Thoughts on MC's

Wh0M3

Wh0M3

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A friend of mine is talking about starting up a chapter of a reputable MC in our area. I got to hang out with some of the guys and they seem to be good people with a strong sense of brotherhood.

I am wondering if anyone has any experience with MC's and would like to share about it.


Thanks,
 
nothing makes me lol harder than anyone talking about or participating in a MC. it's all absolutely retarded. literally. if you wanna go ride with buddies, go ride with buddies. if you wanna go drink with buddies, go drink with buddies. if you want to have a local charity event, go make it up. being in a MC doesn't make you cool or special, because riding a motorcycle doesn't make you cool or special (sorry to burst the american social conspiracy bubble), it's a mode of transportation or an expensive hobby we get to enjoy because we're blessed by god to have more wealth than we know what to do with. MC's are a breeding ground for bad news and lost souls
 
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I am not big on them myself. I guess I just don't get it. I have people I like to ride with and I do. I can see the attraction on some levels but it is not for me.
 
Wh0m3, I say to do what makes you feel happy pal. As you can see by one of the replies, many people hear the word "MC" and immediately think of bad things. I tend not to "label" anyone or any group of people. Where I work we have a large MC that is made up of primarily hard working contractors. They only sport Tee Shirts and Sweatshirts, no leather jackets with patches on the back. They have weekly meetings at their clubhouse where all are invited to join in. They all congregate each week to watch AMA and MotoGP races together, and do charity rides and Poker Runs during the course of the year. None of them are bad asses, convicts, or felons and I've only heard good things from the community about the things they do for them. They invite me on runs all the time but I have yet to go. Not because they are a "bad scene", but because I like to ride alone. I've almost always been a "loner" and like it that way. I'm responsible for myself and no one else when I'm riding, and I make my own rules. If the group your thinking of is just a bunch of good guys as you say, and it's something that you can choose to leave at any time, then do see what it's like. Your an adult and probably know a "bad scene" from a "good scene", so it's all about what YOU want to do. :cheers:
 
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I like the vests :D When I first started riding, I joined the Women On Wheels so I could meet like minded women and have someone to ride with. I was amazed at the camaraderie and how much they were willing to share their knowledge. I made some awesome friends who looked out for me when I needed it. It's kind of neat to ride with a big group too. I think the power of having a group can help if you are interested in things like fundraising and helping the community.

I don't currently belong to any m/c's (I'm not sure that WoW qualifies as an m/c anyway) but I'm not going to say I never will. The opportunity to network with people that share your passion is not something one should willingly pass up if they can help it.

I think of m/c's kind of like I think of the forums. When we get together in real life, it feels like family. We ride in a big group and talk stuff. We look out for one another (even online). On some forums, there's something like a probationary period where people don't really take you serious until you have a certain number of posts. Local members can tell you where the best shops are or even more important where not to take your bike. The advantage to the m/c over a forum is they are more selective about who gets to join plus you get the cool vest.

If you want to share your motorcycle life with like-minded folk in real life instead of behind a firewall, keyboard, and screen then I don't see why not hang around and see if it's for you.
 
I found out that my company's employee recreation organization had a motorcycle club a couple of years after I started riding. When I joined, it was a way to meet some new people from around the company and get a ride scheduled almost every week. This makes life easier for my family, since they can look at a calendar and see when I'll be home in the evening. It also removes any guilt I might feel about "just taking off" for a ride one night after work.

I know other riders who aren't in clubs, and I ride with them fairly frequently too. The "motorcycle club" is another outlet for the love that I have for riding. It's made up of mostly cruisers, and they don't do a whole lot of technical riding. In fact, I had an argument yesterday with a past president who said that the primary activity of the club was eating. When I called him out that as a motorcycle club, we should probably focus on motorcycling as our primary activity, he actually had excuses for why that shouldn't be the case. I was floored.

This year, I took over the presidency of the club, and have been working steadily to change the make-up and attitude of the club a bit. The other officers are on board with the "Ride More" attitude that has been emerging in the last couple of years. We've "recruited" quite a few new members who don't ride cruisers (naked, sport, & sport-tourers are becoming more common). The club activity has improved, and we've lost some of the "old school" members, either as a result of the changing attitudes, the fact that last year's president was an *ss, or just life changes. As a result, the average age of the club has come down, and we "Ride More."

The club also organizes several trips during the course of the riding season. Since SE Michigan is mostly a flat grid of straight roads (or the curvy ones randomly turn to dirt), those of us who enjoy technical riding try to take the group to more exciting places. In the last two years we've taken group outings to Western Pennsylvania, Southeast Ohio, Deal's Gap, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and a few others. There is a group of us heading out to Indianapolis for the MotoGP races in a few weeks, and a group just got back from the AMA Vintage Days at Mid-Ohio racetrack. Some riders wouldn't take on these trips themselves, but the "group" approach is enough to push them over the edge and actually ride their motorcycles, rather than polish them in the driveway. For me, that's what the club should be about!

