How to Join a motorcycle club - Things You’ll Need: * balls, brains and the ability to leave your temper at home.

Step 1:
First and foremost, you need to decide if you are even remotely ready to participate in the MC world. You must ask yourself these questions....What is your family situation? Your employment situation? And your own state of mind? Being mentally ready and focused is the only way to survive in the MC world.

Step 2:
Research, research, research........the MC's have their own set of rules that they live by, which may be a complete shock to the system if you do not immerse yourself in them. Some clubs may be family oriented, and others are not. You must decide what type of club you fit with. If you want to ride on the weekends with the wife after sunday church...well, check out a motorcycle ministry or RC (riding club). If you are the outlaw type, that has a understanding wife, or if you could care less what she thinks, check out a 1% club or supporter club.

Step 3:
After deciding what you want out of this lifestyle, you need to find out where the club hangs out or where their clubhouse is. Approach one of the members, unless they are busy, and respectfully ask to be a "hang-around". If they feel comfortable with you, they will let you hang out and get to know you. You may go on runs with them, party with them and do other activities. This phase may last 3 months for some clubs and up to a year for others. This period is for the club to get to know you and for you to show them that you have what it takes to put in the time and effort to be a member.

Step 4:
If you are successful at being a hang-around, an officer will come to you to prospect, when he and the rest of the club feels you are ready to do so. This period is your "basic training" so to speak. You will be treated completely different during this phase. You will bartend, clean the club house, mow, paint and do all the grunt work for the club. Because you MUST EARN the patch!!!! You will be given a sponser that will be basically a mentor through the whole process. He will guide you through all the steps to get your patch, train you in the laws of the land and be your go to guy if you have questions.

Step 5:
So, if you can make it through the prospecting period, which could last 3 months to a year, depending on the club, the members will vote you in or tell you to hit the road. The name of the game during this time is to be totally RESPECTFUL to everyone. Respect is the most important thing in the MC world, if you lose respect or dont give it.......BIG MISTAKE. And remember that this lifestyle is not a fly by night deal. It requires patience, because if you expect to earn your patch in a weekend, IT WONT HAPPEN. It also requires time, which is probably the biggest reason for many prospects to quit the process. Your wife may start to nag you that the yard isnt mowed and you're ignoring the kids, and your boss wonders why you come in every morning looking like a train wreck......be prepared to give all your time to this. It is a LIFESTYLE not a fad or trend.