I am a member of one of the motorcycle clubs known as illegal in many countries, or "1% clubs". AMAA

What's the hardest crime you've done for your club?

I'm sorry that I forgot to answer this one. You can find an answer here.

OP

http://imgur.com/1zXe4dx

I would never wear that hat. It's ugly.

It's a character from a show about an outlaw MC. His name is Opie (OP).

OOooooooooooooh I get it now. Good one dude, good one.

Can you give us a synopsis of "a day in the life"?

I read that you don't have a job outside of the HA, so what does a typical day look like for you?

Also, how do draw a salary, or otherwise get money? Weekly payments from the club? your own club "jobs" with vig up to the club?

The club owns two bars. We share the money from those bars.

Well I don't know, it's really not the same everyday.

I'll wake up, sometimes I'll have to take my kids to school, sometimes I'll have the worst hangover ever, then I'll sometimes have to care about "work" related issues, eat with friends or sometimes with family, then in the afternoon sometimes work, sometimes nothing special (ride, play, music... Anything you'd do in the weekend.), and at night, party with friends most of the time, or work, or help in one of the bars.

Who deo the work for the bars? The bartending, sweeping, managing?

Regular employees. Some are members of the club, some are not.

SO I'm guessing that if you work in the club you get an additional wage in addition to your share of the profits?

No, not really actually ahah. We all get the same amount of money.

French HA, wow!

If I was looking for some real heavy illegal stuff I couldn't find anywhere else, like maybe some unpasteurized cheese, could your guys get that for me and what kind of mark-up would I be looking at?

Wow wow wow, we're not THAT illegal. I don't want to have anything to do with cheese.

What exactly does the 1% actually mean? This has been bugging me for a whilst and I get the feeling it is something I should have figured out.

That's from when the american motorcyclist association claimed that 99% of motorcycle clubs don't do anything illegal, so 1% of those clubs are outlaw.

Are there laws against simply associating with the club, in your country?

In my country (Australia), I believe there have been attempts to actually criminalise these groups and associations, but so far I think they have not survived constitutional challenges.

The club is really borderline. The club itself is not illegal, because every criminal activity will be charged on the member only and not on the club, but the police have an eye on us and we're constantly watched. They even installed 3 surveillance cameras in the street of my chapter.

But I believe that if we all went out together to beat a guy up the club itself would be involved. I'm not a law expert though

What did your initiation entail? Anything like how Hunter S Thompson describes it in 'Hell's Angles'?

I still have to read this sadly, so I don't know what this guy described. But basically, while being a prospect, that was from "Go buy me some beer" to "Go break the nose of that dude", or "Wash my bike", or "Lend me your bike". Prospects pretty much do everything members ask them, and that really can be anything.

But that's mostly the things that are not fun but that need to be done. Sometimes more dangerous things, like getting money from a small shop.

From now on I'm calling a geometry textbook Hell's Angles.

Ahahah fucking awesome.

How many black guys in your club? Also, who do you hate more, the Bandidos, Pagans, or Outlaws?

There are no black guys in my club... Which doesn't mean that we're racist. If a black guy comes, is cool, and everything, there'll be no problem for him to join us.

Well first of all, in France, there is no real war between the different clubs. We just stay on our land, and everything is fine.

The Pagans are pretty inactive in France.

Outlaws are active but barely visible. They're like 15 I think.

And the Bandidos are not active in the same area as us. So we're fine. I don't hate anyone of them as long as they don't mess with us.

Edit : precisions regarding the Outlaws.

Do you guy have to ride harleys? i heard most of Europe allows for metrics due to the high cost of imported Harleys

EDIT: Some other 1%ers

Yes, we do. Some clubs allow Triumph though.

Are there any skinny Angels? Usually, movies portray them as really big dudes

Ahah, yes, there are. There's no selection about your height or weight. If you're a dwarf and weight 20kg, there's no problem. Even if I doubt that you could ride a bike.

Sidecar?

I like the idea of a dwarf in a sidecar screaming with his hands in the air.

did you join because you were already involved in criminal activity, or did it happen another way?