Another thing we do as a club is at least one (and I'm trying to bump it up next year) training activity. Lots of these guys have ridden for years, but can't handle their bikes as well as they should be able. We've done group sessions of the MSF ARC, and expanded to the Ride Like a Pro class this Spring. I see it as part of the club's mission to improve the riding abilities of its members. To that end, I have scheduled the training and even invited other members to my Track Day a couple of weeks ago (unfortunately, no takers on that one). Sure, we have a couple of guys who profess that they "don't need training" but a large number of them value the training and pay their hard-earned cash to participate.

When I "recruit" someone, it's a no-pressure kind of thing. I give them one of our cards and invite them to come out on one of our weekly dinner rides. That gives them a chance to evaluate the club (and vice-versa) to see if they like the other guys and the riding style. I usually try to talk to them for a bit first, and have even mentioned that I didn't think the club would be a good "fit" for some (one guy at work rides an MV Augusta like he has a death-wish... he's an amazing and fast rider, but wouldn't enjoy the slow group rides -- and I told him I thought so).

When I want to go fast, rip the curves, or otherwise practice a little personal hooliganism, I go by myself or with a couple of other guys who share the same attitude. I don't expect the club to double the yellow signs' recommended speed around the curves. Even on trips to SE Ohio or other "twisty places" we drop into following "The Pace" and switch from what I think of as "parade formation" into a stretched out group of riders all headed to the same destination.

So... what do I think about MC's? I think that they don't have to be a group of (self-professed) bad-asses who go around carousing and causing trouble. Those are called 1%ers for a reason. A club can bring together a bunch of people who loosely have the same interests and give everyone in the group the opportunity to do more riding, improve their skills, meet some new people, and make some friends. My riding skills have improved from being in the group, and I ride more as a result. My goal is to do that for a few other people.
 
I've been able to make friends with a couple of guys who were members or pledges at a local MC. Nice guys, and definitely shared a sense of brotherhood and were always good to me. I have another friend who rides solo a lot and he said he gets propositioned all the time to join MC's. He pointed out the downside is the 'tax' system where part of your earnings always go to the MC.

I know there are Christian Rider MC's and such that are not the HA 1%'er's out there, so it could be a good club, without their 'tax' system, but maybe they force tithe's on ya.

I could never join a HA MC because I will never ride a HD and as I was told by one member I would never be allowed to ride a 'jap bike' again. It was funny both of them were drooling all over my bike and talking about 'how much fun that would be at the track'.
 
jared p said:
ya'll must have the nice version of mc's around you. in seattle/portland...hell most of the west coast, it is not that way.
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Hey! That's right. Don't you guys have that Club that was on TV? Laughing Devils or something like that? What a dumb show that was! Fortunately, it's no longer like that, at least here where I live. Sure, there are still 1% Clubs around, but many more legit clubs have formed for guys who are not interested in running Meth, hitting rival clubs, and whatever other illegal stuff they do.
 
I do belong to a few online forums and really enjoy sharing, reading, and learning from others who share the same hobby. I have also joined in some "social clubs" who do not have a patch or color but maybe a logo, who get together for bike-nights, events, and even charity work. My problem with these social clubs is they tend to get click-ish. It is really easy for them to welcome new people in but then walk away or just ignore them and go on to tell their own stories with their own groupies. I've been to bike nights were I've sat alone trying to listen in but have no idea what anyone is talking about because I have no idea what they are talking about. This could be because I'm to new to the sport so I have no idea of the local hot-spots, track days, or events that everyone is going to and no one seems to care to try and inform me as to what is going on.

I've also had friends and people I know who do not want to hang out with certain groups like this because they feel they are not accepted for the same reasons I've talked about. I've had to put in some face time to get recognized and learn about what everyone was talking about and kind of power through that stage.

The one thing I really liked about the Military is there is a sense of brotherhood. Sure there are still going to be the small groups who will band together but there is also a sense of belonging because you are one of them. There are many reasons that you belong, either because of the colors (your part of the MC), your location, or because they actually know you and your background.

I like what YZFRiderNY has to say about the group he knows. For the most part I'm looking for that however I've suggested some of those things (like getting together to watch MotoGP because I'm new to the sport and only recognize a few names) but it was met with resistance saying they have tried it before and it didn't work out. I've also watched as there are events I want to go to but can't seem to get anyone else to join me. I still go to them by myself but I would have more fun if I had someone with me.

There is also the part that theWolfTamer said, I like the vests, I like the way they have patches showing what they have done, where they have been, and the representation it has. Much like the military has different badges and awards that have meaning, when someone sees them they instantly know something about you and there may be something you have in common they wouldn't have know otherwise.

As for Clyde, I will read what you have later because I don't have the time right now. I look forward to hearing what you have to say and I do appreciate everything people have been saying, positive, negative, or otherwise. They all are valid and helpful to me because some of the negative sides are things I worry about too.
 
Late to the party, here, but my .02...

