The Motorcycle Clubs do, and they care a lot.
A friend of mine relates a story about riding through a well-known Motorcycle Club's area wearing a vest with a large backpatch for his riding club. He stopped at a popular restaurant for motorcyclists and was approached by several members of this Motorcycle Club.
Mistake one: He was posturing.
Mistake two: He insisted on calling them "Bro" despite being asked not to.
Mistake three: He insisted that his riding club back patch was the same as theirs, despite the fact that he bought his patch and they earned their's.
Result: They forcibly removed his vest, cut the patch off, and "escorted" him away, with some physical intimidation.
He admits acting like an asshole, and that they were initially just asking him questions, and he wanted to be a tough guy.
Most of us don't ride with clubs, nor do we hang in circles where we run across members of Motorcycle Clubs. However, in the spirit of education, this website was put together to prevent problems like the one my friend experienced.
It makes an interesting read, and it provides some important perspective for a segment of the motorcycle community that is little understood by outsiders.
If you do ride occasionally with or among Motorcycle Clubs, remember that respect given is usually respect received. This is true with many other things in life, but particularly true with these groups.
Happy reading and learning!
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Comments: 9
I've seen the same sort of thing but even more innocent.
A riding club created this patch for themselves. The created a three piece patch. ( that's something that motorcycle clubs do and is traditional ) They put on top and bottom rockers on their vest with a center patch. Then, to make it worse, they put "National" across the bottom rocker.
This is a BIG no-no. Some clubs display their National officers this way and, how does it look to have someone buy a set of patches like this and sew them on?!?!?!
Their patches were cut off their vests and, since their attitude was one of ignorance, that was it and they were instructed to lose the National patch.
The thing is, patches are what make a club member who he is and, it's not personal, it's business.
Clubs go by their own rules and, as long as the public doesn't come into the club world, they will not be subject to club rules but, if you sew on a patch, that's the same as breaking into that world.
There are far more riders now than they used to be.... there are a lot of Doctors and lawyers who buy new leather and have their wife play stripper and ride now.
That's fine but, make no mistake, there are some of us who actually live the life and don't appreciate impersonators. I mean, I don't put on dockers and run through the mall all weekend, why would you sew on patches if that is not something you are?
Anyway, I'm up late and these are some of my random thoughts on this subject.
Take them for whatever they're worth. If you can't already tell, I'm in a club.
I guess one thing most people think when they see a motorcycle club, they call it a gang but, it's actually a club. A riding club is just that. It's a bunch of folks that get together and ride and sometimes sew on patches to show they're a riding club.
A riding club can sew on patches but, they can not put, "MC" on their vests, they can't display a "territory" type of bar and, they may even be approached for the layout of their patches on their vests too.
Good point about all the new "bikers" -- a buddy of mine calls them enthusiasts, which is a nicer name than RUBS. I can understand the attraction. We all understand the sense of freedom and escape from civilian lives when we put on "biker clothes" and ride around on a piece of hot, roaring machinery. But at the end of the weekend, the enthusiast puts up his costume and doffs his suit. A real biker never does.
Thanks for weighing in JW.
The fisrt reason that it was a riding club is that members could come and go as they pleased. If you met the criteria of the club you could join, if you chose to leave the club, you left.
A true motorcycle club (outlaw or otherwise) does not operate this way. You usually have to know a member of the club, then be invited as a "hangaround". After an unspecified period of time, the members of the club may vote the guy in as a prospect. A prospect usually does not wear the entire patch or patches. In a 3 peice patch club a prospect will normally wear a bottom rocker, then the center patch, then finally the top rocker. During the prospect period, the prospect will be at the beck and call of any patch holder in the club. They will stand watch over bikes or drive intoxicated members home in a car if necessary. This prospect period serves two purposes. First it tests the prospect's commitment to the brotherhood. Second, if the prosect is not voted in for whatever reason and loses his patches, it allows the prospect and club to depart ways on good terms. Prospects will go through this period from months to years depending on the club.
In many clubs a patchholder is one for life unless he is voted by the members to be retired (for old age, inability to ride, or other circumstances). If a member has his patch pulled (kicked out of the club) any club property is promptly removed from the person. It is noted that most clubs, the patch itself, be it on a vest, t-shirt, on a bike itself, or a tattoo is considered to be club property. Therefore if you patch is pulled it could mean you forfiet you bike as well as the piece of skin that has the club patch tattooed on it (a belt sander is the preffered method, not laser surgery). This is an extreme case but not unheard of.
Reason 2 that separates a RC from MC is meetings. An RC the meeting are encouraged, but no one will usually try to track you down if you miss a meeting. These could be held once a month more or less. Normal business for a typical MC is a weekly meeting refered to as "church". It is mandatory barring certain circumstances and fines are levied for members who miss meeting even if they are excused.
A MC is a brotherhood. They will defend thier brothers to the death. You might see patches on a member that says " I am my brother's keeper" or "Cut one we all bleed". These are mantras that a MC will live and die by. This is why a patchholder will not take kindly to being called brother or bro. A patchholder will often not even shake your hand if he does not know you and you are not being introduced to him by another brother. You can take offense if you want, but don't get pissy about it, or you are liable to get an introduction to the concrete face first.
Women in RC vs MC. Other than Women's MCs which wear a WMC somehwere in thier colors, women do not wear colors. This it why a MC is a brotherhood. Women wear a "property of" patch The bottom rocker. This lets the other brothers know who's spouse or girlfriend the woman is with. This serves two purposes. First, the member is responsible for the woman's behavior. Second, sleepign with or other types of nonesense with another brother's woman is not tolerated and dealt with harshly. Some women get offended and say it's degrading or whatever. I'm not getting into all that, and neither should any of you. It is club business and not yours. IF you don't like it, don't join the club, if youhusband is in the club, you do not have to go to club functions with him, he is committed to the brotherhood, not the woman.
Another thing on club business, legal, shady, illegal or whatever. Club business is just that, don't ask them because they aren't going to tell you. If you persist, you will likely be waking up on the ground.
I am not the authority on clubs, but just wanted share some of my knowledge and experience. If you think you want to join an RC or MC, just do the research and know what level of commitment you will be getting into. Also you want to check that your club is allowed to fly(wear) colors by the senior club in the area. Know what areas you can or can't wear colors in, especially when crossing state lines. Most of the time other clubs will give you the courtesy ordering you to take of you colrs or patch until you leave thier territory but some are not so gracious. It is America and is a free country but don't just think you can just wear any backpatch anywhere you want and not get hassled, it is just the way things are.
Paco... Street Senze 978