No matter how much we love motorcycles and the wind in our hair, many of us would still not consider joining a motorcycle club. Why? Because motorcycle clubs, or MCs, bring back memories of biker gangs and the violent reputation that follows them at every step. Sometimes it was initiated by them and sometimes it was directed at them in the form of retaliation.

By the ‘70s though, things had begun to calm down as biker clubs began to follow a rigid set of rules and codes of conduct, which included not harming or robbing people. Consequently, the townsfolk who were once up in arms against bikers also calmed down, and there’s a silent truce that still holds in place between motorcycle club members and the people who can never see themselves in the role of bikers.

Today, most motorcycle clubs operate in complete secrecy, hiding their activities both from the public eye and the authorities. Still, there are many photos that show biker gangs and their activities circulating the web today, and some of them are rather famous. Here are some rare pictures of American motorcycle clubs, each with a story behind them.

15 When Hells Angels Were Protected By The Police

When Hells Angels Were Protected By The Police
via Bikerringshop

The Hells Angels are a one-percenter motorcycle club, in that they don’t follow the rules and regulations of the American Motorcycle Association. That said, they are a savvy lot, taking refuge in law whenever they can, even if they are outlaws. The picture depicts a ‘60s Hells Angels rally being provided with police protection to prevent any outbreak of violence.

14 The Founder Of Bandidos MC

The Founder Of Bandidos MC, Edward Chambers, Jo Chambers, Donald Eugene Chambers, Sherri Chambers
via HoustenChronicle

On March 6, 1966, dockworker Donald Eugene “Mother” Chambers (pictured on the left with friends and family, circa 1969) formed the Bandidos MC, an infamous one-percenter club, in San Leon, Texas. The name Bandidos honored the Mexican Bandits who lived and died by their own rules, and this is one rare MC that has both Caucasians and Hispanic males as members.

13 When Mongols MC Won Their Patch Back

When Mongols MC Won Their Patch Back
via KPBS

The Mongols have been in trouble with the law, and at loggerheads with the Hells Angels for long...really long! The California court once decided to strip them of their badges, like forfeiture for bad deeds done. This time, the Mongols fought back legally, and the higher Court ruled that the government could not take their patch away. This is the initial announcement where a California jury had agreed to strip the Mongols of their patch.

12 The Outlaws MC And The Cold Case

The Outlaws MC And The Cold Case
via CharlotteObserver

In July 1979, at the Outlaws clubhouse in Charlotte, which was nothing more than a filthy, downtrodden house, five people were shot. While two of them were patch-wearing members of the Outlaws club, one was a prospect, one just a hang about, and one young girl who ran away to join an MC. This is a picture from those times, with Outlaw motorcycle club members standing in front of their Charlotte clubhouse.

RELATED: 15 Flattering Facts About The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club

11 The Iron Order MC’s Gentlemen

The Iron Order MC’s Gentlemen
via BeltDriveBetty

Technically, the Iron Order is a one-percenter, but they are different from most other motorcycle clubs in that they have a "live and let live" policy. Plus, they treat their spouses and prospects with respect, and no one with a criminal record is allowed to be a member. The spouses have their support group, called the Iron Maidens, and many of them ride on their motorcycles with the members of the Iron Order. Now, how cool is that?

10 The Pagan's At Daytona Bike Week

Pagans MC At Daytona Bike Week
via DaytonaBeachNewsJournal

The motorcycle club culture is steeped in unsavory activities, so much so that the general public forgets that the one thing that bonds all MC members together is a love for motorcycles and bikes. So, when it’s the Daytona Bike Week, MC members are there to attend in full regalia, even if the police doubles up surveillance to make sure nothing undesired happens. So here’s a police officer laying down the grown rules to members of the Pagan's, an outlaw biker club.

