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Undid revision 214644102 by 206.248.50.240 (talk)rv, need sources as the IPMC website mentions they are NOT 1%ers
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While ''one-percenters'' garner much publicity for their activities and misdeeds, there are many, many more motorcycle clubs and bikers that instead identify as ninety-nine percenters, that is to say, ''not'' one-percenters. Indeed, as of March, 2006, the [[American Motorcyclist Association]], an organization that is the very [[antithesis]] of one-percenters, counts 269,884 active members and many chartered clubs.<ref>[http://home.ama-cycle.org/newsroom/facts.asp AMA Newsroom: Facts and Figures], retrieved September 10, 2007</ref>
While ''one-percenters'' garner much publicity for their activities and misdeeds, there are many, many more motorcycle clubs and bikers that instead identify as ninety-nine percenters, that is to say, ''not'' one-percenters. Indeed, as of March, 2006, the [[American Motorcyclist Association]], an organization that is the very [[antithesis]] of one-percenters, counts 269,884 active members and many chartered clubs.<ref>[http://home.ama-cycle.org/newsroom/facts.asp AMA Newsroom: Facts and Figures], retrieved September 10, 2007</ref>


99%er MCs include police, military, and firefighter clubs (or a combination thereof) such as the Iron Pigs MC (now wearing a 1% patch), Steel Horse Posse MC, Iron Warriors MC, Shamrocks MC, Blue Knights MC, Choir Boys MC, Knights Paladin MC, Southwest Desert Riders of El Paso TX (which has a mix of all the above professions), and Wind and Fire MC. Various military and veterans MCs include the U.S. Military Vets MC, the Warrior Brotherhood Vets MC, the Vietnam Vets MC, the Leathernecks MC, American Badgers MC, and the Buffalo Soldiers MC. Still other MCs include the [[Boozefighters]] and the [[San Francisco Motorcycle Club|San Francisco MC]]. One online directory of MCs lists 216 clubs.<ref>[http://www.motorcycleclubsindex.com/ Motorcycle Club Index], retrieved September 25, 2007</ref>
99%er MCs include police, military, and firefighter clubs (or a combination thereof) such as the Iron Pigs MC, Steel Horse Posse MC, Iron Warriors MC, Shamrocks MC, Blue Knights MC, Choir Boys MC, Knights Paladin MC, Southwest Desert Riders of El Paso TX (which has a mix of all the above professions), and Wind and Fire MC. Various military and veterans MCs include the U.S. Military Vets MC, the Warrior Brotherhood Vets MC, the Vietnam Vets MC, the Leathernecks MC, American Badgers MC, and the Buffalo Soldiers MC. Still other MCs include the [[Boozefighters]] and the [[San Francisco Motorcycle Club|San Francisco MC]]. One online directory of MCs lists 216 clubs.<ref>[http://www.motorcycleclubsindex.com/ Motorcycle Club Index], retrieved September 25, 2007</ref>


In addition to the many independent and "outlaw" MCs, there are a great many ''motorcycle riding clubs'', including those sponsored by various manufacturers, such as the [[Harley Owners Group]], Iron Indian Riders Association, Honda Riders Club of America, BMW Motorcycle Owners of America, and several others. Other riding clubs exist for a specific purpose, such as the [[Patriot Guard Riders]], who provide funeral escorts for military veterans.
In addition to the many independent and "outlaw" MCs, there are a great many ''motorcycle riding clubs'', including those sponsored by various manufacturers, such as the [[Harley Owners Group]], Iron Indian Riders Association, Honda Riders Club of America, BMW Motorcycle Owners of America, and several others. Other riding clubs exist for a specific purpose, such as the [[Patriot Guard Riders]], who provide funeral escorts for military veterans.

Revision as of 16:14, 24 May 2008

A motorcycle club (MC) is an organized club of dedicated motorcyclists who join together for camaraderie, strength of numbers, companionship, and partying. Motorcycle clubs have a group of elected officers, a probationary period for new members, and a measure of privacy about their internal structure, bylaws, and membership. As part of becoming a full member, an individual must pass a vote of the membership and swear some level of allegiance to the club. Each club has a unique club patch (or patches) adorned with the term "MC" that are worn on the rider's vest, known as colors. The oldest motorcycle clubs in the U.S. are the Yonkers MC, founded in 1903, the San Francisco MC, founded 1904, and the Oakland MC, founded in 1907.

Membership

Hells Angels MC New York City clubhouse

The typical internal organization of a motorcycle club consists of a president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, road captain, and sergeant-at-arms.[1] Localized groups of a single, large MC are called chapters, and the first chapter established for an MC is referred to as the mother chapter. The president of the mother chapter serves as the president of the entire MC, and sets club policy on a variety of issues.

