Meet and Greet
South Africa has a rich and vibrant community that revolves around motorcycles and biking. The love for two wheels and the lifestyle it provides runs deep, and all over the country, you can find like-minded people who share the passion.
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Popular media and television may paint bikers in a bad light, but it is important to remember that that is fictional and the majority of biking is not criminal gangs but regular folks who just want to ride and share their love of biking with others.
Motorcycle Clubs
Forget what you see on TV. The vast majority of motorcycle clubs are 100% law-abiding citizens that want to ride and enjoy the freedom their bike offers them and share that time with like-minded people. Yes, we do have 1% motorcycle clubs in SA but they do not behave in the way that can be seen in other countries, There are hundreds of motorcycle clubs spread out across SA, all with differing values and objectives but they all answer to the South African National Bikers Council Association.
This council was instituted to resolve disputes between clubs, establish protocols for motorcycle clubs, discuss rules and regulations, ensure that everyone gets along peacefully, and ensure that no outside clubs with bad intentions can start up in SA and give motorcyclists a bad reputation.
The main council in SA is made up of representatives from each of the regional councils. These regional councils are made up of representatives of clubs in a certain geographical area. In Gauteng, for instance, there is the EPC (East Presidents Council), VPC (Vaal Presidents Council), CPC (Central Presidents Council), PBC (Pretoria Bikers Council), WRBA (West Rand Bikers Alliance) and so on. These councils regulate new club openings and dates for rallies and events and report back to the national council if there are any problems. Because there are so many clubs, 458 in Gauteng alone, the councils want to try and minimise the ease of opening a club, so there are a number of protocols and hoops that new clubs have to jump through to start up.
That being said, it is easier to join an existing club than to try to start your own. Be warned: If you do try without council consent, life may just become very hard in the social circles bikers travel in. These are all laid out in the bikers' code that everyone learns. If you must have a club patch on your back, join an established club and become part of the family.
Tip: NEVER ask to join a club, hang around for awhile in the community and someone will eventually ask you to join their club.
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Rallies
Rallies and Day-Jols are regular yearly events hosted by clubs around the country where bikers come from all over, usually for a weekend retreat or single day. These events have live music, games, fleamarkets, stalls, and shows that cater to bikers and the biking lifestyle. Some of these events have been running for well over 30 years and are keypoints on the biker calendar.
Although some of the very big events, like the Rhino, Buffalo and Impala rallies, have lapsed, there are still very big ones that still occur country-wide and bring thousands through the gate. These events are an essential part of motorcycling in SA as they are the places where new friendships are formed and money for charities is raised.
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Charities
You will be hard-pressed to find another group of people who open their hearts and wallets more than bikers. From sponsoring children's homes and old age facilities to raising money for domestic violence and cancer survivors, bikers want to help. There are numerous events year-round that pull in big donations of time, money and much-needed stuff for every conceivable situation, and bikers will be there to pledge their support.
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Joining the fray
Joining teh biking community is easy! Once you have your bike you can find out about your local regional council what their calendar of events looks like and start attending local events to you. If you don't know if your area has a council, simply check with your local motorcycle retailer, and I can guarantee that someone in that shop is in a club or knows someone who is. Learn from those around you about the biker code, show respect, and before you know it, you will rub shoulders with the biggest and burliest yet most kind-hearted of people.
You can also check with digital biker radio stations like Biker Hart Radio for info about rallies and biker-related events.
