History of the motorcycle club.....cont.!

Sometimes it takes a whole tankful of fuel before you can think straight.

Motorcycle clubs have been around almost as long as motorcycles.

The first motorcycle, a steam powered bicycle, developed by Ernest Michaux can be traced to 1867 in Paris, France. Sylvester H. Roper of Roxbury, Massachusetts, USA developed a twin cylinder steam powered motorcycle in 1868. 

Gottlieb Daimler & Wilhelm Maybach of Bad Cannstatt, near Stuttgart, Germany, came up with the first petroleum powered motorcycle.

In 1894 the Hildebrand & Wolfmüller became the first motorcycle available for public sale.

A circus performer in 1895 is said to have brought the first known motorcycle in the USA to New York, although that same year saw E.J. Pennington demonstrate his own design in Milwaukee, and getting credited for calling the machine a ‘motor cycle’.

In 1901, England’s Royal Enfield was first produced, while the Americans got the first motorcycle from the Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company,

In 1903, the Americans saw the start of its most famous icon, The Harley-Davidson Motor Co.

The oldest club on record is the ‘Yonkers MC’ of Yonkers, New York, established in 1903. The Yonkers Bicycle Club under its president, George Eller, became the Yonkers Motorcycle Club, making it the oldest motorcycle club in the world. The club can be found in Mount Vernon, NY or at http://yonkersmotorcycleclub.net.

The Portsmouth Motorcycle Club also claims to be the oldest cycling club, but although the Yonkers Cycle Club was started in the late 1800s, it doesn’t state exactly when, & the Portsmouth Cycling club does state that it was started in 1893. This could construe that the Portsmouth club is older than the Yonkers club, but the Yonkers club evolved into a motorcycle club in 1903, while Portsmouth did not evolve until 1913. This fact makes Yonkers the oldest club. You can find the Portsmouth Motorcycle Club in Portsmouth, Ohio or at http://portsmouthmc.net/2YXQHQHT/

The next oldest club would be the ‘San Francisco MC’ established in November of 1904. By 1911 it boasted over 500 members including the San Francisco Mayor P.H. McCarthy, and in 1913, the famous Harley-Davidson hill climb champion Dudley Perkins Sr. joined, a year before he opened the Dudley Perkins dealership. In 1937, member Hap Jones would be the first to ride across the Golden Gate Bridge. The clubs Drill Team made an appearance at the infamous 1947 rally in Hollister, CA. and Hap Jones redid his ride across the Golden Gate Bridge at the 50^th anniversary in 1987. The club describes the membership as the following: “We have male and female members, members with Harley choppers, we have criminals and lawyers, we have members with dirt bikes, we have racers, we have members who commute to work on motorcycles, who like to take month-long trips on motorcycles, who like to work on motorcycles, who only have antique bikes, who only ride on weekends, etc. We all have motorcycle licenses and we get along about as well as most families.” The San Francisco Motorcycle club can be found in  San Francisco, CA or at www.sf-mc.org.

The Oakland MC was established in August of 1907 putting it in tie for third place. The Bay Area’s Oakland MC can be found in Oakland, CA or at www.oaklandmc.org.

The other contender for third place is the Pasadena Motorcycle Club also established in 1907 & has been part of the Pasadena Rose Parade since 1911. They can be found in Pasadena, CA or at www.pasadenamc.com.

Governing Organizations.

International Motorcycling Federation (Fédération Internationale des Clubs Motocyclistes) was created in 1904 in Paris, France. This is the top governing body for motorcycle competition in the world. All local governing bodies such as AMA, CMA, the ACU of Great Britain, and all other countries belong to this organization.

The Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM) is said to be founded in 1903 by the New York Motorcycle Club, which I can find no info about. Reportedly they saw a need for a national motorcyclist organization which seemed to gain momentum due to New York enacting a law requiring motorcycles to be registered as motor vehicles. 

