Thought getting into a motorcycle club was easy as pie? If your idea of being in a motorcycle club is based on the TV series Sons of Anarchy, you may be getting some wrong ideas about it all. There's a code of conduct that all motorcycle club members need to follow, and deviations can lead to fines and eventual expulsion.
Motorcycle club rivalries can get brutally violent as well, sometimes leading to SoA-style shootouts. It's not an easy life within the club either, with new members facing the wrath of the older and more established members regularly.
Once representing the epitome of free spirit and anarchy, started at the time when the boys returned home from WWII, motorcycle clubs have twisted into something much darker today. Here are the 15 rules motorcycle club members need to follow, some of which may put you off from joining one ever…
15 Members Have To Play Nice
While this may not be the rule for every club, many motorcycle clubs state that their members need to show each other brotherhood and love. Of course, many motorcycle clubs also need newer members to show the utmost respect towards the founders and the veterans, so you better tow the line.
14 In One Area, There Can Be Only One
According to Shortlist, there can be only one major motorcycle club in a state. This was probably the reason why the Bandidos and the Cossacks had a violent confrontation over Texas in 2015. The first major motorcycle club to wear the state name on their jacket’s insignia has rights over the state, though they may allow smaller clubs to survive at their discretion.
13 There’s A Requisite Number Of Riding Miles Per Year
Being part of a motorcycle club means being on your motorcycle ...a lot. Most clubs have a requisite number of ride miles per year for every member. If you don’t ride that much, well, you're out of the club. If not that, then you may lose your ranking and privileges in the club as well.
12 The Motorcycle Club Is Always Priority Number One
There is a serious commitment required if you want to be part of a motorcycle club. Just dropping in now and then won't do; you have to be there if the club requires your presence. They do offer ultimate brotherhood once you become a trusted member though, so it’s for you to decide what's most important in your life.
11 Blind Loyalty Is Demanded
According to BBC, loyalty is not just expected, it is demanded. As a motorcycle club member, you have to think of the club in any and every decision you make. With cops and motorcycle clubs having a mutual distrust, being in a club puts you in a grey area where cops view you with prejudiced eyes.
10 When The Club Calls For A Meeting, 100% Attendance Is The Norm
You may be at a pivotal point in your career, or personal relationship, but if the motorcycle club you are part of calls for a meeting, you drop it all and go. The only excuse that may bail you out is sickness or death, jail time, and of course, unavoidable professional duties. Then again, if you miss one too many meetings, you are out.
9 The Meetings Have A Strict Code Of Conduct
The meetings aren’t just a drop-by-for-a-beer type of thing – they are conducted with further rules in place. A lot of the old-timers of these clubs are ex-military and have a liking for “codes of conduct” for just about everything. When it comes to meetings, most motorcycle clubs follow Robert’s Rules of fair play.
8 You May Need To Race To Prove Your Metal
Sometimes, as part of the initiation, and to prove that you do belong on a motorcycle, motorcycle clubs may command hopeful entrants to race. The winner usually gets in, the losers face a volley of insults as they slink back home. Of course, different motorcycle clubs have different rules about this one.
7 Some Clubs Include Hazing As Rite Of Passage
Clubs tagged as more “violent” have a hazing ritual for its new recruits as well. This hazing could be violent, in the form of beatings and shoving matches, or be about drinking – forcing a rookie to drink as much as he can before passing out. Different clubs, different rules – but none of them are for the faint-hearted.
6 Others May Need Members To Commit Violence
The most violent of motorcycle clubs often need their rookies to commit an act of violence, or an illegal act that may or may not earn them jail time. This proves their utter and complete loyalty to the motorcycle club and the fact that the new members will risk anything for their beloved MC.
5 At Motorcycle Clubs, The S**t Does Hit The Fan
Sometimes, the hazing is not violence-oriented at all but can make many members balk at the eek-factor of it all. Older and more venerated members often use bodily fluids and waste to soak a vest. A new member may then be asked to wear it and ride until the vest dries.
4 Most Motorcycle Clubs Are Male-Only
Most motorcycle clubs are “white-male” only, though exceptions are made for men of color. Female riders are nearly never part of an elite motorcycle club, but members are allowed to bring in girlfriends and spouses. Now, however, there are all-women motorcycle clubs in the world as well, with no men allowed.
3 The Non-Members Are Kept Away From Club Business
MC members have friends and family other than their motorcycle clubs. But non-members are never privy to the goings-on at a motorcycle club, which is where the loyalty and commitment parts kick in. If you are a member of an MC, you zip up about the club when not with the club.
2 Biking Gear Needs To Be Treated With Reverence
The biking gear you wear as part of your motorcycle club is your identity – it has to be treated with care and reverence. The insignia has to be clean and shiny, no tears or rips are allowed. If you put in a request for a new one, there needs to be a valid reason behind the damage.
1 Difficult As Joining Is, Leaving Is Equally Tough
If you're part of an MC and want to part ways, leaving amicably is a tough nut to crack. Most club members take offense at a member wanting to leave, and sometimes brothers will cut off all contact if it creates bad vibes. Only members with exemplary service records get to leave with full respect.