Subcultures associated with Motorcycles
You'd never catch a Harley man on a Honda or a group of Kawasaki street racers checking out the new Triumph Tiger, even if its motor is 1050cc. And as for those Vespa riders in some circles you can get yourself shot for even considering them in the same category as a motorcycle. There are many subcultures that have evolved around the motorcycle and here are some of them to help you sort through the different classifications.
Motorcycle clubs (MC or MCC)
The one-percenters - Unfortunately, the image that pops in many people's heads when they hear the loud motor of a chopper racing by, or worse yet a group of choppers, is the outlaw bandits that make up one percent of the biking population. The name one-percenter comes from a quote from an American Motorcyclist Association spokesperson in 1947 who said that ninety-nine percent of motorcyclists are law-abiding citizens after the Hollister riots in California. These leather wearing tattooed gangs of bikers like theHells Angels,Outlaws,Bandidos, and the Pagans often take pride in being among that one percent, sometimes even wearing a 1% patch sewn onto the sleeve of their leather jacket. Requirements for entering these motorcycle clubs varies among the requirements are: the type of bike you ride - Harley or Triumph only, the amount of time you ride - more 200,000 miles, and even the color of your skin. All four of these clubs have appeared on FBI watch lists for their illicit activities.
Military Veterans Clubs - Several rider groups have sprung up over the years that are specifically comprised of military veterans with motorcycles. Among them areThe Warrior Brotherhood Veteransand thePOW/MIA Riders. While many MCs are territorial groups which will defend turfs like other kinds of gangs, Military Veterans Clubs will usually be granted a right to ride anywhere.
Law Enforcement Clubs - Just as Military Veterans Clubs are for vets only Law Enforcement Clubs are for active and retired police offices and law enforcement agents. Some of these organizations allow military veterans to join. Among these groups areThe Reguladores, theLaw Dawgsand theKnights Paladin. Some members of LEMCs wear 99% patches on their sleeves to counter the 1% patch. Also, like MVMCs they are none territorial and are often grant free passage.
Racing Motorcycle Clubs - Unlike the Harley dominated biker gangs that make up most MCs Racing Motorcycle clubs are comprised of Hondas, Kawasakis, and Suzukis ridden by those with a need for speed. Clubs like the Fast and the Furious Motorcycle Club, theCalifornia Racing Club, and theRuff Rydersdedicate themselves to sports bike racing both officially and unofficially.
Other kinds of motorcycle clubs include women only clubs, Christian bikers, sober drivers, family clubs, gay only bikers, and of course every make and model of bike has its own loyal followers.
Extreme Sports
Dirt bikers and trick bikers get their own category; well street racers are competing on pavement these guys go off road and take biking to the extreme. The extreme sports genre that grew from skateboarders and mountain bikers with a need to live on the edge has come to include motorcycle tricks that would make Evil Kenevil cringe.
The Mods
Although Mods faded from existence in the early 1970's they are worth mentioning as at least part of this subculture made a come-back in California in the 80's and 90's. Mods (or Modernists) grew out of the British punk rock and Ska scene in the late 50's and early 60's and were known to ride scooters, such as those created by Vespa and Lambretta. Although scooters already had seen a lot of use in Britain as a cheap means of alternative transportation it was the way that Mods treated their scooters that set them apart and made them a movement. Mods decorated them lavishly with glossy chrome and two-tone checkerboard paint jobs. They were more then just vehicles, like motorcycle clubs, these scooters were a way of life.
