Prospecting: What the Process Looks Like and How to Get Through It

Prospecting is the probationary period between being a friend of a motorcycle club and being a member of it. It exists so the club can learn whether you are reliable, honest, and compatible, and so you can learn whether the club is what you want. Every club runs it differently, but the stages and the expectations are consistent enough to describe.

Stage one: hang-around

A hang-around has been invited to attend open events and some rides. You are not a member, you wear no club insignia, and you have no obligations beyond showing up when invited and behaving well. The club is watching how you ride, how you treat people, how you handle alcohol, and whether you talk about club business outside the club. Use this time to watch them too. Hang-around periods run from a few weeks to several months.

Stage two: sponsorship

A full member must agree to sponsor you before you can prospect. Your sponsor answers for you to the club and guides you through the process. Choose carefully if you have a choice. A respected sponsor who takes the role seriously shortens the road. A sponsor who is new or on thin ice with the club lengthens it.

Stage three: prospect

Prospects receive a prospect patch or rocker, attend every meeting and event, and take on the work of the club: setting up and tearing down events, security at parties, running errands, riding at the back of the pack, and standing by the bikes at stops. Prospects are usually excluded from the part of meetings where members vote and from some club discussions. The point is not humiliation, though clubs vary in how they handle it. The point is to see whether you do unglamorous work without complaint and keep showing up when it is inconvenient.

Prospecting commonly runs six months to a year. Some clubs set a minimum, some do not. Clubs with a national structure often require a minimum number of events attended and a certain number of miles ridden with the club.

What prospects may not do

• Wear the club's full colors or center patch.
• Speak for the club or represent it to other clubs.
• Bring guests to club events without permission.
• Discuss club business, membership votes, or internal disputes with anyone outside the club.
• Ride in the pack ahead of full members unless directed.

The vote

When the sponsor and the officers believe you are ready, the full members vote. In most traditional MCs the vote must be unanimous or close to it, and a single member with a serious objection can delay or end your prospecting. If you pass, you receive your patch at a ceremony that varies by club. If you do not, your sponsor will usually tell you why, and some clubs allow a second attempt after a waiting period.

Keeping your life intact

Prospecting strains jobs and relationships. Be honest with your sponsor about work shifts and family obligations before you start, and be honest with your family about what the next year will look like. A good club will work around a legitimate schedule conflict. A club that treats your job or your family as a sign of disloyalty is giving you useful information.

Lines you should not cross

No legitimate club requires a prospect to commit a crime, surrender a vehicle title, hand over bank details, or cut off outside friends. If any of these come up, stop prospecting and walk away. The clubs in this directory are overwhelmingly charitable, veteran, and social organizations, and a bad experience with one club says nothing about the rest.