Wheels Of Grace Magazine

Volume 10, Issue 1

Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/1000232

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 38 of 48

38 | WheelsOfGrace.com | Issue 41 3-pc Disclaimer: The following series of articles are the courtesy of www. rcvsmc.net (Motorcycle Club Riding Education). The articles have been the most popular series in demand ahead of the series Christians and Tattoos. The articles are posted to inform the motorcycle rider of a world within the world of motorcycling. Motorcycle Clubs have been around for over 60 years. Although some may not agree with some of the articles written, these articles were written by and from the perspective of Motorcycle Club members. We would like to hear your feedback and not your criticism on what is written. We did not write the articles, we did not make the rules nor support or not support any of the written. These articles are for "educational purposes". Peter Kaye The AMA was founded in 1924 as an organizing arm of Motorcycle Manufacturers and mainly supported by the Motorcycle Manufacturers to promote motorcycle riding in America. They sanc oned groups of riders from the same area that rode together as motorcycle "clubs." Some wore complete matching dress ou its with the name of their motorcycle club s tched on the back of their shirts and jackets. At events, the AMA gave awards for the best-dressed club so this was the start of motorcycle club's patches. During an event in 1947 in Hollister, CA when a member of the Booze Fighters Motorcycle Club made the headlines with an exaggerated news story that was later made into a movie called "The Wild Ones." The AMA wrote an ar cle in their magazine, shortly a er this sta ng, "99% of all of their members are law-abiding ci zens and only 1% are 'outlaw'". This then, began what is today known as Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs and One Percenters. Clubs that were not sanc oned by the AMA and non-members of the AMA were banned from a ending AMA events. In order to designate themselves as an outlaw club to all other clubs, the One Percenters cut their club patches into three separate pieces. The top rocker was the name of the club, the center was the emblem of the club, and the bo om rocker was the local or the area from which they came. These outlaw motorcycle clubs put on their own events and par es and did the opposite of what the AMA had been doing. There were no Best Dressed awards, they "chopped" down their bikes to go faster and look different, rode with no mufflers, they would drink, and do other "wild" things. Such is history. The term "colors" is used in referring to a motorcycle clubs' patch set up. In the case of a 3-pc patch, one is placed over the top of the middle large graphic patch and one placed underneath it. The "rockers" are usually curved bars with the top bar designa ng the club name and the lower bar designa ng the loca on of the club. The two rockers are separate from the middle, larger graphic type patch, hence the term three-piece patch. Motorcycle clubs differ from motorcycling organiza ons as they tradi onally have "prospec ng" me required before the club members decide whether the individual will be accepted into the group and allowed to wear or "fly" the "colors" of the group. Most club "colors" will also have M/C printed on the "rocker" or a separate "cube" patch with MC on it to further clarify it as a club rather than an organiza on. history of the 3-pc Photo credit: John Springer Collection 38 | WheelsOfGrace.com | Issue 41

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Wheels Of Grace Magazine - Volume 10, Issue 1