Club Designs
The American motorcycle scene would change in the late 1930s and this country was ready to push back from the Great Depression. Riding clubs were nothing new in America. It started the high wheel bicycles and flowed right into the motorcycle era. The board tracks gave way to dirt tracks. The American consumer related to their new freedom on the improved roads connecting cities and on their bigger motorcycles to get them there. Local racing was big and the object was to race on Sunday and sell on Monday.
The reason they formed motorcycle clubs was just to hang out with each other and to join in local events together, like AMA”s Gypsy Tour, or organized local amateur racing. Some of the first motorcycle uniforms consisted of a racing sweater with embroidered or felt block letters with their club logos on them. Soon after, matching boots, hat, and pants appeared with color stripes to coordinate with their club shirts. Motorcycle clubs are a perfect example of American culture wanting to push back from hard times. New motorcycle owners joined the clubs to share their enjoyment with new friends. The big motorcycle manufacturers, through their catalogs and motorcycle shops, were only too happy to offer custom uniforms made easily in these Golden Age Years.
