Three Tips to Help Start an MC Club

Motorcycle clubs have been a symbol of brotherhood among riders for decades. Their objectives may vary from one club to another, but the bottom line is to unite riders and socialisation. Most clubs are formed around shared interests; members may all be friends who love a specific brand of motorcycle or prefer a particular riding style. For some people, joining an existing club isn’t enough; they want to start and operate a club. You need a considerable degree of organisation, planning and structure to set it up.

Furthermore, you also need to determine the type of club you want to start. There are two main types of clubs – the riding club and the motorcycle club. The latter is usually denoted as an MC and members wear club vests to identify themselves. These vest have three-piece patches at the back hence, the name 3-piece patch MC. The first part of the patch shows the names of the MC club, the middle has the club’s logo while the bottom shows the locality, city or state of the member. A riding club, on the other hand, is a group of acquaintances who love riding motorbikes. Members occasionally meet to socialise and ride bikes. Riding clubs often consist of owners of specific motorcycle brands like Honda, BMW or Harley Davidson. Here are three tips to help you start your MC hobby.

Research

If there are clubs in your neighbourhood that focus on specific interests, consider doing a little research to avoid competing with those that have a similar mission. Starting a Motorcycle Club is more involving than setting up a regular riding club. This is because you need to contact the dominant local club to explain the reason for starting the club. If your goals are logical and understandable, they will allow you to start one and provide instructions on how to go about it. Your research should reveal the following points:

• The location of your club
• The dominant club in your neighbourhood
• If there is another type of Motorcycle Rights Association in the area
• The kind of club you wish to start (riding, social club, service-oriented)
• Plans to grow membership
• Whether you are accepting motorcycles from all brands or specific brands

Organise for Events

You need to formulate a plan to grow the club. Arranging for events is a great way to nurture and retain members while letting the club give back to the community. Some ideas include get-togethers, summertime BBQs and charity rides for worthy causes. As the owner, you can enhance the effectiveness of the group by advertising and scheduling the event properly, so it does not coincide with other such activities. Also, wearing matching gear during such events sends a bold message to prospective members. Online retailer sites like XLmoto come in handy for members looking to purchase similar protective vests, helmets, gloves and other gear to echo the brand’s logo.

Formalise the Club

You need to add formality and structure to the club by choosing a name, symbol and theme. The symbol should be starkly different from other clubs. If the dominant club is brand-affiliated, then you need to choose a name that includes the name of the brand.