Want to know everything about 1% biker gangs ? What are the activities and motivations of these motorcycle groups? Why are they called « 1% Clubs »? Where do you meet them? And who are the most famous of them?
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Motorcycle gangs, referred to as “1%” or “Club 1%”, are groups of bikers classified as criminals. This term was used by the police who stated that 99% of motorcyclists play by the rules when 1% of them engage in criminal activities to keep their gangs alive.
In this article we will see together, among other things:
- The meanings of the term « 1% ».
- The origin of the term « 1% Club ».
- Which are the most famous clubs?
- The activities of these lawless motorcyclists
- How they promote the clubs
After reading this article, you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about when someone mentions the term 1%, and what arguments you can come up with to defend (or not defend) this category of bikers. Before we start, let’s introduce you to our biker ring , which we’re very proud of! Just click on the image below to see it.
Meaning and origin of the term « Club 1% ».
Why the term 1% club? As previously mentioned, the 1% is a group of motorcyclists whose activities are predominantly criminal in nature . Where does this special designation come from? She comes from the USA, more precisely from the state of California. 🧐
On July 4, 1947, Independence Day, there was a demonstration of more than 4000 motorcyclists in Hollister, which triggered a huge riot. The demonstration was led by a group of tattooed people with large motorcycles, who were demonstrating the sports rules of American Motorcyclistedescribed as too childish. As a result, these people began to organize their own meetings and above all: with their own rules. These events were soon classified as illegal by the authorities.
This day stuck in the memory of the participants in the demonstration, giving the event the nickname Hollister Riot . The AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) even issued a statement on the day. She explained that 99% of the motorcyclists present that Independence Day were honest citizens and only 1% were responsible for the riots that took place. 🤠
With this statement, the motorcycle clubs began to show their affiliation with the world of violence and crime. At that time, the biker gangs were very proud of the term, which is no longer used today: « 1% ». When you talk about outlawed or criminalized motorcyclists today, you immediately think of the motorcycle club or the1% Club . They are also referred to as percenters or one-percenters. By definition, the term 1% club stands for criminal motorcyclists who completely reject the authority of the state and prefer to live according to their own rules.
History of motorcycle clubs 1%
Motorcycle clubs are an association of people who share a love of motorcycles. They first appeared in the early 1950s. Groups of youngsters riding motorcycles formed gangs. It was these clubs that later evolved into outlaw motorcycle clubs . ☠️
In their early days, under the name ” One Percenters » or «Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs». These terms describe motorcyclists who preferred crime rather than the traditional way of life. Today they are among the most renowned criminal organizations in the world. The New York Motorcycle was the very first of the motorcycle clubs. In 1903 he would join forces with the Alpha Motorcycle Club in Brooklyn to form the Federation of American Motorcyclists. It was only later that the Motorcycle and Allied Trades Association (M&ATA) formed a division for motorcyclists, giving rise to the American Motorcyclist Association.
activities of these criminal gangs
The criminal world of motorcycle clubs is not a new thing. In fact, these motorcyclists, who represent only 1% of motorcycling clubs, engage in various criminal activities, including murder, drug trafficking, theft, robbery and above all: turf wars between gangs , sometimes ending in bloodbaths… What makes these clubs particularly different from other motorcycling clubs with no illegal activities different is that they have a certain principle connected with their honor. So the members die proud to wear their gang’s colors. 👊
The majority of 1% clubs move between legality and illegality. That’s why you can also see websites of these clubs, which display completely banal activities. T-shirt sales, gatherings with family and members, sales of motorcycles and rider accessories, etc. They even get involved in charity events to reach the hearts of the populace and cultivate their image as criminals.
However, motorcycle club gangs will not shy away from using violence if their club is threatened. This violence can range from simple beatings to bombings. Behind the facade of motorcycle enthusiasts hide criminals who won’t dare pull the trigger to enforce their rules and gain respect.
