幫會夥伴(Friend of the Club)——這種級別的隸屬關係包括與幫會進行某種正式或非正式聯繫的人員,也許最常見的是透過與正式成員的友誼或共同熟人來實現,但他們尚未宣布打算成為準成員。幫會夥伴可能會繼續參與活動或改變意願,關鍵區別在於他們有沒有表達加入幫會的意圖。幫會夥伴可能本身為重型機車愛好者,但這不是必需的條件,關鍵是個人的信譽良好。幫會夥伴雖然可以獲得共同騎車的機會,但不能穿著幫會背心或縫上布章,也無需支付任何會費。直到產生加入幫會的興趣後,才會進入下一階段[20][19]。如果該人已經結婚,幫會成員將對他的妻子進行詢問了解,以確保該人對幫會的承諾不會造成利益衝突[16]。
軍士長(SGT. AT ARMS)——是正副會長的左右手、見習成員的教官,有時也擔任家法執行者(英語:Mob enforcer)[32][33]。軍士長會確保所有成員遵守幫會制定的所有法規和協議、盡快執行所有委員會的命令。如果軍士長發現任何成員的行為方式受到幫會的反對,則將其報告給委員會。軍士長會執行所有幫會退役、辭職、彈劾或驅逐程序,取回身上的幫會背心及去除相關刺青。軍士長負責捍衛所有成員的人身安全、幫會名譽、領地和財產,免受外部威脅。他也負責保管槍支和武器、與幫會安全有關的數據記錄[30]。除非軍士長同意,否則成員之間不允許打鬥[34]。
機車幫會時常會進行慈善活動,例如贈送玩具到孤兒院。慈善捐贈經常被引證為這些俱樂部實際上與負面媒體形象不同的證據。不過機車幫會也經常被指控利用慈善活動來掩飾犯罪行為(如軍火走私)[45][46][47]。美國機車騎士協會經常抱怨機車幫會造成對一般人騎乘機車的不良宣傳,他們表示,機車幫會進行慈善活動實際上會阻止公眾參與慈善、減少捐款數字,而傷害到真正有需要的人[48]。2005年,在加州發生一次機車幫會進行慈善捐贈玩具的中途,與敵對幫會爆發大型槍戰的流血衝突,這引起了輿論對機車幫會參與慈善活動的擔憂[49][50]。美國政府試圖禁止機車幫會進行社團活動,或限制其成員穿著幫會背心,以避免再度於慈善活動中發生幫會火拼事件[51][52]。2002年,賓夕法尼亞州的術士幫(英語:Warlocks Motorcycle Club (Pennsylvania))便循法律途徑控告他們被排除在慈善活動之外[53]。
在加拿大,特別是在20世紀末期,機車幫會的犯罪案件大量增加,其中最著名的是魁北克車手之戰(英語:Quebec Biker war),那場暴力地盤爭奪戰導致約150人死亡,包括一位無辜的旁觀者被汽車炸彈炸死[112][113]。加拿大的暴力事件增加歸因於非法販毒業務進入蒙特婁港(英語:Port of Montreal),引起幫會地盤的戰爭[114],而且地獄天使也試圖從加拿大各地的對手或獨立幫派中獲取街頭貿易的控制權[115] 根據皇家加拿大騎警在曼尼托巴省法院(英語:Provincial Court of Manitoba)的公報中,他們將這些團體定義為「任一集團的機車愛好者,自願作出承諾、聯合起來,以暴力強制遵循他們組織的嚴格規則,從事與社會和法律嚴重衝突的活動」[113]。這些分會的成員和支持者堅持認為非法活動是孤立的事件,而且整個非法行為並不是有組織犯罪,機車俱樂部也不是犯罪組織。他們經常將自己與警察部門進行比較,其中一小部分的「壞警察」並不會使整個警察部門成為犯罪組織,而地獄天使則是贊助捐助活動的公益慈善組織[116]。
Joans, Barbara, Bike Lust, 麥迪遜: University of Wisconsin Press(英語:University of Wisconsin Press): 第5頁, 2001 [2017-06-29], ISBN 9780299173548, (原始內容存檔於2020-08-04), As middle America rides and parties with the urban middle class, neither discusses the skeleton in the closet. Neither draws attention to the fact that much of the Harley mystique, most of the unwritten rules of the road, and many of the values and ideals come from the unruly and bastard parent, the outlaw club
Dulaney, William L., A Brief History of "Outlaw" Motorcycle Clubs, International Journal of Motorcycle Studies(英語:International Journal of Motorcycle Studies), November 2005 [2014-11-06], (原始內容存檔於2010-12-25), The Life story caused something of a tumult around the country (Yates), and some authors have asserted that the AMA subsequently released a press statement disclaiming involvement in the Hollister event, stating that 99% of motorcyclists are good, decent, law-abiding citizens, and that the AMA's ranks of motorcycle clubs were not involved in the debacle (e.g., Reynolds, Thompson). The American Motorcyclist Association says it has no record of ever releasing such as statement. Tom Lindsay, the AMA's Public Information Director, said 'We [the American Motorcyclist Association] acknowledge that the term 'one-percenter' has long been (and likely will continue to be) attributed to the American Motorcyclist Association, but we've been unable to attribute its original use to an AMA official or published statement—so it's apocryphal.'
