Bikers are avid motorcycles fans. However, you shouldn’t confuse them with regular motorcyclists. The difference between these two concepts is as great as the differences between a pedestrian and a motorist. What makes a man a biker? It’s freedom, own philosophy, a unique bike, and symbols. So, why don’t we take a closer look at the biker symbols?
The Most Common Biker Symbols Are:
Confederate Flag (more precisely, its Naval Jack version). The tradition of its use came from American bikers. It symbolizes bikers’ non-conformism. It should be noted that not all the bikers have an idea of the historical significance of this symbol or they simply do not attach importance to it, using the Confederate flag only as a sign of belonging to the biker culture.
Skull. The skull symbolizes fearlessness in the face of danger. Another meaning of the skull symbol is protection against death. There is a belief that when Death comes, it leaves its mark on a deceased - a skull sign. But if a person already has this symbol, Death thinks that it has already been here and leaves this person alone. The skull symbol can often be seen in biker tattoos and jewelry, such as silver rings, pendants, and necklaces.
Emblem of the club (bikers usually call it the Colors). It is a patch sewn on the back of a biker’s vest or jacket. It shows which biker club a biker belongs to. Colors usually consist of three parts. The upper arc-shaped part (called "rocker") indicates the name of a club. The bottom rocker shows the country or city where a club was organized. The central part showcases the club’s logo and its status.
The MC sign indicates that the club belongs to the Motorcycle Club category. There are other types of clubs such as MG (MotoGang) or MCC (MotorCyclesClub). Some clubs make special patches on the sleeve of a jacket or on the chest of a waistcoat (on the left side) with a biker’s status or position within a club (President, Vice President, Treasurer, etc.). Also, a front part of a waistcoat bears a patch with a biker’s nickname.
1 %. Sometimes you can see a 1% patch on biker waistcoats. This term appeared after the speech of the American Motorcycle Association (AMA) head, in which he stated that all motorcyclists are law-abiding people, and only one percent of them are outlaws. The speech led to the escalating of the confrontation between the AMA and MC clubs. As the result, the latter chose "1%" as a symbol distinguishing them from the AMA clubs.
Since then, the "1%" patch means that MC clubs or independent bikers consider themselves to be outlaws. Media and movies tend to present 1% clubs as criminal gangs. Sometimes this is true, but most commonly it simply means that a club works according to the MC laws and established informal traditions.
Iron Cross. It was taken over from American pilots after World War II, when the biker movement arose. By wearing enemy’s rewards, they protested against the authorities. However, there are still doubts whether these symbols are related to the bikers’ political views. Many believe that in this way bikers want to show that they are civil and peaceful people.
As you can see, the biker culture has adopted many various symbols. If you want to proudly sport one of these symbols, you should consider acquiring sterling silver jewelry by BikerRingShop. What distinguishes our jewelry is unique designs, fine craftsmanship, and attention to details. With our ornaments, you will definitely become an object of envy!