9 The Interesting Mottos Of The Warlocks MC

via Pinterest

Founded in 1967 in Florida by ex-US naval servicemen who were onboard the aircraft carrier, the USS Shangri-La, the Warlocks is yet another one-percenter biker club that has had several brushes with the law. Their mottos include “Our business is none of your f***ing business,” and the rather poetic, “To find us, you must be good; to catch us, you must be fast; to beat us, you must be kidding.”

8 The Fast-Growing Sons Of Silence MC

The Fast-Growing Sons Of Silence MC
via Complex

Formed in Colorado in 1966, the Sons of Silence is another one-percenter MC, with rather serious unsavory activities. They were stung by an undercover DEA agent in the late ‘90s. Since then, they try and keep their riding activities separate from their illegal ones. Currently, they are one of the fastest-growing MCs in the US.

RELATED: 14 Little Known Facts About The Grim Reapers Motorcycle Club

7 The Highwaymen Motorcycle Club Has A Scary Motto

The Highwaymen Motorcycle Club Has A Scary Motto
via Pinterest

With a name like “Highwaymen,” who were robbers that attacked and stole from stagecoaches in the era of yore, this MC is your everyday one-percenter outlaw. And then there is the motto, “Yeah, though we ride the highways in the shadow of death, we fear no evil, as we are the evilest 'mother f***ers' on the Highway."

6 Black Pistons MC Support The Outlaws MC

Black Pistons MC Support The Outlaws MC
Mongerous

Not only are there one-percenter motorcycle clubs, but there are also biker clubs specifically founded to support their favorite one-percenter motorcycle club - like a fan club. So, the Black Pistons are a fan club to the Outlaws and come in handy when the Outlaws are on the lookout for prospective members. Meaning the wildest Black Piston members can graduate to being a prospect for the Outlaws MC.

5 The Vagos MC Was Formed By Bitter Psychos MC Members

The Vagos MC Was Formed By Bitter Psycho MC Members
via YouTube

A group of army veterans formed the Psychos motorcycle club in the early ‘60s. Some members of the Psychos MC had a fight over it, staged a walkout to form their MC, that later came to be known as the Vagos MC, with Vagos meaning vagabonds. Their motto is “we give what we get” and their patch depicts Loki, the god of mischief.

4 When Hells Angels Protested Against The Anti-War Protests

When Hells Angels Protested Against The Anti-War Protests
via Pinterest

A lot of the MCs formed in the US, especially the one-percenters, had many Vietnam war vets as founding members. And despite the flak they got from the public for fighting an alien war, they would not have done it differently. So when an anti-war protest was going in Berkley, California, in 1965, the Hells Angels protested in turn and got arrested for their efforts.

RELATED: Sons Of Anarchy: 15 Surprising Details About The Motorcycles Most Fans Forget

3 The Cossacks MC Are Proud Of Their Origin

The Cossacks MC Are Proud Of Their Origin
via Pinterest

While the Cossacks MC does not wear a one-percenter diamond patch, the fact that they have been involved in plenty of skirmishes with their number one enemy, the Bandidos MC, clearly delineates their outlaw status. As does that infamous incident at Waco, in 2015. Their motto is simple if heartfelt, “we take care of our own.”

2 The Diablos MC Are The Very Devils

The Diablos MC Are The Very Devils
via Pinterest

Founded in San Bernardino, California, in 1961, the membership of this one-percenter club remains white-only to date, despite the Hispanic name. Since they have chapters on the West Coast and the East Coast, the patch reads Coast To Coast as the bottom rocker.

1 The Iron Horsemen’s Poetic Motto

The Iron Horsemen’s Poetic Motto
via CourierJournal

Once again, despite being a one-percenter MC that has been involved in some unsavory activities, the Iron Horsemen’s motto proves there are some brains behind the brawn. It goes, “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, if it weren’t for the Iron Horsemen, the highways would rust.” While we don’t know if that’s true, it sure does sound nice, doesn't it?

NEXT: 15 Extremely Boring Muscle Cars People Still Collect Today, But Shouldn't