I don't mean for the title of this post to be confusing, but I want to talk about the specific color choices used by motorcycle clubs when designing their club colors. Buy "club colors" I mean the set of embroidered patches displayed on the back of a leather vest or jacket to designate a specific club. For purposes of clarity there are generally three ways of displaying club colors:
- a single large back patch like the one worn by the Patriot Guard Riders
- a large back patch with one rocker, like Bikers for Christ members wear
- a three-patch option used by clubs like the Hells Angels and Outlaws
Now that you know the three typical styles of club colors, the color schemes various clubs use are also important. Oftentimes they have specific meaning to the members who design them.
Color schemes are sometimes claimed as being exclusive to a specific group in order to prevent other groups from achieving identity by association. For example, the Bandidos specifically claim a red-on-yellow color scheme for their rockers and an inverted yellow-on-read scheme for prospects and support groups. Some other clubs do similar things with their embroidered patches.
On the other end of the scale, Bikers for Christ uses the most colors of any club in their design. According to club leaders they do so in order to avoid disputes with any other clubs that claim specific color schemes as their own. That's also why they don't wear lower rocker patches designating geographic location. Bikers for Christ don't want to give the impression of claiming territory or challenging the territories claimed by other clubs.
There's a lot more to know about bikers and motorcycle club patches. It's a fascinating area of research if it's something that interests you.
