A group of motorcycle riders that ride and work together are generally referred to as a Motorcycle Club as opposed to a gang or any other term. Most motorcycle clubs are legal enterprises with nothing more than fun and charity in mind when they ride. However, there is an estimated one percent of motorcycle clubs, with people falling within this labeled “One Percenters”, which have been deemed to be illegally run or “Outlaw Clubs.” This is a list of the most notorious Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs with information to help you know who you may be dealing with when you’re leaning against a row of motorcycles outside a bar.
Hells Angels:
Probably the most well known of the motorcycle clubs, the Hells Angels have been given a bad reputation for many years as drug dealers and having an all around attraction to violence. Whether or not they deserve the reputation is open to personal interpretation and opinion, taking into account all of the different branches of Hells Angels spread out through the world. Naturally some folks are going to be bad.
This club was founded in 1948 in San Bernadino, California. Rumors of the club having been started by ex-pilots from World War 2 are stressed on the Hells Angels official website as a misconception. The name for the club was inspired by flying war squadrons, however the founding members were not pilots themselves.
The main logo for the club is the copyrighted “deathshead”, created by Frank Sadliek. It too was inspired by a couple of fighter pilot symbols, as well as the usage of the colors red and white.
Similar to military medals, the club uses patches on the jackets to display different information. One such patch bears the number 81, which many people have come to question. However, the explanation is as simple as looking at the alphabet, for the 8th letter is H and the 1st is A; standing for Hells Angels. The back of a Hells Angels vest is generally comprised of the basics: on the top is Hells Angels, in the middle is the “deathshead,” and across the bottom is the location of that individual’s charter.
One of the more infamous incidents of violence involving the Hells Angels is a video tape captured brawl at Harrah’s Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hells Angel members were caught in the act of fighting members of the motorcycle club the Mongels on April 27, 2002. A member of the Hells Angels was shown to have started the fight and in the end one Mongel was stabbed to death and two Hells Angels were shot to death.
Outlaws MC:
This club’s name is the first indicator that something illegal may be transpiring within their ranks. The Outlaws were formed in McCook, Illinois, in 1935. Membership into this motorcycle club is limited to men who ride a certain size of motorcycle; however, some European chapters do not enforce these rules. As their members grew one could say so did their reputation for disliking other motorcycle clubs, with club slogans such as AHAMD; which stands for ‘All Hells Angels Must Die.” The official club motto, however is “God forgives, Outlaws don’t.”
The insignia of the Outlaws was supposedly inspired by the Marlon Brando movie: The Wild One. On the back of an Outlaw’s jacket one will see a skull with pistons crossed behind it; similar to a skull and crossbones, only instead of bones: pistons. This design was even given a name: “Charlie.”
New members begin as “hang arounds” or associates and work their way up to being a probate, and then finally a “patched” member. Only patched members may wear the club’s symbolic jackets and they must attend club meetings referred to as “church meetings.” There are other mandatory events set up for members as well as a tattoo system to recognize accomplishments. Some examples: an Outlaw who commits or attempts murder or explodes a bomb on behalf of the Outlaws is entitled to wear “lightning bolts,” a Nazi-style “SS” tattoo. An Outlaw who has spent time in jail may receive an “LL” tattoo, which stands for “Lounge Lizard.”
At one time Harry Joseph Bowman was the international president for the Outlaws Motorcycle club, however in 1999 he was put in prison; convicted of three murders.
Pagans:
Formed by Lou Dobkins in 1959 this club hails originally from Maryland. If one were to go by the words of Lou’s widow then it is to be believed that the Pagans were originally started as a “racing team and show bike club.” Somewhere along the lines of expansion however, this motorcycle club began having members who crossed the lines drawn by law enforcement. One can find pages upon pages on the Internet dealing with incarcerated members and or defense fund charities to help jailed members.
The patch worn by Pagans features the Norse fire giant Surt wielding a flaming swords, along with the club’s name title.
Mongols:
This motorcycle club was formed in the 1970s in the San Fernando Valley in California. There is heavy Mexican influence within this club’s culture, even though their name was chosen from warriors that ruled other regions of the world such as Russia and China.
Even though video tapes show a Hells Angel Club member booting the first kick in the infamous Mongol vs. Hells Angel showdown in a Vegas casino, police maintain that the situation itself, though not physically, was instigated by the Mongols in an attempt to bolster more street credibility or the reputation for themselves. Such violence from a club who post the following message on their official website to all members: “Be brotherly to one another and live in Brotherhood…making the whole great people, walk on the road of the true state and of the law for the sake of attaining honor and glory.” The Mongols site also appears to be in the process of setting up a merchandise store for people to buy their shirts and accessories.
Bandidos:
Don Chambers formed the Bandidos motorcycle club in 1966 out of Houston, Texas. The club slogan is: “We are the people our parents warned us about.” If you think that sounds a bit childish you might want to keep your opinions to yourself, considering this club is also referred to as Bandido Nation because of its quick rise in membership numbers.
You’ll know who a Bandido is by the cartoon-ish insignia on the back of his jacket, featuring a Mexican Bandido wielding both a pistol and a machete.
The Bandido’s, like many other motorcycle clubs, have spread worldwide with the Australian chapter gaining quite the reputation for violent activities.
These are just five of the most recognized Motorcycle clubs that align themselves with the “1 Percenter” creed for life. It is not just a weekend getaway but a constant riding lifestyle for these bikers, and considering how expanded they are and how much roaming motorcycle clubs do they must engage in some sort of activity to fund their freedom of life choice. Breaking the law isn’t a hard thing to do and bikers tend to dress in a style that befits a rougher image than John Q. Public, therefore ill reputations are earned; some bikers take pride from that, others don’t.
SOURCES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_club
http://www.hells-angels.com/default.htm
http://www.outlawsmcworld.com/
http://markgribben.com/?page_id=89
http://www.answers.com/topic/pagans-mc
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagans_MC
http://inthehat.blogspot.com/2004/12/both-sides-step-off-war-between-eme.html
http://www.mongolsmc.com/mongols.html
http://www.bandidosmc.com.au/history.htm
