How to Join a Motorcycle Club

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: April 10, 2024

If you love motorcycles and want to ride with other people who do too, joining a motorcycle club can be really appealing. Motorcycle clubs also provide you with a community and many social events that become a big part of your life. If your main goal is just to ride motorcycles with others, you might also consider joining a less formal riding club. In this article we’ve put together answers to some of the most common questions people have about joining motorcycle clubs and riding clubs.

Question 1 of 7:

What is the difference between a motorcycle club and a riding club?

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Riding clubs are focused purely around riding motorcycles. Riding clubs are often informal groups of people who get together to ride motorcycles. There are usually no other major commitments or requirements to be a member. You’re free to join or leave a riding club as you please.^{[1]
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- You might choose to join a riding club if you’re just interested in finding a group of people to ride with or if you want to learn from others to improve your motorcycle riding skills.
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Motorcycle clubs are focused more on being a brotherhood. Motorcycle clubs, or MCs for short, revolve heavily around the social aspects of being in the club. Members are considered family and membership is usually for life. Riding motorcycles is just an activity that members do together and owning a motorcycle is a requirement to join a MC.^{[2]
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- You might choose to join a motorcycle club if you’re seeking a bond of brotherhood with other motorcycle riders or if you want to be associated with a club’s image and reputation.
- Some motorcycle clubs are called “1% motorcycle clubs” or “outlaw motorcycle clubs.” Members of these clubs are sometimes involved in unlawful activities, so be aware of this if you’re looking for motorcycle clubs to join.
- A few of the biggest, most notorious outlaw motorcycle clubs are the Hells Angels, the Mongols, the Outlaws, the Bandidos, and the Pagans.

Question 2 of 7:

How do you join a riding club?

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Search online for a riding club near you that seems like a good fit. Most riding clubs have websites, so try searching something like “motorcycle riding club near me” or “motorcycle riding club London” to find local clubs. Read any information about the club, such as what’s on their “about” page and their mission statement, to determine if it might be a good fit for you.^{[3]
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- You can also check motorcycle forums or search for riding club groups on Facebook.
- For some riding clubs, the only requirement is that you have a motorcycle license and it doesn’t matter what type of bike you ride.
- Other clubs might only accept members who ride certain models of motorcycles, such as high performance street bikes or choppers.
- Some riding clubs have other requirements. For example, you might have to be over a certain age to join.
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Fill out and submit an application for a club you want to join. Provide your personal information as well as any other details the application form requires. Follow the instructions on the club’s website to submit the form.^{[4]
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- Some clubs might also charge an annual or monthly membership fee.

Question 3 of 7:

How do you apply to join a MC?

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Find a member of the MC you want to be a part of and ask them how to join. Motorcycle clubs are usually very selective of the types of people they let in, so you can’t just fill out an application to join. Look for someone wearing a patch of the MC you want to join, approach them, and ask them what the steps are to join.^{[5]
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- As with riding clubs, there are motorcycle clubs for people with different backgrounds. For example, you could find a veteran’s MC, a Christian MC, or an African American MC.
- You can tell a lot about an MC by what the patches on a member’s vest say. You can also ask a member you see what their club is all about to determine if you want to join it.
- You can usually identify outlaw motorcycle clubs because members wear a “1%” patch on their motorcycle vests. If you’re not interested in joining an outlaw MC, don’t approach anyone wearing this patch.
- If the member of the club you approach doesn’t think you look like someone who could join their club, they’re most likely going to tell you to get lost. Be respectful of this if it happens and don’t push the matter.
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Become a prospect for the motorcycle club. The first step to joining a MC after you find a member and ask them how is usually to start hanging around with the club at their public social events and getting to know members. If the club members like you after you’ve been hanging around for a while, they may invite you to become a “prospect,” or a trial member.
- During your prospecting period you have to prove your worth and commitment to the club.
- After you’ve been a prospect for a certain period of time, full members of the club vote on whether to make you a “full-patch” member.

Question 4 of 7:

How long does it take to prospect for a MC?

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Three months to a year. The exact amount of time you might spend as a prospect of a motorcycle club can vary from club to club, but this is a good estimate. During this probationary period you can get a feel for the club and make sure you still really want to be a part of it. The club members are also testing you to make sure you’re a good fit for the club. Either you or the existing club members may decide during this period that you’re not cut out for the club.
- When you become a prospect, you are committing to attend a certain number of rides, meetings, and events of the club.
- Just like in other fraternal organizations, patched members are going to ask you to do tasks for them during this probationary period, but they won’t ask you to do anything a full member wouldn’t potentially be asked to do.
- Above all else while you’re prospecting for a motorcycle club, remember that respect is of the utmost importance. Always be respectful of each and every full member of the club, and in turn you will earn their respect and potentially their vote to make you a patched member.

Question 5 of 7:

Do you have to have a Harley to be in a MC?

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For some clubs, yes. This particularly applies to 1% motorcycle clubs. Other MCs may just require that you own an American-made bike or a certain type of motorcycle to join.^{[6]
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- For example, there are motorcycle clubs for off-road bikes and street bikes as well.
- If you want to join a club with less strict requirements about what type of bike you can own, consider joining a riding club instead of a MC.

Question 6 of 7:

What are the ranks in a motorcycle club?

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Most MCs have a strict hierarchical system of ranks from president to prospect. The top leaders of the club usually include a president, a vice president, a sergeant at arms, and a road captain. Next in line usually come a secretary, a treasurer, and an enforcer. After them come the rest of the full-patch members and finally the prospects. Some clubs may also have a chaplain.^{[7]
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- Founding members usually hold the highest positions in the club if they’re still active, or the club votes members into these roles as needed.
- The specific names of ranks may vary slightly from club to club, but most MCs follow this same type of hierarchy.
- Clubs may also give titles to non-members who associate with the club, such as “hangarounds” or “friends of the club.”

Question 7 of 7:

Can you make your own motorcycle club?

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Yes, if you get permission from the dominant local MC. If you want to start a motorcycle club, contact the biggest existing MC in your area and ask for permission first. MCs are very protective of their territory, so you could get in trouble with them if you just go ahead and start your own club without asking permission. Respectfully explain your reasons for starting your own club and make it clear that it’s not your intention to challenge the existing club’s dominance.^{[8]
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- If the dominant local motorcycle club denies your request to start your own, make sure to abide by this. Otherwise, they can see your club as a rival, which can end badly for you.
- As an alternative to starting an MC, you can freely start your own riding club. Motorcycle clubs usually don’t have any problems with riding clubs because they don’t view them as rivals.