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what are the benefits to being in a "motorcycle club"

20K views 69 replies 36 participants last post by  Kaz71 
#1 ·
naa.. i don't mean a biker gang..

For example, there are suzuki owner clubs, corvette owner clubs, camaro owners club, greyhound dog owner clubs, and just about anything else.

I've never been a part of one of those, so i'm wondering what the benefits can possibly be?

99% of clubs i've found charge membership dues. If i'm paying to be in a club, what can i possibly gain from it that i can't gain from a forum like this?
 
#31 ·
With the bigger and more popular 1%ers it seems lunacy at times. Just watch when some of them show up on the History Channel "Gangland " series. Many equate dying for their patch similar as dying for your countries flag in a war. I always figured they'd be smart to follow the mob who established a commision to mimimize the body count and the negative attention it brought. Bad for business and all that.
 
#34 ·
100% in line with that way of thinking. Negative attention is never good in our opinion. Some believe that negative attention creates fear, fear is a form of respect. The problem with that school of thought is that now there are more and more options for the government to use to shut down "what they call dangerous organizations" The patriot act is the new way of doing this. The government contends that a "dangerous organization and a terrorist organization are the same thing. "
 
#32 ·
I used to be part of a "Jeep club" it was actually more like a bunch of friends who wanted to mock the actual Jeep clubs in town who polished their Jeeps and did parades but never went four-wheeling. It was sort of a club and we had weekly meetings but no dues.

There was a lot of experience to be gained from the more experienced guys and a great knowledge pool. We went out once a month to Amarillo to go Rock Crawling, we didn't exclude anybody either. we didn't really care what kind of off-road vehicle your drove as long as you provided something to the group.

Personally I think it would be better for the most part to find a group of friends with a common interest in riding...you can get that same feeling of brotherhood and knowledge pool without paying dues and wearing a patch.
 
#35 ·
Sometimes, clubs look at you at the bike you have.....

IMO, if you ride, you ride....

no reason a Harley, and a Sportbike cant ride together.....

Bikes are about enjoying the ride and the road....

But sometimes people get out of hand once they are on that bike.....

Sport bikes want to ride far, and get there in the shortest amout of time...

The "harley" clubs ride...drink..ride...party....ride somemore.....


you get my drift......

Owning a bike puts you in that "brotherhood"...not owning a particular model/style.:thumbsup:
 
#36 ·
Owning a bike puts you in that "brotherhood"...not owning a particular model/style.
I have to disagree with part of that..

Just owning a bike doesn't mean anything either...

Any "brotherhood" comes from having good trustworthy friends... and sometimes they happen to ride bikes too.... the bikes really dont have anything to do with it other than its the one thing everyone had in common starting out..

Hell for most MC's its more about the people than the bikes... but of course your going to require members to own and ride a bike because your still an MC LOL

Owning a bike in and of itself doesnt mean jack and doesnt automatically make you part of anything.
 
#42 · (Edited)
I belong to the Motorcycle Sport Touring Association

It is the first and only club I belong to so I can only speak to what I get from being a member of this one organization.

First off it does have a fee to join, a mere $35 which comes with a certificate to pay for your first event.

The events are what the club revolves around there are a bunch of regional events and one national event per year.

Events are simple...
All are AMA sponsored
Usually a weekend long, Friday parking lot barbecue and tire kicking
Held in places that offer great roads to ride
All day Saturday to ride as little or as much as you wish
Pre-ridden routes with gps files provided ahead of time.
Friendly people who go out of there way to help newbies decide which group to ride with so you will be with like mind riders as to pace and distance. Also so you will have someone to ride with.
All makes/models are welcome, but like the clubs name are usually sport touring bikes. (My bike is not of that class)
There could be 50 plus riders but groups of 4 to 6 bikes will go out together, we do not like the idea of a parade.
Prearranged lunch spots to gather at
A banquet style dinner with door prizes
More camaraderie after dinner
Leaving the next morning at your leisure

Outside of the events, at least in our area we have monthly breakfast meets and rides.

Other benefits are discounts we receive from vendors all over the place. No-Mar showed up at the National Event and did tire changes for free. I am riding on a new Penske Shock that I got for far below any price I found anywhere else

We get a monthly magazine that the club produces

What others said about support is very true, we have many very knowledgeable riders. Farkle Installation and maintenance get-togethers. People always ready to help or provide direction.