The membership process for most motorcycle clubs begins as a guest or "hang-around", wherein an individual is invited to some club events or meets club members at known gathering places. If the guest is interested, or a club asks the hangaround to join he may become a member. If accepted, they remain a prospective member, or prospect, for some minimum time period, participating in some club activities, but not having voting privileges, while they are evaluated for suitability as full members. Some clubs refer to a potential member as a probationary member or probate, though probationary status is usually reserved for those that already have the necessary knowledge and experience to be members. For example, if an entire chapter switches from one club to another, the members are probationary members for some period of time.

Some amount of hazing may occur during the prospecting period, ranging from the mandatory performance of menial labor tasks for full patch members to sophomoric pranks, and, in the case of some outlaw motorcycle clubs, acts of civil disobedience or crime. During this time, the prospect may wear the club name on the back of their vest, but not the full logo, though this practice may vary from club to club. To become a full member, the prospect or probate must be voted on by the rest of the full club members. Successful admission usually requires more than a simple majority, and some clubs may reject a prospect or a probate for a single dissenting vote. A formal induction follows, in which the new member affirms his loyalty to the club and its members. The final logo patch is then awarded. Full members are often referred to as "full patch members" and the step of attaining full membership can be referred to as "being patched".

Most one-percenter MCs do not allow women to become full-patch members, but women can hold special status with the club. Membership in what authorities term 'Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs' is often racist as well as sexist,[2] and membership in the Hells Angels is closed to African-Americans.[3] [4] MC members are not usually referred to by their given names, but instead refer to each other by nicknames, or road names, sometimes even displaying their road name on the club vest. Whether or not this practice was carried over from the military aviation history of colorful pilot callsigns is not known.

Larger motorcycle clubs often acquire real estate for use as a clubhouse or private compound. These clubs often have security features such as closed-circuit television monitors, motion detector lights, and barbed wire-topped fences. As well, the clubhouse or compound walls may be reinforced materials such as plate steel or kevlar to provide ballistic protection.

Colors

File:Seized bandidos colors.jpg
OPP Sgt. Dave Rector positions Bandidos vest seized in raids near Iona Station prior to a news conference in London, Ontario. Note MC and 1% patches.

The primary visual identification of a member of an MC is the vest adorned with a specific large club patch or patches, predominantly located in the middle of the back. The patch(es) will contain a club logo, the name of the club, and the letters "MC", and a possible state, province, or other chapter identification. This garment and the patches themselves are referred to as the "colors", or, sometimes, "cuts", a term taken from the early practice of cutting the collars and/or sleeves from a denim or leather jacket. Many non-outlaw motorcycle riding clubs (as opposed to MCs) such as Harley Owners Group (HOG) also wear patches on the back of their jackets or vests, but the letters "MC" are nowhere to be seen on such patches. This is an important distinction, for only true motorcycle clubs sport the "MC" moniker.

The colors will either consist of a one-piece patch, two-piece patch, or a three piece patch. The Three Piece Patch Set consists of the club logo and the top and bottom patches, usually crescent shaped, which are referred to as rockers. The number and arrangement of patches is somewhat indicative of the nature of the club. Most one-percenter clubs will have a three-piece patch arrangement; few have a one-piece arrangement. Not all (or even most) clubs sporting a three-piece patch are one-percenters, however. The club patches always remain property of the club itself, not the member, and only members are allowed to wear the clubs colors. A member must closely guard their colors, for allowing ones colors to fall into the hands of an outsider is an act of disgrace and may result in loss of membership in a club, or some other punishment. Contrary to recent popular belief, a 5 Piece Patch Set does not exist. The separate designation patch (MC, VC, SBR, etc) is sometimes called the CUE Patch. Some clubs do not count it as part of the color set.