List of the most famous 1% clubs
If you’re here, you’ll know some criminal biker gangs, but certainly not all! Let’s list you the most famous of them, their dates of foundation and the number of their members (note that the order does not imply anything specific):
⇒ BANDIDOS MC : They were founded in the 1960s, are present in 20 countries (including France) and have almost 2500 official members. ✌️
⇒ BLACK PISTON MC : This club was founded in the early 2000s. It’s the outlaws’ base club and they’re very violent . He is present in 15 countries and will perform for the first time in France in 2016.
⇒ BOOZE FIGHTER MC: This club is one of the oldest and most important in the history of gangs. Its members don’t say they’re in the 1% compared to others, yet some members’ activities sometimes smudge… The Boozefighter was founded in 1946 in the US state of California.
⇒ CHOSEN FEW MC : This club was founded in 1959 in the USA and is made up of black and white bikers. This racial diversity is rare in a 1% biker club. He is also represented in Europe. 🇪🇺
⇒ COMANCHERO MC : It is an Australian club founded in 1968, which is also represented throughout Europe. When it was founded, it had over 2000 members. ⇒ GREMIUM MC : A club of German origin founded in 1972. It will spread rapidly in several countries around the world and especially in Europe. ⇒ GIPSY JOKERS MC : This club, founded in 1956, comes from the USA and is only represented in five countries. It was very small, but the original members’ contributions still get the motorcycling world talking today. ⇒ HELLS ANGELS MC
: It is simply the best-known 1% motorcycle club. It has over 2,000 members and the formation of this large gang took place in the late 1940’s, after World War II.
⇒ MONGOLS MC : Founded in 1969, this club is present in 15 countries, mainly in France. These original members are Latinos and the club has over 1500 members worldwide.
⇒ OUTLAWS MC : It is one of the first motorcycle clubs. Founded in 1935, it has 2000 members and is present in 15 countries (including France). 🇫🇷
⇒ PAGANS MC: It was founded in 1959 and is one of the five largest clubs in the world. The club is primarily present in the United States and was particularly violent in the 1980s.
⇒REBELS MC : This club was founded in Australia in 1969 and is represented in 20 countries. It is one of the most famous clubs that did not have its foundation in the USA.
⇒ RED DEVILS MC : This is the base club of the Hells Angels and is represented all over the world. The Red Devils attracted a lot of attention in the 1990s.
⇒ ROAD KNIGHTS MC : It was founded in New Zealand in 1979 and is represented in three other countries. It is a small but very virulent gang that caused a lot of headaches for the authorities at the time.
⇒ ROCK MACHINE MC: Founded in 1986, this club from Canada was at war with the Hells Angels for a long time, causing them heavy human losses… 🩸 ⇒
SATANS SLAVES MC : Present in Scotland and Germany, this club of English origin was founded in 1967. Their name simply means « the slaves of Satan ».
⇒ SATUDARAH MC : This Dutch club, which is now represented in over 20 countries, was founded in 1990. It’s the most famous club in Holland and the residents are really afraid of it…
⇒ SONS OF SILENCE MC : This motorcycle club was founded in 1966 in the USA and was also very present in Germany. Today he is one of the top 5 most dangerous gangs.
⇒ VAGOS MC: This motorcycle club was founded in 1965 in the US state of California. It later spread to other countries, including France. Harley-Davidson motorcycles are everywhere in the history of this club.
⇒ WARLOCKS MC : The club was founded in Florida in 1967 and later expanded to Canada, England and Germany. Today it has nearly 1,500 active members. 🤘
We have now looked at a whole range of gangs from all over the world together. However, we would need pages and pages to list them all. We have just seen the most well-known of them due to their size or influence in the motorcycle world.
