In this column we will make an attempt to answer some essential questions of general concern.
What is a motorcycle club and what does it do?
We often hear this question from people who have just purchased a motorcycle or have not simply had an opportunity to deal with club activities. It is possible to give different answers to this question, adding a great deal of mysticism to the answer or making a really simple reply.
Currently when the stream of information available online is really intense, there exists a high probability of creating a misconception, therefore our response is actually very simple:
There is a variety of clubs spread around the world, they can have different structures or forms of management, diverse directions of activities and can participate in public, sports or bikers life, however in a general sense a motorcycle club as an organization is a mix of people united by common goals in activities at the heart of which, without any doubt, everything revolves around a motorcycle and all the things in relation to it. A question may arise what is the difference between a motorcycle club and a chess club? There is a simple answer: schematically they do not differ in anything and at the same time they differ in everything.
As history shows, in the early 20th century the first motorcycle clubs were organisations uniting enthusiasts of motorcycles as vehicles and taking care of the maintenance of a mutual hobby, the assurance of traffic safety and the sharing of information. Following World War II, a large number of military motorcycles remained both in Europe and beyond the Atlantic Ocean, which could be purchased cheaply, and upon return from the war men were searching for affinity and relatively inexpensive activities, therefore motorcycles and the foundation of their clubs reflected a military structure to a certain extent. In parallel with them there existed various organizations uniting tourists, sports enthusiasts, travellers and amateurs interested in motorcycles and engineering and etc. As a result, nowadays everyone is at liberty to choose when deciding which group matches his interests best. There are clubs that have interest in engineering, enjoy travelling, engage in sports activities, restore historic motorcycles, lead their lives according to the rules of the bikers, honour and brotherhood code, that unite, for example, only amateurs who are interested in either one or other type of motorcycles of a certain manufacturer or moto fans of only one city or town, that exist only online or only as a small group of friends or that only occupy themselves with binge drinking and etc. Therefore by merely browsing the Internet or reading about something in newspapers, you will not provide yourself with an answer what a motorcycle club stands for – you can find out about this just by visiting events or joining trips organized by it.
What to do if you want to become a club member?
As you are already aware of diversity among clubs, a logical question follows: so how to become a member. Sometimes we even hear a question like: so where to complete the application form J? It has nothing to do with secrets, it just has to do with quite a lot of ‘chemistry’. The simplest way involves acquainting yourself with club members at events where they participate by simply introducing yourself or participating in an organized open door party, after carefully exploring what the club of your interest does. It is only your own business how you intend to find a way for establishing your contacts, you will not receive any personal invitations, the most important thing is your own understanding and knowing why all of this is necessary for you.
What is a goal and do you have to belong to a club if you own a motorcycle?
Belonging to one or another organisation or team, including a motorcycle club, first and foremost involves responsibility and investment. Responsibility for yourself, your words and actions and for a club. Investment entails not only time and money but also your ‘words’. As a result it is necessary to ask yourself strictly: why do I need all of this? After all if you just want to have a pint or ‘do a circle’ around a city with your friends, it is not necessary to belong to a club, right? Of course there exist ‘clubs/circles’ that are formed with the help of online forums just for weekend rides and it is a good choice when you want to escape your home routine, however when addressing the question of clubs that are part of the biker subculture, everything is far from simple. Here you will be checked, here you will have more duties than rights in the beginning, here simple things will prove to be very important, here nobody will care about your social status and what position you occupy or how much you earn, here you will have to keep your word, here the ‘weird’ established order will surround you on numerous occasions and here if everything is all right, maybe you will become a part of this family in 3 years.
Shall I start a club by myself?
If you are creative and ambitious and you have a good idea, it is probable that you can form your own club together with your mates and such initiative is welcomed, it is important to know definitely, though: what will you be aiming at? On the other hand, do you really need a club for collective gatherings à la grill parties or short weekend trips together with families? What is its future? It is our obligation to tell you that irrespective of how many useful pieces of advice you will hear, you should expect a long and rough road that will rather easily deprive you of energy and time.
Currently in Lithuania there exist over 40 different motorcycle clubs reflecting the biker culture, similar numbers of sports teams and quite many online forums and groups, thus you really can find a team that suits you best.
How far do the activities of the Moto Brothers Club spread?
The Moto Brothers Club was founded in the city of Kaunas. At the moment the club does not have its subdivision in other Lithuanian cities or other states.
Irrespective of this, the club activities are not limited to the territory, therefore you can meet us all across Lithuania and not only: at races and events and when travelling, visiting colleagues and etc.
There is a simple answer to the question ‘Is a subdivision going to be opened and when is it going to happen’?: first of all, the club is about people, therefore there is such a possibility for sure, when the time comes and the right people turn up. You can always become one of those people who will begin writing the history of the Moto brothers of your city. The club members include not only Kaunas residents.
MCC. RC. HOG. MK. – what is this?
You have probably noticed that bikers wear vests adorned not only with their club symbols but also with these letters, which show the type, nature, structure of management (possibly), attitudes and etc. of a club and are used almost worldwide. Equally, this means that you should not come to conclusions until you are convinced that you understand everything properly if you do not know anything about it yet. A neighbour who lives in a flat of a nearby stairwell and knows Peter, the rocker, may turn out to be not the best source of information.
Are there only ‘sports’ motorcycles at the Moto Brothers Club?
At the beginning of the formation of the club we all rode sports motorcycles, it is true. It is equally true that it is more convenient when a motorcycle is sufficiently fast-moving and manoeuvrable. The Moto Brothers Club does not apply rules that would indicate which motorcycle its member is supposed to ride and recognizes all manufacturers and all types of motorcycles. We ride sport, sport-touring, street, cafe-racer and old Russian motorcycles, we have tried power cruisers and choppers and we race and entertain ourselves with four wheeler, snow and water motorcycles.
General information
Our club member can be a person who is 21 years of age and older, rides a motorcycle with a cubic capacity of at least 400cc and has a clearly reasoned desire to participate in the life of motorcycles.
Both Lithuanian and foreign residents can become our club members.
A wish to establish the subdivision of the Moto Brothers Club or to participate in its activities can be expressed by a group of persons having a goal and vision to implement public activities on the basis of motorcycling. Should you have some ideas or plans, please contact us and tell us about yourself, we will familiarize you with tasks and goals that are set and will discuss them.