I have been involved in minor criminal activities before joining (really minor, didn't even go to jail, hah), but I didn't join because of that.

In the Harley-Davidson dealer in my region, there were often the 2 same Hells Angels hanging out there. At first I was kinda scared, but I started talking to them and they were really cool. So I started hanging out with them, ride with them even if I was not a member of the club at that time, and basically they asked me if I would be interrested in joining the club. I was attracted by the spirit of brotherhood that was around those clubs, so I said yeah, why not, not even thinking about the illegal activities involved.

From that time I've been a prospect for about 10 months I think, and then a member.

How many people have you hit with a glass bottle or a pool stick?

Probably zero with a pool stick. I really don't know for the bottle. I prefer fists, but I used it a few times.

Ever been conquered by a German MC? Or are you worried about it?

We're not worried. The war between clubs is real in Germany, but they stay in Germany.

Is everyone in the club tattoos, scowls and facial hair, or are there "funny guys" who'll spend most of the day cracking jokes or other silliness?

Most of us are "tattoos and facial hair", yeah. But most of us are also that funny guy you're talking about.

Can you tell us what some of the patches, rockers and wings on the jackets mean? What are some ones specific to your club?

Most of our vests wear the club logo with the chapter location.

Then, each vest is different. There's a patch for the president, the sergeant-at-arms... for each role. And then there are a lot of different patch. There's one for the married dudes, some are related to illegal stuff. There are a lot.

What does the sergeant at arms do?

He's the one who's in charge of the security of the club.

Would you say your chapter is a cohesive organization which acts as one? Or is it more like a guild or an alliance where everyone operates relatively autonomously but can rely on the chapters support?

Well that's a hard question. I believe that it's an organization. We act together, most of the time. If someone has a problem, then it's everyone's problem. If someone find 10 euros on the sidewalk (dumb example), then it's everyone's money.

How are women treated in your club?

Women are not allowed to be full patch members. However, they're treated really well I think. Some are the girlfriends or wives of members, others are just here because we're friends. If they're cool people, we'll treat them just as if they were men.

I appreciate you might not be able to answer entirely but can you give any insight into the patches worn by members? How many are there approximately? and do they all relate to illegal activity or are some for other things? Are they chapter specific or nationwide and who can chose to introduce a new one? Thanks for doing this and any answers you can give.

I don't even know how many of them there are exactly ! There are quite a lot.

Some relate to illegal stuff (i believe the "Filthy Few" patch is the most famous), but some others don't. There's a patch for the dudes with a wife, one for those who saved a life...

is it true you need to kill to get in the club?

No, it's totally wrong.

Hahaha, French Hell's Angels. For some reason i find that to be very amusing. :D

We eat outlaw snails.

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No, I like them all. Not just because we have the same patch, but because they're cool guys.

How do you feel about woman trafficking?

We're not involved in that.

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There are no particular rules about that. I do it with two fingers raised. (the two first after the thumb, I don't know how you call them.). I can't explain why I do it that way, I've just always done it this way.

edit : spelling

What type of crimes are you directly involved in?

I've not been involved in major crimes for the moment. The only illegal things I do is taking money from shops who are paying us and the occasionnal "Let's beat this guy up".

I mostly try to keep journalists away. Documentaries are terrible in France, we're all serial killers according to them.

In Canada the Hell's Angels generate most of their income from drugs and weed, as well as owning a lot of stripclubs etc. Cool guys if you're not on their bad side.

In Canada, Hells Angels don't say 'sorry' if they bump into you. That's how outlaw they are.

What makes yours illegal?

The same as others I guess. Drugs and weapons smuggling, weapons using sometimes, violence, extortion... At least that's what some members of the club have been sent to jail for.

Why are you a part of it? What benefit does it give you?

Well first of all, it gives me money without working too hard. I have no diploma and it would be hard for me to find a job, I think.

Then, I get the feeling that I'm free.

And I spend most of my time with my friends, which is a pretty cool thing.

Not being too invasive how much money do you estimate you pull in annually?

no answer means more money than he reports to the tax people

This

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You can leave the club. Anything that has a link to the club will be taken from you. Including your patches, your bike, and yes, your tattoos.

