Extreme Sports' Unlikely Stars

WHO: Peter Hayes

DAY JOB: Member of Seventies throwback rockers Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

EXTREME PASSION: Motorcycles

BIKER BOY: Growing up in New York Mills, New York, Hayes readily immersed himself in dirt bike culture. "I flipped a little three-wheeler a couple times before they were made illegal," recalls Hayes. "I actually got knocked out on them once. I was racing my brother and I went into a ditch. The next thing I knew, I was flat on the ground. Out cold. He didn't even notice!"

GEAR: Like the vintage rock vibe of his band's songs, Hayes prefers classic rides over modern-day crotch rockets. "I'm not so into street bikes," he says, adding that he rides a 1980 Harley Sportster Ironhead. "There's something that ain't quite right getting the brand-new bike that you know isn't going to fall apart. It's about not having a back-up plan and seeing what the adventure will be."

WORST INJURY: A day before his band was scheduled to play a gig in Portugal, Hayes and his bandmates were cruising the countryside on hogs. When things got competitive and they started racing, Hayes lost control and hit the dirt. "I fell and hurt my wrist," he says. "It fucked up our show the next day. I couldn't play."

OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD: The reference to bikes in the band name isn't a coincidence. "Because of our name, we dodged every motorcycle question," says Hayes. "I mean, at every photo shoot, they tried to put us on bikes! Now we embrace it more. Plus, we dig that Easy Rider imagery and all the freedom it conjures up."