The FX Networks series "Sons of Anarchy" kicks off with a helmetless Harley rider blasting down a road to the strains of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and carries its gritty energy for an hour while illustrating the life and times of a California-based outlaw motorcycle gang.

Though motorcycles are a recurring motif of the dramatic series, bikes aren't as centrally featured as they are in, say, The Wild One or Easy Rider.

Much of SOA's action revolves around the motivations of its colorful 1%er characters, embroiled in Godfather-esque plotting, camaraderie, and revenge. Those qualities shouldn't come as a surprise; writer and series creator Kurt Sutter ("The Shield") describes the show as a sort of West Coast version of "The Sopranos." And while the leather vested, tattooed actors exude plenty of outlaw attitude, it's hard- at least after two episodes- to compare the ensemble to the brilliantly convincing " Sopranos."

But there are a number of wind-in-the-hair (or rather, wind-against-the-brainbucket) riding sequences intended to convey the freedom of the open road, unencumbered by pesky societal norms. At the core of the show's first two episodes is a boatload of nefarious activity that includes gun running, violence, and murderous friction between rival gangs like the Arian "Nords" and the latino "Mayans." The Jax character, played by Charlie Hunnam ("Children of Men") is the club's conflicted vice president (no pun intended) who is experiencing a simmering moral conflict between the group's take-no-prisoners criminal activities and the legacy of his late father, who originally founded the group as a sort of "Harley commune." Compounding his struggle is the birth of his son by a junkie mother hooked on crank (Drea de Matteo), and his sharp-tongued mother (Katey Sagal.) She is not only married to Clay, the hard-as-nails club President (Ron Perlman, of "Hellboy" fame), but also intent on ensuring that the club's hardcore roots don't get watered down.

The first two episodes have all the hallmarks of FX Networks' signature shows like "Nip/Tuck" and "The Shield," including unapologetic grittiness, colorful characters, and a morbid twinge of humor that can permeate the darkest of situations. Though motorcycles are integral to the show, "Sons of Anarchy" seems more concerned with the psychological struggles and the social conflicts that ensue when a group of men find themselves on the other side of mainstream society. "We came to realize that when you move your life off the social grid, you give up the safety that society provides," writes the club's original founder. "On the fringe, blood and bullets are the law. And if you're a man with convictions, violence is inevitable."

So while motorcycles are the medium in "Sons of Anarchy," they're not necessarily the motive; these guys may live a freewheeling, devil may care lifestyle, but they seem more focused on cultivating their thuggish ways than they do putting miles on their Harleys. Real life one percenters may shrug or even scoff at the televised portrayal, though it should be noted that series creator Kurt Sutter spent time observing an Oakland, California outlaw biker group firsthand. At the end of the day, "Sons of Anarchy" is a case study on the paradoxically conformist world of a supposedly anarchical organization. While Sonny Barger might not approve, that doesn't mean that the other 99 percent won't find the show an entertaining diversion.

(Premieres on FX Networks Wednesday, September 3rd at 10PM Eastern/Pacific)
FX Networks