then the next best thing is watching a bunch of bikers eat asphalt, get in trouble, and otherwise be badasses on screen. As Mayans M.C., the Sons of Anarchy spinoff, gets its second season underway, we thought it’d be fun to see what other bike-themed TV shows are out there and worth watching. Get revved with these documentaries, based-on-a-true-story tales, and fictional dramas that’ll have your heart thumping and your body itching for a ride. Don’t forget your helmet!
Cover Photo: FX Productions
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Motorcycle Shows
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'Sons of Anarchy'
When most people think of motorcycle shows, they think of Sons of Anarchy. And rightly so. The series centered around Jackson "Jax" Teller (Charlie Hunnam), a newly elected leader of an outlaw motorcycle club, was well-received by critics and bikers alike and remains one of the best motorcycle-themed TV shows ever.
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'Gangland Undercover'
After meth dealer Charles Falco (Damon Runyan) is arrested on drug charges, he chooses to go undercover rather than do jail time and spends the next three years sidling up to the Vagos motorcycle gang as an ATF informant. Though the show is fictionalized, it's based on a true story, adding depth and grit to an already gripping tale.
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'Harley and the Davidsons'
This period drama is based on the real-life creators of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. See how hogs came to be in Milwaukee at the turn of the century.
Photo: Discovery Channel
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'Ride With Norman Reedus'
Norman Reedus' talents go beyond The Walking Dead. In this series, the actor takes audiences -- and friends -- to explore different cities' bike cultures and visit with the best bike builders.
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'Nitro Circus'
X Games gold medalist and motorcross wild man Travis Pastrana and his motley crew of fellow bikers attempt to out-stunt one another in this MTV series.
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'American Chopper'
This Discovery Channel reality series explores the pride and pitfalls of New York custom motorcycle fabrication company Orange County Choppers.
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'Biker Build-Off'
This fan favorite documentary series pits renowned motorcycle fabricators against one another. Each has 10 days to design and build a bike, which they ride to a bike show where the audience decides the winner.
Photo: Discovery Channel
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'Philly Throttle'
Vintage bike builder Adam Cramer struggles to balance the beauty of restoring motorcycles with the beast of owning a small business in a rough Philly 'hood in this docuseries.
Photo: Discovery Channel
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'Long Way Round'
This documentary travel series follows actor friends Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman as they tour on two-wheelers around the world to destinations as diverse and far-reaching as Mongolia and Kazakhstan. Soak up some culture and appreciate how motorcycles can expand minds.
Photo: Goldhil Entertainment
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'What's in the Barn?'
Former Harley-Davidson dealer Dale Walksler travels the country in search of prime vintage bikes to restore and display at his North Carolina museum Wheels Through Time Museum in this Motor Trend series.
Photo: YouTube
