Motorcycle "clubs"

GsxrBots

Motorboatin' Moonpies, Gangnam Style
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I'm going to ask this on here instead of Facebook because for some reason (please don't prove me wrong) you guys seem to be fairly mature and can handle a discussion like this.


So here we go....


What do people see in motorcycle clubs? Why are you a member, why are you not a member? Do you think they are cool or dumb? Do they pose more of a help to society or a disservice?


I know several friends that were in clubs that now aren't and I know some more friends just getting into it. I don't see the draw. Can someone enlighten me?
 
I'm not a member of any club. I have gotten invited into several.

First. I am not much into group rides. They go too wrong to often. The conduct of a few hurt the whole group ride.

Second. I don't really care for the clicky aspects of it.

Third. Invariably members start to place a sort of hierarchy or pecking order. Not a published thing, just sort of happens. Then if you don't like the pecking order, you become sort of a non-member member

Forth: It is difficult to get a whole group of people in one place at a specified time so therefore your whole schedule gets impacted by a few that can't seem to be where they need to be.

Fifth: You put me in a room with 20 people and chances are I won't like something about 6 of them.....lol.

Sixth: You put me in a room of 20 people and chances are 6 of them won't like something about me.

I like to ride when I want to ride, go where I want to go. Stop when I want, see what I want.

Don't get me wrong, I will go out of my way to help anyone I can. Assuming I don't think they are an azzhat before I get asked. It is often better that I don't know anything going on so I can help equally. I have actually been told to not talk to someone because someone else thought I had said something that they took the wrong way. I'm like. Hey you know what I won't talk to either of you and be totally fine with it. Haven't spoken to them since. And I liked both of them equally as well.

Oh and 7th: My girl rides her own Busa with me, so I got my own motorcycle club. :laugh:
 
Clubs are kinda relics. I agree with most of the above post though. I dont like people really. lol
 
Take note ...... wait for it ...... wait for it ...... I pretty well agree with Tom :laugh: Been asked, haven't joined, to old to fetch things as a pledge ( I would never have done this ) , don't mind group rides, they can be dangerous. Get along with folks ..... I'm here to ride not for drama ...... don't know about the 20 / 6 theory.

Never been drawn to clicks, but I like to ride.
 
Oh and to address the OP others points. There are good clubs and bad clubs but by and large I think they are mis-judged by the public. The few with the bad rap make the rest that are good ones get mis-judged. Go to a Toys for Tots drive in November of any year. Thousands of bikes in clubs show up for one cause, to help needy kids. Yet you look at them and think, Man I wouldn't want that guy around my kids. Pick any charity ride event and the bike clubs strongly support them. We do a benefit ride here once a year for Muscular Dystrophy. The people line the route for miles just to watch the bikes rumble by. It raises a HUGE amount every year.

I think by and large the bike brother/sisterhood is sort of a bond by virtue of that we decide to play on 2 wheels. That bond causes us to look out for our own kind.
 
TallTom got it all covered. with my experience, it depends on the members and what they represent (but even what they represent could be totally different once you in)

i have my own club now, composed of three members; Me myself and I :-)
 
Oh and to address the OP others points. There are good clubs and bad clubs but by and large I think they are mis-judged by the public. The few with the bad rap make the rest that are good ones get mis-judged. Go to a Toys for Tots drive in November of any year. Thousands of bikes in clubs show up for one cause, to help needy kids. Yet you look at them and think, Man I wouldn't want that guy around my kids. Pick any charity ride event and the bike clubs strongly support them. We do a benefit ride here once a year for Muscular Dystrophy. The people line the route for miles just to watch the bikes rumble by. It raises a HUGE amount every year.

I think by and large the bike brother/sisterhood is sort of a bond by virtue of that we decide to play on 2 wheels. That bond causes us to look out for our own kind.

yup. then you have the "bad" clubs who seem to have a "bad boys" mentality in the sense everywhere they go, they have to make their presence known
 
Well Im in a club..I love it...like a family...not too rowdy but if someone disrespects any member...they get jumped on...nice to have ppl to ride with when I want...but I was 15 when I joined...24 now so its what I kno...but I love some solo rides
 
My club consists of two people. My riding partner and I. Occasionally we have a guest or two but 99 percent of the time it's just us or solo. We complement each others riding style and know what to expect of each other. He's a little crazy so I keep him reigned in somewhat. I get to push my skills a bit in the process. We only ride with adults, no squids allowed. Works out pretty well.
 
