Motorcycle Club members are sometimes called motorcycle gang members, although they prefer the phrase:Motorcycle Club . There are many different types and styles of clubs. In general, although there are exceptions to this rule, there are one, two, and three piece clubs. This refers to the arrangement of the patches on the back of the vest or cut. Organizations like Harley Owners Group (HOG) [1], which is officially sponsored by Harley-Davidson, are not political or territorial, with a sole purpose of riding motorcycles and supporting the Harley Davidson Corporation. A HOG member may wear no patch at all or they may have a single large patch on the back. Two piece patches are rarer and usually require the approval of the local outlaw motorcycle club. The initials MC are sometimes incorporated into or along with the club insignia worn on the members' vests. Three piece clubs generally limits membership to those people whose primary mode of transportation is the motorcycle. A motorcycle club revolves around the riding of motorcycles.

In contrast, a motorcycle association like Christian Motorcycle Association (CMA) is built around a core characteristic other than motorcycles. An association such as CMA is primarily involved with Christian fellowship and evangelism. Motorcycles are secondary.