Biker Patches

The biker patches are used to determine which club a biker belongs to. These are set on the back of the vests. It is also used by bikers to reveal something of their personality or trait.

Overview of Patches

A club patch is either in 1, 2 or 3 parts. The one piece patch denotes a motorcycle association, most often with the bike manufacturer (i.e., Harley Owners Group or H.O.G.). The two piece patch signifies one is a member of a club.

The three-piece usually means the biker belongs to an outlaw motorcycle club. An outlaw motorcycle club refers to any biker organization not certified by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA).

The 3-Piece / Outlaw Biker Patches

The three-piece patch is comprised of the center patch (the club’s symbol) and crescent shaped patches above and below it. These are known as rockers. The upper rocker displays the club’s name and the bottom the state or city.

It should be noted that not all three-piece patches signify membership in an outlaw bike club. There are some military motorcycle clubs that use the three-piece patch on their vests.

Some Outlaw Motorcycle Club Patches

The 1% patch is worn by outlaw bikers in reference to the declaration by the American Motorcyclist Association that 99% of bikers follow the law. The number 13 biker patch stands for M, the 13th letter in the alphabet. The M means marijuana, indicating the rider uses or sells marijuana.

Some think 13 denotes 12 jurors and a judge, meaning no one can judge the biker. The Ace of Spades means the biker will fight to the very end. Some Ace of Spades designs have a skull on them.

Other Kinds of Outlaw Patches

They include the I.T.C.O.B (“I Took Care of Business) patch; this means the biker did something for the club or is engaged in criminal activity. MC/MCC stands for motorcycle club, while President means the biker holds that position in the club. The skull and crossbones patch means the biker has been involved in a life or death fight or could have killed someone.

Creating a Biker Patch

The emblem should match the culture, style and attitude of the club. The outlaw biker clubs are known for certain ideals concerning nonconformity to culture, club loyalty and independence. There are also Christian biker clubs, military etc. Make sure your ideals are set forth in the design.

The symbol could range from skulls and bones to teddy bears. The motto and text style should match the design of course. The background color is usually black. There are many services that make these patches. They are either printed or embroidered.

Notes on Patch Layouts

Club patches should be placed on the vest’s back in the middle. It must be under the shoulder blades. For name patches, put it on the front vest at the left. Memorial patches can be placed anywhere.

A biker patch can signify both club membership and the personality of the biker. If you can’t find one you like, it’s easy enough to make one using the guidelines above.