Shit, how do they "take" your tats? Are you forced to have them surgically removed, or is it some back alley hackjob?

You can have it removed by a professionnal. If you don't, we'll remove it.

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Both are possible.

The dude can just black it or have it removed. It doesn't matter as long as the tattoo is not related to the club anymore.

If a guy who left the club doesn't do what he has to do about his tattoo, we'll remove it.

isn't the bike yours? why would they take that too?

When you enter the club, your bike becomes the club's bike. You're still the only one to ride it (except if you allow someone else to do so), but it belongs to the club.

What's your opinion on Sons of Anarchy? Personally, I liked it until season 2.

I watched two episods and did not get a single thing, so I didn't watch the rest. It might be good but I really didn't understand anything. Too many characters.

If you were to have the best dinner of your life, what would be on the menu?

Interresting. Probably a huge hamburger (but not the ones from MacDonald's you know, a REAL hamburger.) and beer. Kappitel Watou beer.

And as a dessert, something with hot chocolate and ice cream.

Do you have a full time job while you're in the club?

No. I don't have any diploma or anything.

If you have a dispute with another HA (lets say he owes you money or maybe he fucked your girlfriend), how is that resolved? Is there a formalized procedure for that?

That rarely happens but if it ever happens, we'll resolve that by our own ways, there's no procedure. Maybe we'll just fight outside the club and then drink a beer together.

So if you want to be a member you have to be sponsored, and if I recall correctly it goes something like hang around, prospect, member. The question is how do you even associate or get to know them in the first place? I'm assuming you don't just walk up to a group of them in a bar and say "Hey, can I be your friend?"

Well as I said here, you generally have to be friend with someone of the club before being a prospect. You're right, you can't enter the chapter and shout "I WANT A PATCH !".

where's the most interesting place you've masturbated?

The toilets of a restaurant. Not that interesting.

Where did you learn speaking english so good? you said earlier you had no diploma.

Mostly in music. I've always been a huge music listener, and most of the music I listen to has lyrics in english. And I always wanted to understand what the lyrics said.

If you are found out doing this AMA what would the club do to you?

Probably nothing. I'm doing nothing forbidden here.

Proof? (See sidebar for details - if you need confidentiality, message the mods)

I will message the mods whenever I'll find out how to prove that without displaying my location. That'll be done.

Edit : done.

Also, Whats your bike?

Right now, a Harley Heritage Softail Classic 2012.

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/motorcycles/2012models/2012-Harley-Davidson-FLSTC-HeritageSoftailClassic.htm Nice bike.

Thanks. Mine is full black.

You said that members can leave the club. How are ex-members treated? Do you socialize with them or are they viewed as outcasts and traitors?

It depends on why they leave. We're not going to blame someone who leave the club because he now has a family to care about. That would be stupid, and if he wants to come back, there's no problem with that.

If he leaves because he wants to join the police, that's something else.

Do you have a normal day job?

No sir.

Are the womens really attracted by club members, do you share them ?

We share some of them, only if they want to be shared. We don't rape anyone y'know.

Why can't you give location or name of the club? Is it illegal just to even claim that you are a club member on the internet, in your country? Do you really think the police have no idea about your club or its members?

I am very aware that the police knows about the existence and acts of the club.

But imagine that I say the number of members of the local chapter, or anything that the police isn't sure about, that's only help them if they know precisely what club it is and where it is.

What do you ride?

Harley's Heritage Softail Classic 2012.

do many people from other chapters come and visit you in France? How you deal with them? Do your children know what you do?

Yeah, they sometime come, we get them to sleep at the chapter house or at our own houses if they're a lot. We sometimes visit them too.

My kids know what I do, yes. My son sometimes comes to visit us at the chapter house. My daughter is a bit too young.

Would you let your son join the club if one day he ask you to?

He'd have to pass through the same things as any members if he wants to. That's not because he's the son of a member that he would have advantages.

But yeah, I'd let him.

I don't know if you're still around or checking in to answer stuff but I've got two for you:

• Got your red wings?

• How do you feel about (American-- or even Australian) Gypsy Jokers?

