Then • Now • Future
Part Two Of Six Part Series
Folks this is the second of a six-part
series of MY OPINION on Motorcycle
Clubs, I will use NO names and no
actual events that are not already in
the public domain. I am sure there will
be folks that say I have my dates off,
and this and that, but in my defense, I
was not alive in the 30’s, 40’s & 50’s.
And just a kid in the 60’s & 70’s. So
for these time frames I have to rely
on what I have read, and what I have
been told, basically the research that I
have done. Although a few facts may
be misplaced and a few dates off,
basically this will be as factual and as
vague as possible.
The expansion of the powerhouse
clubs brought on new problems and
new challenges. With the group on the
eastern seaboard from north to south,
the group in the mid-west from around
the great lakes heading south, and the
group in the south heading north and
northwest, and the folks on the west
coast going east. Suddenly it was no
longer just fun and games, it was more
Oklahoma biker the riders ragazine
the “we were here first”, and “we go
where we want”. We all used to go
where we wanted, but had no intentions
of staying there, but now that was no
longer the rule. Clubs used to wear city
bottom rockers, just for reference, now
turned to state bottom rockers (with a
little more significance).
If you read what LE wants you to
believe, territory is for control of illegal
activities, which was never the case.
It was started as a matter of pride and
protection. Protection meant, that a
club member could ride and party in his
territory without worry of rivals. As with
anything, it has been taken to extreme
over time. As the country has evolved,
more and more folks have had jobs
and other life events move them into
other areas. This is where the problem
of territory originated. The issue over
territory even spread down to small
non-1% clubs, with the powerhouses
stating, “you’re either with us or you’re
against us”. This mentality curtailed
many of the smaller clubs from growing
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