Law enforcement agencies have confiscated a clubs colors and other club paraphernalia when they raid a clubhouse or the home of an MC member, and they often display these items at press conferences.[5] These items are then used at trial to support prosecution assertions that MC members perform criminal acts on behalf of their club. Courts have found that the probative value of such items is far outweighed by their prejudicial effects on the defense. [6]

One Percenters

Members of motorcycle clubs are often viewed in a negative light by traditional society. This perception has been fueled by the movies, popular culture, and highly publicized incidents. One of the earliest and most notorious of these occurred in Hollister, California in 1947[7] [8] and is now dubbed the Hollister riot. Whether or not an actual riot occurred is debatable, but there was a motorcycle rally in Hollister from July 4 to July 6 of that year that was attended by about 4000 people. Several newspaper articles were written that, according to some attendees, sensationalized the event and Life magazine ran an article and a staged photograph of an intoxicated subject on a motorcycle parked in a bar. The film The Wild One, starring Marlon Brando, was inspired by the event, and it became the first in a series of movies that depicted bikers and members of motorcycle clubs in this stereotypical manner. The press asked the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) to comment on the Hollister incident and their response was that 99% of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens, and the last one percent were outlaws. Thus was born the term, "one percenter".[9]

During the 1940s and 1950s, at rallies and gatherings sponsored by the AMA, prizes were awarded for nicest club uniform, prettiest motorcycle, and so forth. Some clubs, however, rejected the clean-cut image and adopted the "one-percenter" moniker, even going so far as to create a diamond shaped 1% patch to wear on their vests as a badge of honor. Another practice was to cut their one-piece club patches into three or more pieces as a form of protest, which evolved into the current form of three-piece colors worn by many MCs today. One-percenter clubs point out that the term "one-percenter" simply means that they are committed to "biking and brotherhood", where riding is not just a weekend activity, but a way of living. These clubs assert that local and national law enforcement agencies have co-opted the term to paint them as criminals.[10]

Sonny Barger and others went even further than wearing the rhombus-shaped patch on their colors and had the symbol tattooed on their upper bodies. In his autobiography, Mr. Barger recalls how, early on (1950's), there was an informal agreement amongst the one-percenters, regardless of gang affiliation, with certain guidelines such as "no stealing" (from each other), no "rat-packing" (on fellow one-percenters) and so forth. However, Sonny and his fellow members soon quit the "one-percenters club" because, as he describes it in his book, they felt that the other self-described one-percenters were not of equal status to the Hells Angels, and since a Hells Angel's primary allegiance needed to be to his fellow Angels, there was no need or desire for any such further affiliation with this self-described group.[11]

Ninety-Nine Percenters

While one-percenters garner much publicity for their activities and misdeeds, there are many, many more motorcycle clubs and bikers that instead identify as ninety-nine percenters, that is to say, not one-percenters. Indeed, as of March, 2006, the American Motorcyclist Association, an organization that is the very antithesis of one-percenters, counts 269,884 active members and many chartered clubs.[12]

99%er MCs include police, military, and firefighter clubs (or a combination thereof) such as the Iron Pigs MC, Steel Horse Posse MC, Iron Warriors MC, Shamrocks MC, Blue Knights MC, Choir Boys MC, Knights Paladin MC, Southwest Desert Riders of El Paso TX (which has a mix of all the above professions), and Wind and Fire MC. Various military and veterans MCs include the U.S. Military Vets MC, the Warrior Brotherhood Vets MC, the Vietnam Vets MC, the Leathernecks MC, American Badgers MC, and the Buffalo Soldiers MC. Still other MCs include the Boozefighters and the San Francisco MC. One online directory of MCs lists 216 clubs.[13]

In addition to the many independent and "outlaw" MCs, there are a great many motorcycle riding clubs, including those sponsored by various manufacturers, such as the Harley Owners Group, Iron Indian Riders Association, Honda Riders Club of America, BMW Motorcycle Owners of America, and several others. Other riding clubs exist for a specific purpose, such as the Patriot Guard Riders, who provide funeral escorts for military veterans.

Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs

Anthropologist Daniel R. Wolf, who wrote his PhD thesis based on original research done during his membership with the Rebels MC in Canada, defined an outlaw motorcycle club as, "technically," ... "a club that is not registered with the American Motorcycle Association (AMA) or the Canadian Motorcycle Association (CMA), which are the respective governing bodies for the sport of motorcycling in the United States and Canada. The AMA and CMA are themselves affiliated with the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), the international coordinating body for motorcycling whose headquarters are located in Paris, France."[14] It is significant to note that this is a much broader definition than both the term "one-percenter", and the one used by law enforcement agencies in describing what they now refer to as outlaw motorcycle gangs.

Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs

Both the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Criminal Intelligence Service Canada have designated four MCs as Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMGs), which are the Pagans, Hells Angels, Outlaws MC, and Bandidos,[15][16] known as the "Big Four".[17] These four have a large enough national impact to be prosecuted under the Federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations statute.[18] The California Attorney General also lists the Mongols as an outlaw motorcycle gang.[19] The FBI asserts that OMGs support themselves primarily through drug dealing, trafficking in stolen goods, and extortion, and that they fight over territory and the illegal drug trade.[20] The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Gazette, quoting from the Provincial Court of Manitoba, defines these groups as: "Any group of motorcycle enthusiasts who have voluntarily made a commitment to band together and abide by their organizations' rigorous rules enforced by violence, who engage in activities that bring them and their club into serious conflict with society and the law".[21]

The FBI asserts that OMG's collect $1 billion in illegal income annually[22][23] and that street gangs, prison gangs, and OMGs are the primary retail distributors of illegal drugs in the US,[24][25] with OMGs dominating US meth trade distribution.[26][27] In 1985,[28] a three-year, eleven-state FBI operation named Roughrider culminated in the largest OMG bust in history, with the confiscation of $2 million worth of illegal drugs, as well as an illegal arsenal of weapons, ranging from UZI submachine guns to antitank weapons.[29]

Canada, especially, has, in the past two decades, experienced a significant upsurge in crime involving outlaw motorcycle gangs, most notably in what has been dubbed the Quebec Biker war, which has involved more than 150 murders[30] (plus a young bystander killed by an exploding car bomb), 84 bombings, and 130 cases of arson.[31] The increased violence in Canada has been attributed to turf wars over the illegal drug trafficking business, specifically relating to access to the Port of Montreal[32] , but also as the Hells Angels have sought to obtain control of the street level trade from other rival and/or independent gangs in various regions of Canada.[33]

Members and supporters of these clubs insist that illegal activities are isolated occurrences and that they, as a whole, are not criminal organizations. They often compare themselves to police departments, wherein the occasional "bad cop" does not make a police department a criminal organization. One biker website has a news section devoted to "cops gone bad" to support their point of view,[34] and the Hells Angels sponsors charitable events for Toys for Tots. [35]

Relationships between MCs

In the United States, many MCs have established state-wide MC confederations. These confederations are composed of MCs who have chapters in the state, and the occasional interested third party organization. The confederation holds periodic meetings on neutral ground, wherein representatives from each club (usually the presidents and vice-presidents, but not always) meet in closed session to resolve disputes between clubs and discuss issues of common interest.

The largest one-percent club tends to dominate the confederation, using their numbers to impose their will on other clubs. Sometimes clubs are forced into, or willingly accept, "support" roles for a one-percent club. Smaller clubs who resist a large one-percent club have been forcibly disbanded, e.g. told to hand over their colors or risk war. [36] With the exception of Law Enforcement Clubs[citation needed] , smaller clubs usually comply, since members of a family club are usually unwilling to risk injury or worse. Another tactic used by one-percent clubs is to force smaller clubs to join the AMA and wear an AMA patch. This is considered an act of shame by some clubs, and a club thus forced may wear an upside-down AMA patch on their colors as a form of protest and to retain their dignity.

Certain large one-percent MCs are rivals with each other and will fight over territory and other issues.[37] In 2002, members of the Mongols MC and the Hells Angels MC had a confrontation in Laughlin, Nevada at the Harrah's Laughlin Casino that left three bikers dead. Police intelligence reports indicate that the Mongols may have initiated the confrontation to bolster their status.[38] Another melee, this time between the Hells Angels and the Pagans MC, occurred in February, 2002 at a Hells Angels convention. Police reports indicate the Pagans were outraged that the event was held on what they considered their "home turf".[39]

Part of the mystique surrounding MCs has been driven by books, movies and television, beginning with the so-called Hollister riot in 1947, about which two articles appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, and another in Life Magazine featuring a large staged photograph of an intoxicated subject on a motorcycle parked in a bar.

A series of biker movies followed, beginning with The Wild One, starring Marlon Brando, and culminating with the award-winning Easy Rider, with its iconic Captain America chopper. Many of these were B movies, a staple of 1960s drive-in theaters. In 1966, Hunter S. Thompson (who later started the movement known as gonzo journalism) wrote Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, giving readers their first inside glimpse into the most notorious motorcycle club of all.

The 1969 Altamont Free Concert incident thrust the Hells Angels front and center for the killing of a concert-goer by a Hells Angels member, Alan Passaro, who was, along with other club members, by some reports, providing security for the Rolling Stones at the event. Meredith Hunter, was stabbed multiple times by Passaro and other Hells Angels members. Film evidence later showed that Meredith Hunter was holding a gun. Passaro was charged with murder but was later found to be acting in self-defense and acquitted.