1. Hell no. Almost no one does. That's an odd thing that everyone knows about it.
2. I've never met any of them so I don't know if they're cool of anything. But it seems like I shouldn't piss them off.

Do you use any Hard drugs?

No, I don't. I only smoke.

smoke what?

Pot.

If a single lady walks into your bar and gets sloshed but is polite and respectful, how can she expect to be treated?

Like a friend, probably.

How much of HA culture varies from country to country or even region to region?

I imagine a lot of the club culture are "defining things" like driving a chopper type bike, wearing facial hair and patched vests and stuff. But on the other hand you guys are French and not American. So do you drink wine in the clubhouse and listen to Chansons instead of Hard Rock or something? :-P

And have you any experiece with clubs from more different cultures? Example: Do the guys in Turkey drink alcohol at all? Are the guys in the Dominican Republic (looked that up ;-)) into Bossa Nova music instead of Hard Rock?

Any other crazy localized "variations" of HA culture?

Ahahah, we don't drink wine and listen to "Chansons" (but I like Daniel Balavoine.). We're mostly into beer and Heavy Metal.

I never met guys from Dominican Republic I think, so I don't know about Bossa Nova haha.

But I met some guys from Russia or South Africa and yeah, we really felt that there was a huge cultural difference. But that was still cool and interresting.

Thanks for the answer.

Could you give some examples or stories?

Also a follow up question, if you don't mind: Do these things sometimes lead to discussion if one cultural thing or the other is acceptable within HA culture?

Well I remember the first time I went to Russia, we were joking on the road about how drunk the dudes would be when we'll arrive. So we arrive, everything seems normal, and one of the russian guys asks us "Do you want a vodka ?", so yeah, we say yeah. He opens a bottle and hands it to me, I drink some and give it to my buddy, and the russian guy opens another one for me... The guy basically thought we should have one bottle each.

That's a good question. We don't really think about this. I suppose most of cultural things would be acceptable.

You mentioned that you would be OK with your son becoming a member. When your daughter is 17 and wants to be with one of the members of your club, would you let her? Or would you want her to date anyone else?

She'll do whatever she wants. As long as the guy is cool, I've no problem with that.

I have a few friends in the Outlaws MC here in Florida. I find it strange that you would ever do an AMA about your membership in a 1% club. What made you want to do this?

I have no particular reason. I'm quite new to reddit and found about r/iama, and I read "AMA's should be about something uncommon that plays a central role in your life", so yeah.

Is there a minimum cc needed for your bike? like could you join with an 883 Sportster? or do you need an FXR/Dyna as a minimum?

You can join with any Harley.

Have you visited many other Chapters around the world?

Yes, mostly in Europe, but I've also been to the US twice.

How accurate are the TV and movie portrayals of your club?

Some things they say are true, some are not. But they almost always exagerate everything.

What music do you like, i saw you comment about learning english that way, so i became curious!

Rock in general. Bruce Springsteen, Slayer, Motörhead, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne, Manowar, Dire Straits, Eddie Cochran, Vulcain (french Motörhead !), the Ramones, Queen, Deep Purple, Bathory, the Beatles, Van Halen, Sodom, Anthrax, Windir, David Bowie...

Are you a fan of 'Litteul Kévin" or any other Coyote's comic ?

Not really. I like some comics, like Lucky Luke, Asterix, Tintin or Leonard (I don't know if these ones are know outside of France or Belgium), but that's pretty much it.

I am disappointed :) How was your childhood ? anything that drive you to be a member of HA ?

My childhood was normal. I didn't know my father though, but I didn't really care. I don't think I'm part of the club because of my childhood, no.

I really was bad at school, so I don't know what I could have done as a job.

You are from the south of The France ?

No sir.

1. Where is your favourite place to ride?
2. Have you ever been in a serious accident?
3. How strong are the relationships in your chapter? Is it like a second family? If so, how hard is it then to kick someone out? If you're ever in Paris come to one of our meetups! :)

1. Scotland. I really love Scotland. Don't know why, I just find it beautiful, and people are great.

2. No, I don't think so

3. It's a family, yes. I couldn't chose between the club and my kids. It's always hard to kick someone out, because if he's there, that's because we love him. But if we have to kick someone out, then there must be a reason to it, and then we have to do it.

