Okay, so I was messing around trying to figure out how to pull a decent list of MC clubs. You know, for research purposes… mostly just curiosity, really.
First off, I just Googled it. I mean, duh. But searching “MC clubs list” gives you a ton of random stuff. Links to forums that haven’t been updated since 2008, some weird websites that look like they were designed in Geocities, and a whole bunch of directories that want you to sign up for a premium membership just to see a name. Annoying.
Next, I tried being more specific. Things like “outlaw motorcycle clubs list” or “top 10 motorcycle clubs.” That got me closer, but it was still mostly clickbait articles and sites trying to sell me something. Plus, a lot of the info was outdated or just plain wrong. It’s tough to tell what’s legit and what’s just someone’s opinion.
Then, I figured I’d try hitting up some forums. I cruised around some motorcycle enthusiast forums that seemed active. You gotta be careful though, because some of those guys are SUPER protective of their clubs and their info. I lurked for a bit, got a feel for the vibe, and then asked a general question about finding reputable MCs in a specific region. Got a few leads, but nothing concrete.
One thing that actually helped a little was looking at news articles. Whenever there’s a news story about a motorcycle club (usually not good news, let’s be honest), they often mention the club’s name and sometimes even other clubs they’re associated with. So, I started building a list that way, piecing together information from different sources.
Finally, I dug around on some legal and law enforcement websites. Some agencies actually publish information about known motorcycle clubs, especially the ones they consider to be “outlaw” or “gangs.” This stuff is public record, but it’s scattered all over the place and takes some serious digging to find. Plus, you have to take it with a grain of salt, because obviously, it’s coming from a biased perspective.
In the end, I didn’t get a neat, perfectly organized list. What I ended up with was more like a patchwork of information from a bunch of different sources. But I did manage to get a better understanding of the different types of MCs out there and how they operate, which was the whole point anyway.
Lessons learned? Don’t trust everything you read online, especially when it comes to sensitive topics like this. And be prepared to spend a lot of time digging if you want to find anything worthwhile.
Here’s a summary of how I did it:
- Googled broad terms like “MC clubs list”
- Refined searches with terms like “outlaw motorcycle clubs”
- Lurked in motorcycle forums
- Cross-referenced information from news articles
- Searched legal and law enforcement websites for public records