Since Hunter S. Thompson's ground-breaking book, more books have followed, including former Angels president Sonny Barger's, Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club, and, more recently, Edward Winterhalder's account of the Bandidos, Out In Bad Standings; Inside The Bandidos Motorcycle Club. William Queen‘s “Under and Alone: The True Story of the Undercover Agent Who Infiltrated America’s Most Violent Outlaw Motorcycle Gang”

The Discovery Channel has featured looks inside several MCs including the Devil Dolls. The film Beyond the Law is based on the true story of Dan Black, an undercover officer who infiltrated a one-percenter MC. The 2007 Disney film Wild Hogs tells the story of four friends who have an encounter with the fictional Del Fuegos MC. The original script used the Hells Angels, causing the Hells Angels to sue Disney for trademark infringement.[40]

Notable MCs

See also: List of motorcycle clubs

for a more comprehensive listing; below is just a small sampling of some of the most famous or notable clubs.

Notable motorcycle clubs include (in alphabetical order):

References

  1. ^ Motorcycle club and riding club education
  2. ^ Ozbiker: Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs
  3. ^ University of Maryland, Gangs in Maryland
  4. ^ Laurier College
  5. ^ "Five charged in murders of eight Bandidos bikers". CTV.ca. 2006-04-10. Retrieved 2007-10-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ In the United States Court of Appeals For the Seventh Circuit Nos. 95-2829 and 95-2879; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. JOHN E. IRVIN and THOMAS E. PASTOR, Defendants-Appellants
  7. ^ Dougherty, C.I. (1947-07-05). "Motorcyclists Take Over Town, Many Injured". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-10-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ Dougherty, C.I. (1947-07-06). "2000 'Gypsycycles' Chug Out of Town and the Natives Sigh 'Never Again'". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-10-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ The Austin Chronicle, 5/19/2006, The "One Percenters"
  10. ^ Outlaws MC website, What is a Outlaws MC 1%er Today
  11. ^ Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Ralph "Sonny" Barger and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club [1]
  12. ^ AMA Newsroom: Facts and Figures, retrieved September 10, 2007
  13. ^ Motorcycle Club Index, retrieved September 25, 2007
  14. ^ The Rebels: A Brotherhood of Outlaw Bikers, by Daniel R. Wolf, University of Toronto Press, 1991
  15. ^ FBI Safe Street Violent Crime Initiative Report Fiscal Year 2000
  16. ^ Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC) Annual Report
  17. ^ Connecticut Gang Investigators Association
  18. ^ Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC) Annual Report
  19. ^ Organized Crime in California Annual Report the California Legislature 2004
  20. ^ Austin PEA State University, Organized Crime Investigation
  21. ^ Public Safety Canada: Organized Crime Fact Sheet
  22. ^ CNN, The Hells Angels' Devilish Business
  23. ^ CBC News, In Depth: Biker Gangs
  24. ^ Narcotics Digest, Gangs In The United States
  25. ^ DEA Testimony
  26. ^ CNN, The Hells Angels' Devlish Business
  27. ^ Phoenix New Times
  28. ^ Phoenix New Times
  29. ^ Time Magazine, Busting Hell's Angels
  30. ^ Guardian Observer
  31. ^ Public Safety Canada, Organized Crime Fact Sheet
  32. ^ The Biker Trials: Bringing Down the Hells Angels, by Paul Cherry, ECW Press, 2005
  33. ^ Fallen Angel: The Unlikely Rise of Walter Stadnick in the Canadian Hells Angels, by Jerry Langton, Wiley & Sons, 2006
  34. ^ Bikernews.net
  35. ^ Missoulian, Storm Approaching
  36. ^ Ex-Hells Angels official says cops kept out of club by Adrienne Packer, Las Vegas Review-Journal; retrieved 7 October, 2007
  37. ^ Words from an MC patch holder
  38. ^ Las Vegas Review Journal, 4/30/2002; LAUGHLIN SHOOTOUT: Signs told of melee in making
  39. ^ The New York Times, 3/13/2002; Metro Briefing |New York: Central Islip: 73 Bikers Indicted
  40. ^ 'Litigation against movie release' (March 8, 2006), HAMC vs Walt Disney

Books and Newspaper Articles

  • Winterhalder, Edward, Out in Bad Standings: Inside the Bandidos Motorcycle Club - The Making of a Worldwide Dynasty, Blockhead City Press, 2005/Seven Locks Press, 2007 (ISBN 0-9771-7470-0)
  • Winterhalder, Edward, & De Clercq, Wil, The Assimilation: Rock Machine Become Bandidos – Bikers United Against the Hells Angels, ECW Press, 2008 (ISBN 1-5502-2824-2)
  • Veno, Arthur, The Mammoth Book of Bikers, Constable & Robinson, 2007 (ISBN 0-7867-2046-8)
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