If you love riding your motorcycle, then you probably want to ride with some other people. Many bikers join motorcycle clubs so they can share their love and joy of biking with others. These clubs come in many different types; some are open to everyone, while others have specific requirements.
How Biker Clubs are Organized and What They Do
Many motorcycle clubs are structured the same way. Every so often, the club will hold elections to choose a board of executive officers who plan the club events. These officers often include a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and newsletter editor, although they can include many other offices as well. Some clubs have a ride coordinator, for example, or a public relations chair. Usually these elected officers volunteer their time. Large clubs may require their officers to meet once a month in addition to the regular club meetings, while others may hold executive meetings quarterly or even less.
Clubs often hold monthly meetings with these meetings usually featuring a discussion of upcoming events, the chance for members to bring up new business, and appropriation of club money. Some clubs have speakers or ask members to do a presentation for each meeting. They may also have holiday gatherings or hold their meetings at restaurants or bars so members can eat and have drinks. These meetings may also be held at members? homes or even as part of a motorcycle rally.
In addition to holding meetings, motorcycle clubs may engage in a variety of different events. Some hold rides that may either be members-only or open to the public. Others put on charity events, while some participate in parades. Some of the larger clubs will actually host their own motorcycle rally, although this may involve a lot of work. Different clubs focus on different events, so it is a good idea to ask about what the club does before joining. Smaller clubs may only do one or two events a year, while the larger groups might do an event a month.
Most motorcycle clubs collect dues from their members on an annual basis. These dues are typically inexpensive and go towards helping fund events and other general expenses. Clubs may also hold fundraisers during the year in order to pay for other activities.
Some clubs elect a newsletter editor and it is this member who is responsible for writing, printing, and mailing a monthly or quarterly newsletter to all members in order to keep them informed to what the club is doing. In some clubs, this position has slowly shifted to more of a social media manager who is now responsible for the club's online presence.
Different Types of Clubs
General motorcycle clubs can be found in cities across the U.S. and the world. These clubs are open to everyone in the area who is willing to pay the dues and attend meetings and events. However, some special clubs do have other requirements.
Religious biker groups focus on one specific religion. These differ in that each meeting, event, and ride is usually opened and closed with a prayer. Bikers may wear specific patches related to their religion, and some paint their bikes to match. One of these groups is Bikers for Christ. Its purpose is to spread the ministry of Jesus Christ and minister to people from all walks of life. Its members often hold events to fundraise for causes important to the group, such as underprivileged children.
Other groups are made up of minorities. For example, there are a number of gay and lesbian motorcycle clubs. One of the oldest and most well known is Dykes on Bikes. They have 22 chapters across the U.S. The club is inclusive of many people in the gay community, and its club's inclusivity makes it a safe-haven for women who identify as more masculine. Members of the club often ride in gay pride parades and participate in activities that focus on gay rights.
Veteran biker groups are made up of former military officers who have retired. They have a few advantages over general clubs. The members of a general motorcycle club usually only ride on the weekends because most of them have jobs and other obligations. However, veteran riders are free to ride during most days. Even those with families and other obligations often have more free time for riding than others do. While these clubs don't usually host large events like some of the other biker groups do, they do often do a lot more riding, especially casual riding. Some of these veteran bikers just get together daily to drink coffee, hang out, and chat about biking, motorcycle repair, and the newest bikes to hit the market. Some veteran groups also accept bikers who are active military officers.
Finding a Club
You can find a local motorcycle club in a number of ways. Some websites include a directory of clubs that you can search by area. Sometimes, local clubs will put an ad in the local paper or post flyers around town. You might also hear about an event your local biker group is putting on. Word of mouth is another great way of learning about clubs, and if you know other people who ride, you can ask if they are a part of a club or know of one. Look for people wearing biker patches with their club name on it, too. Many clubs ask their members to wear patches like that for identification and advertising.
If you decide you want to join a motorcycle club, all you have to do is ask a member. It's usually very easy to join since bikers don't really want to turn away anyone who is looking to share their love of motorcycles and riding. You may not even have to attend all the club's events if you do not want to. Most of them are very flexible as far as what a member has to do to stay in good standing. All you really have to do is love your motorcycle!