I think there are better ways to share your love of motorcycles than an organized MC. But, I don't ride for the social aspect, I ride to ride. I prefer to ride in small groups of like-minded friends. I don't enjoy riding with strangers, and I have enough friends who ride that I'm usually not hurting for company if I want it. I also enjoy riding alone, so if no regulars are up for the tour I head out on my own.

I find, when the group gets too big, I start to get annoyed because someone needs fuel, and then someone else wants to have a smoke, and then these two guys want to stop for lunch, and then _____'s buddy that nobody knows starts riding like a squid and pissing everyone off, etc etc etc...

I have a core of 3 or 4 guys who I ride with and we all know what to expect of each other. We fill up before we meet and stop for fuel when our bikes are empty. If we need to eat, drink, or smoke, we do it at the fuel stop. We keep the pace up and the front wheels down. We don't show off for each other or for girls in minivas on the highway or whoever. We know who knows which roads and who should lead where. Every now and then one of us will befriend someone who rides, and we'll go on a couple of short local rides with them to see how they ride. If we think we can get along with them, we'll invite them along more often and introduce them to the other guys. We get together to watch a race here and there or grab a beer now and then. Our wives hang out together, too. We're not a club, we're friends. We have no need to consumate the arrangement with meetings or patches.

I'm a member of a local forum, and I get together with them every now and then for a ride. They're a bunch of nice guys and girls, but when I go see them I know I'm going to spend more time looking at bikes and chatting than riding. Sometimes I'm in the mood for that and it's cool, but not too often. Some of them get together one weeknight and every Saturday. Good on them, they're doing what they like but it's not for me.

Now, to the root question; where do M/C's fit in to all of this? I have two issues with clubs. The first is the social obligation. As outlined above, I don't want to turn riding in to a social event. I want to ride the way I want to ride, and if you are ok riding that way, tag along. Problem #2 is the association with the outlaw clubs. I'm not an outlaw biker. I want nothing to do with outlaw bikers. I don't want to look like them, emmulate their social structure, or attract their attention. I don't want to be mistaken for an outlaw club member by a cop, a civillian, or a member of a club. I don't want to get beat up or killed for riding down the wrong road with a patch on, even if the patch is for the "Unicorn-Loving, Fundraising-For-Orphans, Happy-Go-Lucky-MC". I know that most clubs are not criminals, but public and police perception says otherwise.

I'm not against clubs. I don't care why you bought a bike. Maybe you need a thrill, maybe you need an ego boost, maybe you need some friends. Whatever. I understand the the feeling of belonging that comes with a club. I'm a firefighter, so I get it in spades at the fire hall. A couple of guys I ride with are firefighters, so the social aspect of it certainly goes outside the doors of the fire hall. I joined for several reasons, community involvement being a large one. Many of the motivations I had for becoming a firefighter are similar to what people say they get out of being in an MC, so maybe I'm not interested because I don't have that gap to fill. I certainly get it, though. Even there, though, I'm not 100% comfortable when one of the other firefighters call me "brother" so I'm sure it would fly even less if a member of my social club called me "brother." I mean, I've got your back 110% in a fire or outside of one. You can crash on my couch or borrow my truck anytime and I trust you because of what we do. I'll loan a firefighter my last dollar, or just give it to him/her if he needed it, and it goes without saying that I will follow him/her in to a burning building.

If you bought a bike becasue you want to belong to something, pledge a club. If they let you in, you belong. Just don't confuse being in a motorcycle club with motorcycling. Motorcycling is one thing the people in the club do, but membership doesn't make you a motorcyclist. It's the same as how having a Panigale and flashy leathers doesn't make you a motorcyclist if all you do with them is hang around in front of a nightclub smiling at girls. If that's your endgame, you're doing it right, but if you want to be a motorcyclist, ride a motorcycle. Motorcycling makes you a motorcyclist.
 
Try it Whom as long as you don't have to pay any money.Meet some people that your comfortable with get there numbers and if you don't like it at least you met some people to go riding with.You wont know unless you try. There might be a couple people whom you have a lot in common with.
 
I think that Brock hit the nail on the head. If you want social activity, then a "traditional" club will probably provide it. If you want to ride the crap out of your motorcycle, then you should hop on it and twist the throttle.

My expectations for my club are mostly motorcycling, with a very hefty dose of social interaction.

When I just feel like riding, I don't plan a group ride. I might pick a couple of close friends who ride with the same "style" I have, but they all understand that we're out there to ride, and we might stop for food if it becomes necessary.
 
I liked what has been said. Both Clyde and Brock have some good points.

In know a traditional MC is all Harleys but there are some that are sport bike related and some who say they don't care what you ride.

Some clubs are heavy on participation, the ones I have looked into say their priority list goes: Family, Work, Club.

As for the 1%rs, I'm not interested at all in them, I'd rather have something to give back to a community or charities without needing to worry about losing some body part if I decide to part ways later on.

I am looking for the social aspect of a club mostly because I've been known to move around from state to state. With some MC's this might be an issue because they are small but with others they are large enough it would be easy to find a chapter or just go nomad.

Everyone has had very good input and I'm thankful for it.
 
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