On September 7, 1903, the FAM was officially formed in Brooklyn, NY at a meeting notably attended by George M. Hendee of the Indian Motorcycle Co., and appointing R.G Betts of New York as president.

Article I, section 2 of the constitution of the newly created FAM stated: "Its objects shall be to encourage the use of motorcycles and to promote the general interests of motorcycling; to ascertain, defend and protect the rights of motorcyclists; to facilitate touring; to assist in the good roads movement; and to advise and assist in the regulation of motorcycle racing and other competition in which motorcycles engage." The constitution also recorded annual membership dues of $2, and named several committees, including: Membership; Legal Action; Competition; Roads, Touring and Hotels; and Transportation and Facilities.

They lasted for 16 yrs when WWI drained the potential membership pool & they went out of business in 1919.

The Motorcycle and Allied Trades Association (M&ATA)

In 1908, the Motorcycle Manufactures Association was formed to regulate the motorcycle manufacturers, accessory makers and distributers. 

On November 15, 1916, the Motorcycle and Allied Trades Association was founded.

With the death of FAM, the M&ATA started registering clubs and supporting motorcycling activities. The associations Competition Committee was created in 1919 to handle rider registration, regulation, and the encouragement of events, which led to the support of the annual Gypsy Tours.

The M&ATAs Competition Committee was renamed The American Motorcycle Association (AMA) in 1924.

The M&ATA united with the scooter trade to become MS&ATA, then in 1969 it merged with the West Coast Motorcycle Safety Council to form the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC).

The American Motorcycle Association (AMA)

Established on May 15, 1924, the AMA is still the main governing body for motorsports in the USA.

"The slogan of the AMA will be: An Organized Minority Can Always Defeat an Unorganized Majority." (Western Motorcyclist and Bicyclist, May 20, 1924)

"Plans are under way to start membership contests and build up the AMA to a live and active fighting organization. . .when this comes to pass, the law-makers will think long and seriously before they attempt to put over anything on the motorcycle riders.'' (Western Motorcyclist & Bicyclist, May 20, 1924)

A major reason behind the formation of the AMA was the concerns over restrictive government action against the motorcycling community which was creating laws & ordinances which threatened the freedom of the motorcyclists. In the 1960s a rash of legislation brought about the formation of the AMAs Legislative Department whose mission was…  ". . .coordinate national legal activity against unconstitutional and discriminatory laws against motorcyclists, to serve as a sentinel on federal and state legislation affecting motorcyclists, and to be instrumental as a lobbying force for motorcyclists and motorcycling interests.''

The Canadian Motorcycle Association (CMA)

Established in 1946 and fully incorporated in 1957, the CMA is the Canadian governing body for motorsports is Canada. They have been affiliated with FIM since 1950 and oversee their interests in motorcycling/snowmobiling throughout Canada.

The main headquarters is in Hamilton, Ontario, and can be found at http://www.canmocycle.ca/index.cfm

To be continued…..

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Too Little, Too Late

A guy is at the Pearly Gates, hoping to be admitted, and St. Peter says to the guy, "I can't see that you did anything really good in your life, but you never did anything bad either. I tell you what, if you can tell me one really good deed that you did, you're in."

So the guy says, "Once I was driving down the road and saw a gang of bikers assaulting this poor girl. So I pulled over, got out my car, grabbed a tire iron and walked straight up to the gang's leader--a huge ugly guy with a studded leather jacket, bald head but with hair all over his body, and a chain running from his nose to his ear.

Undaunted, I ripped the chain out of his nose and ear and smashed him over the head with the tire iron. Then I turned around and, wielding my tire iron, yelled to the rest of them, 'You leave this poor, innocent lady alone! You're all a bunch of sick, deranged animals! Go home before I teach you all a lesson in pain!'"

Impressed, St. Peter says, "Really? I can't seem to find this in your file. When did this happen?"

"Oh, about two minutes ago."

‘Hang in there’ …..  J D Redneck