Klugh, David, Motorcycle Gang Training For Yakima, Kima Tv, 2009-10-07 [2017-06-29], (原始內容存檔於2011-07-13), The problem with that according to Steve Cook is that if you eat in local restaurants, drink in local bars or even participate in local charity events, you already associate with them.
Charity rides, toy donations... Cook has learned these are part of the disguise.
'What they don't tell you is what they're doing the rest of the year. They're selling drugs. They're stealing motorcycles. They're beating people up. They're committing a laundry list of crimes.'
Renegades Do Good Works, Too But Officials Say Biker Gang Is Simply Polishing Its Image. [Final Edition] Richard S. Koonce, Virginian - Pilot ( Norfolk, Va. ) 1999-12-29, A.1
Austin, Paige; Bjelland, Sonja, Gunfight blamed on bikers // About 150 people queried after violence at a toy giveaway, The Press - Enterprise (里弗賽德 (加利福尼亞州)), 2005-12-06, Witnesses blame tensions between two rival motorcycle gangs for a shooting at a Christmas toy drive that left a firefighter and two others injured.
Austin, Paige, Neighbors want site of shooting shut down, The Press - Enterprise (里弗賽德 (加利福尼亞州)), 2005-12-08: 第B.01頁, Next week Norco city leaders will consider revoking an operating permit for Maverick Steakhouse where a Christmas toy drive Sunday ended in violence after several gunmen fired into the crowd.
Witnesses say a fight between two rival biker clubs at the event led to the shooting in which at least three people were injured, including a Norco firefighter.
Calligeros, Marissa, Bikie 'colours' banned from Morcombe charity ride, Brisbane Times(英語:Brisbane Times), 2009-06-22 [2017-06-29], (原始內容存檔於2016-03-04), 'Ride organisers received an unlawful edict from police blocking the participation of riders wearing clothing that identified them as members of some motorcycle clubs,' Mr Walker said.
'You can't say that to our members...these guys live for their patches.'
He said bikies would never, ever ride without patches as a cardinal rule.
美聯社, National Briefing Mid-Atlantic: Pennsylvania: Biker Gang Sues Over Exclusion From Charity Event, 紐約時報 (New York, N.Y.), 2002-11-09: 第A.17頁, The Warlocks motorcycle gang has filed a lawsuit accusing the Philadelphia Police Department of preventing its members from participating in a motorcycle parade to deliver toys to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia on Sunday. Joshua Briskin, a lawyer for the gang, said the Warlocks had taken part in the event for 15 years. The suit, seeking unspecified compensation, says the group's civil rights were violated.