We also take trips outside of club events, this spring we went to Arkansas. I crashed my bike, on a decreasing radius I must have panicked. Instead of giving it more throttle and pushing hard into the lean I stood my bike up crossed the double yellows and lowsided in the gravel on the other shoulder.

I woke up in the hospital the next morning with no memory of what happened. I was without any injury (thanks to wearing all the gear all the time) and did have my short term back so I was released. They handed me a key I did not recognize, the said the guys who brought me in left it for me. My bike was loaded in a rental truck, properly strapped in place with all my gear.

The point of that story was I was riding with people who have become friends. They took care of me, paid for a truck and took the effort to make sure I could get home. Being part of something has many benefits.

Clubs are not for all, that is for sure. But I do really like the one I am part of.
 
#53 ·
That was a beautifully done video. I think that the song can be fitting no matter what bike you ride though. It defines the spirit of the rider, and the brotherhood of two wheels.

I did like the license plate holder...
"I'm not tailgaiting, I'm DRAFTING"
 
#57 ·
Hi from Aus, here in Australia there are a few benefits to being in a club (not necessarily a single make club). Lets get past the social side of a club, and the assistance with info on any specific bike/make/model, and a sfatey trailer on runs, in case a bike breaks down. (I have a preference for slightly older bikes, and the reliability starts to get into the picture).
One of the main reasons is cheaper bike registration (on bikes over 25 years old).
My 1995 BMW costs about AU$350 per year to register and ride on the roads )this includes a discount for being an "old Age Pensioner"). My 1974 CB550 is on "Club plates" (restricted usage - currently 45 days pr year), and costs AU$69. I can afford to have 5 or so older bukes and share the usage across the bikes, compared with the Beemer. Some of my bikes are 1950's and some 1960's.
Arthur
 
#58 ·
Face to face contact, interaction in meat space, riding with like minded people, shared knowledge and skills etc.....comradery, brotherhood....call it what you want.....good folks riding and helping other good folks.

Thru my club I've got access to salesman, painters and mechanics - good prices and free/cheap work......just guys helping out other guys.

I was about 5 hours away on my rigid a month ago when it went dead on me....no fire. Made the usual checks....nothing easy. Made one phone call.

10 mins later I had someone in a car setting along the 4 lane with me and my GF.......on a hot day that car with the AC was awesome and I greatly appreciated getting out of the heat. 20 mins after that I had a truck and trailer loading my bike......and not long afterwards I was setting at a club members house in his garage wrenching on my bike. When it was evident I wasnt going to get it running.......he gave me his new 2013 Road King (had 4K miles on it) to ride home.

Traveling out of state - stay at a brothers house.

When done right joining an MC (or RC) means you've got a network of good friends all over.

Its been well worth the cost of admission.


See...i have to disagree with that.....

I see pleanty of clubs that judge someone by the bike they ride....

i mean....how many clubs do you see harleys and sport bikes riding together??

Not near me....i NEVER see that.
.....every club has different "requirements" - mine is a bike 600cc or bigger - thats it.

We have sport bikes, cruisers and even atleast one dual sport.....from HD, Victory, Honda (even a Goldwing or two), Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and BMW.

Sure there is some good natured back and forth....Jap bike this, tractor that.......your bikes leaking rice...did someone loose this (insert Harley part) I found it in the road....etc

Is it common.....no, not likely. For the most part Id say your right.....clubs have a certain "type" of bike they stick to. I did attend a funeral for a local 1% club member lots of years ago (who was a veteran, thats why I was there - PGR member). His club showed up....everyone riding a HD except one dude on a Yamaha VStar - which I thought was kinda odd....but hey, not my gig.
 
#61 ·
There's a COC group in South Florida, but they don't have any 1% participation or LEO participation that I know of. Mostly vet groups and 1% play-pretend clubs.

Around here the COC is a non-entity and would likely be viewed as a joke, if anyone bothered to pay attention to it. In this area it'd more likely be the COC that's asking permission from the real clubs to do anything.
 
#63 ·
yeah - gotta' check the dates on those threads. But it's one way to
"bump" an old topic :)

I just passed 4 MC riders on the So Cal freeway yesterday. They were the Thumper MC. I've got no idea who they are really, or what they stand for. But they are a patched club. They looked like they were having a great time out there - just riding together and not bothering anyone. They mostly seemed older - kinda like what you'd imagine old 1% riders to look like. They fit the bill.

it's all good.

dT
 
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