Sandro Miller's 'American Bikers' Photography Series Captures Softer Side Of Rebel Subculture (NSFW, PHOTOS)

For years, bikers have proudly remained rebels and outsiders in American culture. Though they may first appear to be a lawless crew of land-dwelling pirates, photographer Sandro Miller saw something beyond their gruff exteriors. We first saw these on Inspirefirst, and couldn't get enough of the raw images in the slideshow below.

Miller initially encountered the aesthetics of biker life in the '90s at a rally raising money for a charity for severely disabled children. Surprised and intrigued by the kind hearts beneath all that chest hair, Miller set out on a journey to capture intimate and subtly unexpected portraits of the ragtag, Harley-bound family. His cross-country adventure included encounters with law-abiding weekend bikers and whiskey-swilling war vets out to have a good time on their Harleys. Miller's portraits capture the humanity behind the faces weathered from the pounding wind, showing people living out a conventional American dream of freedom and liberty in many unconventional ways. You can see more images in his two-volume book, "American Bikers."

When did you first ride a motorcycle, readers? Let us know in the comments below.

[h/t Flavorwire]