Biker Patches

Patches and pins are the primary visual identifying marks of motorcycle clubs. These patches usually adorn a biker’s vest and are usually used to identify which biker club or organization one belongs to. These serve as the colors of both members and the club as a whole. Each part of these identifying marks will remain significant when deriving the meaning behind them. The same will remain true whether you wear one-piece, three-piece, or two-piece patches.

Significant Info from Patches

You can glean a lot of information by examining the visual identification marks on a biker’s patch. These patches will be located in the center of the back of the vest. The size of the patch will at times be insignificant in meaning. These patches will usually contain the name of the biker organization or club, its logo, perhaps the letters “MC” will be on it, province or state, and other bits of identification.

The significance of the letters “MC” on these patches, whether they are two-piece patches, three-piece patches, or just a plain one-piece patch, will have any significant meaning. Some say that only outlaw biker organizations sport the “MC” on their club’s other patches. However, there are also non-outlaw motorcycle clubs that also sport these very same initials. Rider clubs may or may not have these initials on their vests.

Meaning behind the Pieces

It is pretty easy to guess that biker patches will have different meanings. However, do take note that the traditional motorcycle clubs will differentiate what colors are from patches. Among traditional motorcycle clubs, patches are generally purchased whereas colors are earned. Patches are usually deemed only for riding clubs but the club colors represent a much deeper commitment than what is expected from members of riding clubs.

One-Piece Patch: If a rider wears a one-piece patch then it generally represents membership in a riding club, a family club, or just a social motorcycle club. These are usually a single back patches on a rider’s vest. These patches are generally approved and accepted by almost everyone. There are no hard and fast rules about the use of these patches only that the logos displayed aren’t plagiarized from another club.

Two-Piece Patches: Two-piece patches can have different meanings to different groups. To some this type of patch may signify just another riding club, which makes it no different from a one-piece patch. On the other hand, to some groups two-piece patches may signify that that motorcycle club is transitioning into a three-piece patch club, which basically means it is awaiting approval from the more dominant rider club in the area.

Three-Piece Patches: This patch traditionally signifies that a club is one of the outlaw motorcycle clubs. However, through the years, other non-outlaw groups like veteran and military rider clubs have also adorned themselves with three-piece patches.