Quinn, James F.; Forsyth, Craig J. Leathers and Rolexs: The Symbolism and Values of the Motorcycle Club. Deviant Behavior. February 2009, 30 (3): 235–265. doi:10.1080/01639620802168700.
美國聯邦第七巡迴上訴法院, Case Nos. 95-2829 and 95-2879; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. JOHN E. IRVIN and THOMAS E. PASTOR, Defendants-Appellants
Glover, Scott, Raid targets Mongols motorcycle gang, 洛杉磯時報, 2008-10-22 [2017-06-29], (原始內容存檔於2012-01-11), There also are patches associated with the gang's alleged sexual rituals. Members are awarded wings of varying colors for engaging in sex acts with women at pre-arranged 'wing parties,' the indictment states. For example, members who have sex with a woman with venereal disease are given green wings, according to the indictment.
Bourne, Craig, Philosophical Ridings: Motorcycles and the Meaning of Life, Oneworld Publications(英語:Oneworld Publications): 第11–12頁, 2007, ISBN 1-85168-520-0
Pratt, Alan R., Motorcycling, Nihilism, and the Price of Cool; Nihilism and FTW Style, Rollin, Bernard E. (編), Harley-Davidson and philosophy: full-throttle Aristotle; Volume 18 of Popular culture and philosophy, Open Court Publishing, 2006 [2017-06-29], ISBN 9780812695953, (原始內容存檔於2020-08-04), 'Dangerous Motorcycle Gangs,' a widely circulated two-hour police course, notes that a white cross on a biker's colors is earned by robbing a grave, a red cross by 'committing homosexual fellatio with a witness present.' Green wings denote the wearer performed cunnilingus on a venereally diseased woman and purple wing signify—get this!—oral sex with a dead woman! (第32頁). As a rejection of values and an expression of nihilism, what could be more aberrant and grossly offensive? And even if these interpretations are inaccurate or fabricated by bikers themselves as a joke, they still reveal the outrage that the outlaw biker expression of nihilism intended to inspire.
[5] (頁面存檔備份,存於網際網路檔案館) "Women in Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs," from Constructions of Deviance: Social Power, Context, and Interaction, p. 389-401, 1994, Patricia A and Peter Adler, eds.
Hopper, C. B., & Moore, J. (1990). Women in outlaw motorcycle gangs. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography(英語:Journal of Contemporary Ethnography), 第18章, 第363- 387頁.
Women In Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs. Hopper, Columbus B. And Moore, Johnny. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography(英語:Journal of Contemporary Ethnography),第18章, 第363- 387頁.
Rappaport, J. (2000). Community narratives: Tales of terror and joy. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography(英語:Journal of Contemporary Ethnography), 第28章, 第1-24頁.
Barker, Tom, One Percent Biker Clubs -- A Description, Trends in Organized Crime 9 (1) (Springer New York), September 2005, 9 (1): 第111頁, ISSN 1084-4791, doi:10.1007/s12117-005-1005-0, One percent biker clubs in the existing literature have been described as all white clubs, but there are at least four black or interracial 1% biker clubs.
Hopper, Columbus B.; Moore, Johnny "Big John", Hell on Wheels; The Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, Journal of American Culture 6 (2) (Bowling Green, Ohio), Summer 1983, 6 (2): 第58–59頁, Outlaw cyclists are generally male and between 21 and 45 years of age.
Harley-Davidson and Philosophy: Full-Throttle Aristotle. Bernard E. Rollin. Open Court Publishing Company(英語:Open Court Publishing Company), 2006-02-09
As Seen in Vogue: A Century of American Fashion in Advertising. Daniel Delis Hill. Texas Tech University Press(英語:Texas Tech University Press), 2007-09-15
Framing Public Life: Perspectives on Media and Our Understanding of the Social World. Stephen D. Reese, Oscar H. Gandy, August E. Grant. 羅德里奇, 2003-06-01