A cross between a biker gang and a bunch of shameless hipsters, the Moped Army has been “swarming and destroying” since 1997, making a movement out of a machine that you’d think has about as much swag as My Little Pony. With different branches of the Moped Army across the US, from the Latebirds in LA to Los Dorados in Reno, there are regular meets, including the annual Moped BBQ, an event held each Memorial Day in Kalamazoo, Michigan which includes the insane No-Rules Race. In this photo-essay by Jim Mangan for Zero 1 Magazine, the Latebirds stage a two-day race in the desert which by the end it has Jim converted to this two-wheeled cult: “If you’re looking for all the attraction of being in a biker gang–the camaraderie, the adventure, the shared purpose, the open road–minus all the criminal activity and the long and brutal initiation process, look up your local Moped Army branch”.

Jim also has a book out via PowerHouse books in January called Winter’s Children:  Snowboarding / Action Sports / Nudity.

Image courtesy Jim Mangan

Image courtesy Jim Mangan