Motorcycle club

Southern California Norton Owner's Club on California State Route 41, near Creston.

A motorcycle club is a group of individuals whose primary interest and activities involve motorcycles. A motorcycle group can range as clubbed groups of different bikes or bikers who own same model of vehicle like the Harley Owners Group.

There are a great many brand clubs, i.e. clubs dedicated to a particular marque, including those sponsored by various manufacturers, modeled on the original brand club, the Harley Owners Group. There are also large national independent motorcycle clubs, for example, the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America, and the Dominar Owners Club (DOC),[1] an exclusive motorcycle group for Bajaj Dominar bikes only.[2] There are also specific clubs for women, such as the Women's International Motorcycle Association, and clubs for lesbians and gays, such as Dykes on Bikes.

Clubs catering for those interested in vintage machines such as the Vintage Motor Cycle Club are also popular as well as those centered on particular venues. Clubs catering for riders' rights such as the Motorcycle Action Group, and charities like The Royal British Legion Riders Branch are also popular. Many affiliate with an umbrella organization, such as the British Motorcyclists Federation in the UK, or FEMA in Europe. Producing national and local branch club magazines and events are typical activities of such clubs.

Other organizations whose activities primarily involve motorcycles exist for specific purposes or social causes such as the Patriot Guard Riders, who provide funeral escorts for military veterans, and Rolling Thunder, which advocates for troops missing in action and prisoners of war. While neither of the latter two groups require a motorcycle for membership, they are motorcycling-oriented and much of their activity involves rides.[3][4][5]

There are numerous religiously oriented clubs such as the Christian Motorcyclists Association, a biker ministry, charities such as Freewheelers EVS, which use motorcycles to provide an out-of-hours emergency medical courier service, and clubs which attract membership from specific groups, such as the Blue Knights Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club, for law enforcement personnel.[6]

In the United Kingdom, two charities (the Institute of Advanced Motorists and RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders) have significant-sized motorcycle clubs with trained volunteers to promote roadcraft and help riders pass an advanced driving test.

  1. ^ Dominar Owners Club (DOC) Archived 2021-12-02 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Bajaj Dominar
  3. ^ Feuer, Alan (May 29, 2006). "Revving Their Engines, Remembering a War's Toll". The New York Times.
  4. ^ Grant, Japhy (March 28, 2006). "Biking to block Phelps". The Advocate. p. 22. ISSN 0001-8996.
  5. ^ Platoni, Kara (July–August 2006). "The hogs of war". Mother Jones. pp. 16–17.
  6. ^ "Police Motorcycle Club Invades Tyler". Tyler Morning Telegraph. Tyler, Texas. July 25, 2012. pp. 1A, 6A.