Toy Drive December 2024 - Gipsy Motocycle Club -

[p6x]

I participated to my first Toy Drive with the Quota today.

I felt a little bit out of place; except a very few, all the riders belonged to motorcycle clubs. Some of them with interesting names...

It was the first time I rode in a herd, guarded by the Police. Staggered and going through trafic like VIPs.

The Police were on Harley Davidson, except for the lead guy, on a Goldwind. The entire pack of bikers were riding either HDs, Indians, Victory. There were three exceptions: one Moto Guzzi Quota, one Triumph Tiger 1200, one Honda Goldwing.

This was fun, especially meeting the kids that were impatiently waiting to get the toys....

I shall do it again next year...

 

[activpop]

Those Harley guys organize a few benefit drives throughout the year in the NW too. Great job to all!  

[p6x]

14 hours ago, activpop said:

Those Harley guys organize a few benefit drives throughout the year in the NW too. Great job to all!  

I was about the only "non patched" rider; I also noticed a lot of these members support a specific cause. There was an entire chapter dedicated to cancer fight.

But what really surprised me, is the amount of army guys in those clubs. That makes me wonder; some create a motorcycle club based on what regiment, platoon they were in. I read that this is how the Hells Angels came to be. Vietnam veterans getting into motorcycles.

We don't have that in Europe for all I know. Not sure where is this coming from, to be a veteran and getting on a motorcycle afterwards? what is the relationship? freedom sought?

[audiomick]

7 minutes ago, p6x said:

... I read that this is how the Hells Angels came to be. Vietnam veterans getting into motorcycles.

...

They no doubt picked up more member after the Vietnam war, but the Hell's Angels go back to just after WW II, at least according to this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hells_Angels

 

I think the attraction of a "veterans motorcycle club" is first and foremost being amongst people who have had the same experience. I never had to go to war, and wasn't in the army. I have, however, talked to a number of Vietnam vets, including spending an evening in the club house of the Vietnam Vets MC in Albury, Australia. Is is quite obvious that they have been through stuff that no-one can really grasp who wasn't there. I can understand seeking out or forming a group of people that you don't have to explain it all to because they already know.

[p6x]

1 hour ago, audiomick said:

They no doubt picked up more member after the Vietnam war, but the Hell's Angels go back to just after WW II, at least according to this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hells_Angels

 

I think the attraction of a "veterans motorcycle club" is first and foremost being amongst people who have had the same experience. I never had to go to war, and wasn't in the army. I have, however, talked to a number of Vietnam vets, including spending an evening in the club house of the Vietnam Vets MC in Albury, Australia. Is is quite obvious that they have been through stuff that no-one can really grasp who wasn't there. I can understand seeking out or forming a group of people that you don't have to explain it all to because they already know.

I can relate to that;

I would tentatively say, it is a universal feeling.

A guy working for my company created a site named "Brothers Reunited" in 2003! a long time before any social media even existed!

Anybody having worked, works could join. Sort of an exclusive club. Obviously, the enrollment rate has subsided since people have other way to assemble. https://www.brothersreunited.com/brothers2/index.jsp

Same when I was in the Army. We kept tabs on each other initially. But it was in 1976, so back then, it was really an anual gathering of the people of our platoon, from the 5th Squadron of our Unit. Now they have created a Facebook page; but the older recruits are not there.

Yesterday I saw a lot of various patches relating to Marines, Mechanized Infantry, Navy and what not. That, I completely get. What I found different, is that need to create a motorcycle club about it.

I still keep in touch with some of my work colleagues, we do anual gatherings in various places in the world. https://www.allianceschlumberger.org/

Now, nobody ever had the desire to make a motorcycle club; here in the USA, it seems that you are an ex army guy, then you ride!