Relationships between Outlaw Biker Clubs
Among the big MC 1% there are some who compete with each other and fight for territory. Small clubs are forced or agree to submit to these large clubs in order to support them or enjoy their protection. To this end, the small clubs wear a badge of support on their vests showing their affiliation with the dominant club. If small clubs resist, their clubs will be dispersed and banned from the area. ❌
Similar to Australia and the US, several MCs have built coalitions up to the top of the state. These coalitions are often made up of motorcycle clubs, which are close to neutral and like to hold meetings behind closed doors. These coalitions work for the common interest. Thanks to them and the motorcycle club confederations, the rivalries between the motorcycle clubs have decreased. These confederations have chosen to have legal representatives and invest more in relationships
Biker gang members
A “member” is a biker who belongs to a motorcycle club or a “gang”. If he joins a club, he is obliged to follow its rules. From there, he is forced to go through different stages to join the club. However, some require numerous actions to be taken before becoming an official member. For example, sometimes he has to convince all the gang members, he has to inspire confidence in them. Once a member, the biker must obey orders from above. These commands can sometimes be illegal. 😵
When new members join the gang, the club becomes their family and they must support each other at all costs. If the integrity of the club or a member is violated, those responsible will be violently punished. The activities of these gangs range from drug dealing, murder, theft and much more. They cultivate values based on brotherhood and loyalty.
Gang logos and colors 1%.
Bikers who belong to the 1% gang proudly display their colors to show their affiliation with the group. They are naturally referred to as “logos” or “patches”. Let’s take a look at how they are typically highlighted and used using the Hells Angels as an example:
- The club name is usually at the top
- The gang’s logo or emblem in the center.
- The club’s location below
And sometimes there are also distinguishing features, such as B. the « 1% » patch or other symbols specific to the motorcyclist himself. 🏍
The logo is symbolic for MCs and the most important symbol of the club. These patches can sometimes be off-putting to outsiders who don’t have the codes or don’t know their meaning. For example, skulls or the devil’s head are commonly used by gangs.
The Hells Angels logois a skull with wings wearing a motorcycle helmet. The Outlaws have “Charlie,” a smiling skull with crossed butts. The Vagos MC have an image of Loki, Norse god of malice, half brother of Thor, god of lightning. The Pagan, in turn, have a logo featuring a colorful fire god invented by one of their founders. However, not all MCs have scary logos. The Bandidos and the Finks have rather fun and pretty looking logos.
Currencies and Slogans
For most of them, the « MC » that can be seen on their jacket stands for « Club de Motards » (motorcycle club). There are also small patches on the jackets that represent their ideologies. However, the meaning of these patches is confusing. For example, a patch with the number 13 means that the motorcyclist or biker likes to smoke marijuana, while the letter “M”, the 13th letter of the alphabet, simply denotes the first letter of Bob Marley’s name. On the subject of sex: the different colored wings represent the various sexual acts that the biker has performed over the course of his life. 🔞
Colors are very important to the identity of 1% biker gangs . Some big clubs like the Hells Angels, the Mongols and the Outlaws have even applied to have their colors copyrighted. Let’s take Club Mongols as an example. Their logo features the word Mongols written in characters in an arc. This proves it’s a gang trademark, but US prosecutors revoked their copyright on the logo in 2009, severely damaging the group’s morale.t MC Leadership
Organization and management of MCs
The typical organization of a motorcycle club is as follows: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Road Captain, the Sergeant of Arms, often referred to as the Enforcer. The groups within a large MC are referred to as “clans” and the first clan formed by a motorcycle club is referred to as the “parent clan”. The one who heads the parent clan is also the head of the entire MC and only he has the right to set the club’s policy. High profile motorcycle clubs are given real estate to use as a clubhouse. 🏢
Join the 1% too
Independent or united in a coalition, there are hundreds of motorcycle clubs in France. Even if the practices of the motorcycle clubs differ from one another, love for motorcycles and motorcycle rides are very common even in France. There just isn’t the criminal activity that goes along with it, and of course that’s a good thing. You have just learned in detail what the term « Club 1% » means through this article and there is nothing more to keep secret about it, well done! 🤜 🤛
For your part, if you want to cultivate an exceptional biker style, we invite you to dress accordingly. This works best with t-shirts that look like they came straight from hell! Just click on the image below and check out our skull t-shirts to boost your charisma…
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