If you're not intimately familiar with biker culture, we're sure you've got some preconceived notions of what it's like. Especially in America, biker gangs get a rap for being violent, sexist, racist, and a public menace. The Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club is setting out to change all that.
This primarily African-American club has over 100 chapters across America and is a federally licensed 501 (c) 3 public charity. Their public services include, but aren't limited to, charity bike rides to raise money for natural disasters, providing turkeys and hams to families in need during the holiday months, and peer mentoring prison inmates throughout the American correctional system. So if you think all bikers are a bunch of violent, racist hooligans, maybe take a look at the Buffalo Soldiers MC.
Today, we're looking at how the Buffalo Soldiers MC is changing the public image of bikers, and the sick bikes that they ride.
A Motorcycle Club For All
If your only exposure to biker culture is either Sons of Anarchy or Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned, Ken Thomas wanted to prove it's a very different story in the real world. This Chicago police officer founded Buffalo Soldiers M.C in 1993 as a peaceful and inclusive alternative to other M.Cs that didn't discriminate based on age, or skin color.
Members are identifiable by their distinct yellow on black leather jackets with color matching patches which indicate the members home town chapter. All 100 plus chapters are represented in the National Association of Buffalo Soldiers/Troopers Motorcycle Clubs (NABSTMC), which organizes annual meetings and operates the club website. The organization is divided by geological region, referred to as "frontiers" by the club. These regions are "Central, Western, Northeast, Southeast, and Great Lakes regions."
Entry requirements for the club are as minimal as it gets, all you need is a motorcycle license, motorcycle insurance, and a bike with a displacement over 750cc. The club's website states plainly "we are not a 1% club and we claim no territory."
It should be clear then to see that these bikers aren't gang bangers ready to raise hell in whatever town they ride through. In fact, the club requires you to identify whether you've been convicted of any crimes on the initial sign up sheet before someone can apply for membership.
Charity Rallies, Not Gang Activity
Buffalo Soldiers M.C. uses an American pass time to bring much-needed change to their community. For the last 20 years, the club's been a chief organizer of the National Bikers Roundup rally, which regularly sees thousands of participants.
Their signature event is the Buffalo Thunder Rally, from Maryland to the African American Civil-War Memorial in Washington D.C. Many BSMC members are ex U.S military, which adds to the intensity and the splendor of the rally.
Many chapters also participate in awareness motorcycle rallies every October for breast cancer awareness month. For these rallies, MC members accent their black and yellow bikes and uniforms with pink ribbons and clothing
In Summer 2020, the Indiana BSMC chapter rode from Merriville to Gary Indiana to raise awareness of police brutality in response to the May 2020 murder of an unarmed black man, George Floyd. We could go on about charitable events the club takes part in, but the message is clear. The Buffalo Soldiers aren't your average street gang, they're servants of the public who happen to love riding motorcycles.
What They Ride
As we've already said, the only requirement to join the Buffalo Soldiers M.C is a 750 cc or higher motorcycle. That said, the type of bikes that BSMC members drive is a bit more varied than a copy-paste of the same Harley-Davidson bobber.
Although there are plenty of Harley riders in the club, members have also been seen riding Japanese Honda Cruisers, Indian Chieftans, and other bikes from all over the world. Three-wheeled conversions are perfectly welcome alongside American big choppers and Japanese cruisers.
It's often customary for riders to deck out their bikes in the club's standard black and yellow paint scheme, but there's no requirement for how a bike is supposed to look in this club. Bikes of all colors and styles are permitted at Buffalo Soldier rallies. Members can cruise together in groups as few as five and grow to several dozen at once.
There's no telling what members are going to be riding when they zip past people on open interstates across the country. Just remember, if you see a group of black and yellow bikers in your rearview mirror anywhere on your travels. There's no need to tense up in fear or pass judgment on them. These are just some good old red-blooded American boys trying to find some riding buddies and spread some goodwill.
Sources: NWI Times, buffalosoldiersnational.com, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The Roanoke Star News