Bike clubs are good for the info they provide and on occasion you can meet a few nice people but i rather ride alone cause from personal experience I found that
1: no one can spill the beans on me when /if they get pulled over,especially here in queensland where the word "mate" is a very loose term and has no substance at all
2:following others like a sheep and waiting for that nice piece of road debris to dent your fuel tank is another big no no…..
3:some tend to bring along bigasssbiatches who expose their gstring while all crouched up destroying your appetite,focus and sense of logic while you ride….forgot to mention the cellulite that looks like cottage cheese.
 
Were else will you get to wear that fake bulletproof vest with a tough guy name and patches on it......:whistle:
 
like everyone's said, there are multiple types of clubs with all kinds of activities and personalities...i have no desire to join a group of people who would then expect me to arrange my free time around the clubs activities when they don't offer me anything i can't get from my friends on here...plus, i like the people on here that i hang around and don't generally care for most of the rest of the people in the world, including those with bikes that only have them for the "to be seen" factor (most club members IMO)...the local clubs around here tend to have 2 or 3 routes they switch between and do not tend to lock the front door and take off for a few days to see some new scenery...i understand most people can't do that due to other obligations and so i don't tie myself down to a small group where i would be unhappy...however, i know a lot of people that really enjoy belonging to their group and being surrounded by their brothers and sisters and i'm very happy for them

i think it comes down to the type of person you are as to whether it is a good thing for you or not...are you a "local" person? do you have a desire to be constantly surrounded by those that make you feel accepted? are you interested in being in a social scene with others that share your common interests? if so, start checking out the clubs around you to see if any of them are a good fit
 
No clubs but I have friends I will ride with and friends I don't ride with as much. I have a riding style, I like to speed and push the limits, but I won't do it enough to go to jail, just a large ticket. However, it is pretty cool seeing 10-20 sportbikes cruising together.
 
It's pros and cons with any club.
Pros
Group discounts on products for your bike, always some one to help you out, motorcyle mentorship, someone to ride with

Cons
Some pepole will just be ahats it's in there blood, yearly dews, mantory fuctions, sometimes I just want to ride bymyself, some other MC may not like yours and start beef, volunteer work, and on and on.

For me the cons outweight the pros and I will continue to ride with my friends for now. I have a full time job and a family to take care of and don't have much time for anything more.
 
Don't belong to a club, but tried to start one on a web called meetup.com . After the fifth member joined and they were all girls, I got some real funny looks from Wifey. So I aborted.

We do belong to the Harley Chapter, chaired by our county commissioner and a bunch of great folks as members. We ride with them once in a while on day rides, have not done an overstay ride yet. Have to be prepared to obey ALL TRAFFICK rules and stay awake in the process, but the folks are great. Rides are anywhere from 10 to 50 bikes depending on time of year and destination.
 
Hey bud, wanna ride Saturday?
Yep, where we going?
How about Los Alamos.
Time?
0900
Leaving from?
My house
See ya tomorrow.

Nobody shows up with half a tank of gas. Never have to wait on anyone. No drama. All is understood. Just pure riding.
 
I belong to couple Meetup groups. No heirchy, requirements etc. - just sites that basically facilitate meeting up with people for rides and eating. I generally don't like riding in larger groups, but I like hang'in out with "motorcycle" people. No matter their taste in bikes or journeys. I would not ride with any group or CLUB that "required" me to ride or do anything for that matter. It's ironic that motorcycling is often thought to be the ultimate freedom and then to join a group of "brothers" all struggling to get a certain patch, status or position and demanding that you ride here or there or this much or at this time and on this type of bike or that. What ever works for ya though ???

If I want to be told what to do and when - I'll just stay around the house and let the wifey boss me around. :)

After years I've met a few folks I really like as motorcyclist and with whom I enjoy hanging and ironically we don't socialize outside of riding. It's sort of an unwritten rule - that you don't let your life (family and business) bleed into the riding scene we have created. Don't polute the pure riding with outside distractions. When we start the 5 day ride it's all about the ride.

Live to eat - Ride to get there !!!
 
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