What's the go with members of the club from other countries?

Are they automatically classed as brothers and welcomed with open arms?

Yes sir. I trust anyone from the family, even if that's the first time we meet.

Well that's cute, you know. In a big hairy biker way!

Ever had someone from your chapter become a nark?

No, and I hope this will never happen. I love everyone in the chapter, and I trust them, I would feel really betrayed if that happened. (actually, I would BE really betrayed.)

What would happen to said individual if this situation did occur? What kind of punishment would be metered out?

We would point our fingers at them and say "This man is not a cool man".

No seriously, they would probably have a bad time.

If you choose two favorite colors what would they be?

Red and white !

Or Red and black.

And yeah, black and white are not colors. Red and pink.

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Good try to get a picture of my wiener, but I won't send it, sorry pal.

for OP http://i.imgur.com/2FAIXZ7.jpg my 1977 Sporty still in the works http://i.imgur.com/dDUa0wb.jpg 2002 Sporty :D

Wow, that's some nice paint on the first one.

How would i be able to join ? i am based in the u.k, but would be happy to move around Europe. Thank you

To join, you generally have to hang out with us in bars or anything. After a certain amount of time (I don't know how much, it depends), then eventually you could become a prospect, and then a full member.

But you need to be aware that not everyone can join. You need to be cool enough to be voted in by everyone (if there's only one vote against you, you're not in.), and you have to be prepared to do anything the club could ask you.

Do you guys think that people that ride crotch rockets are total douchebags?

As I'm not a native english speaker, I suppose that what you call "crotch rockets" are just sport bikes right ?

Well no, we (or at least I) don't have this opinion.

To be honest, I think there are more douche with sport bikes than with Harleys, but there are cool guys too. If a dude on this kind of bike salutes me on the road, I'll salute back. I'll never salute first, though.

Do you guys have what we here in the US/North America call "Bike rallies" over in France?

Yes, I think that exists everywhere !

Ah, okay.

• What exactly is the motorcycle culture like in France? As in, how many people in France own motorcycles and how many of the 99% clubs are present?
  

I don't know exactly how much people own motorcycles. There are not much Harley owners though.

The three most important 1% clubs active in France are the Hells Angels, the Bandidos and the Sons of Silence. The others are really small.

Do you watch Sons of Anarchy? How realistic is the portrayal of the "biker life" on that show?

I watched only the first two episodes and I didn't understand anything. There are too many characters for me. So I didn't keep watching this.

How long have you lived this life?

A bit more than 15 years. I've been members for almost 15 years, plus 10 months as a prospect.

That's a long time, you mentioned you have kids, are they fully grown up? Have you thought about what would happen if you went to prison? Sorry if that sounds condescending I'm just curious

I have two kids, a 15 years old son and a 7 years old daughter. If I ever had to go to jail... Well they both have a mother (they mostly live with their mothers). I'm not the only family they have.

Why are you so threatened when Non 1% clubs call themselves "MC's"? I am a member of a Motorcycle Racing club and we were warned not to call our club an MC and were told to call it an "MCC" instead, we didn't however and thankfully never heard anymore of it.

Also why are you guys so threatened by other people wearing patches? I saw a member of a 1% club threaten a member of the Christian Motorcycle Association at a local bike show over this. To me that was a pretty cowardly act as he was of no threat to anyone.

Also since your club has started to use the courts to protect your logo and name do you really consider you can still call yourselves "outlaws"? It's a stark contradiction to call yourself an "outlaw" and at the same time be paying a Lawyer to get people in the court for you.

I don't know what clubs were the guys part of, but I have no problems with clubs called "MC" or wearing patch. Most clubs, 1% or not, wear patches.

Regarding the courts, we're just using the same weapons that are used against us.

Whattya going to do? Steal my wallet?

To me, the 1% patches only mean "There's a guy I can buy pot from."

Well yes, you probably can.

And I probably won't steal your wallet.