If you Ride a Motorcycle then there is probably a Bar you know of that is not real close yet not too far away. Its a place you go to when you only have one day off and want to reward yourself for a job well done. Something about this place makes it worth going those extra miles for a Burger and a Beer!

If you live in the Long Island, New York area then you have probably been to “The Maples” 10 Ryerson Ave in Manorville, If not with all the great routes you can ride to get there, sooner or later I’m sure you will find yourself parking your bike in front!

The Maples draws in every type of Rider, It does not matter what you Ride, how long you have been Riding or how often you chose to Ride! When you are at the Maples you are home!

At the Maples it feels as if time is not only standing still ,but you may feel as if you have traveled back in time a few years! Even though the Maples is only about a mile North of exit 70 off the LIE you will feel like the stress of your life is a Million miles away! Relaxing at the Maples is an easy thing to do.

Inside you can hang out at the main Bar, shoot a game of Pool or enjoy some of their great food in the large dinning area. Maybe you are more like me and after a nice Ride you enjoy relaxing out side.Well at the Maples you can relax on the huge side deck,Where if you are a fan of Trains you can enjoy the view of the Trains slowly rolling by as if out of a scene from a Norman Rockwell Painting!

Then there is the Huge back deck where there is a full service Bar, Jukebox, Pool table and more often then not a live band! Many Couples like to unwind over by the Perfectly landscaped Pond or walk around the huge backyard!

As the Maples is a Biker friendly bar you will find that many bike events are held there! After a trip to “the Maples” You will understand why many call it the Best Biker Bar in the Northeast and say that a day at the maples is more relaxing then a weekend trip upstate!

The Maples offers Long Islanders everything the Upstate Country Bars do, Well except maybe that Ride threw the City!

I will see you There !!! Your Bro LJ James AmericanBikerX.com

LJ Hosts an online Motorcycle Show every week at 8pm New York Time. LJ works to explain the meaning of true Biker Brotherhood that you do not see on Sons of Anarchy Visit the Uber Article Directory to get a totally unique version of this article for reprint.

I wrote an article a while back called “Why speak to the Motorcycle Clubs in your area before starting a new MC?” It was about why those wishing to start new Motorcycle Clubs should go and speak to those who have come before them. If you have not read the article look it up on my March 2009 archive page on NY-Biker.com

Since then, I’ve begun seeing and hearing some things that worry me. I have seen many groups popping up. Some of these groups have names like Lone Wolf or Independent Riders. While I suppose the names are meant to distance these groups from real motorcycle clubs, they still resemble legitimate clubs in the way they dress, and to a certain degree, the way they act.

Now I am sure some of you are saying “hey LJ these guys just want to do their own thing back off a bit, what really is the harm in what these guys are doing?” Well that’s the Million dollar Question! Exactly what is the real harm? Let me see if I can explain how I see it.

If you put on a uniform, pinned on a badge and hung out at Dunkin Donuts you may look like and act like a cop but you would not be a real cop. When a real cop saw you, You would probaly be in a lot of trouble!

Now due to High Gas Prices, The Economy, and people waking up to the fact that riding a Motorcycle is one of the Greatest things in the world, the ranks of motorcycle riders have exploded. Many of these new riders see shows like Sons Of Anarchy, Gangland or movies like Hell Ride and think, “This is cool, I’m going to start a Club” even though they know nothing about Motorcycle Clubs or the Biker lifestyle.

Shows like Sons of Anarchy are a fictional dramatization of what a group of television writers think a Motorcycle Club is. Programs like Gangland claim to investigate 1%er Clubs. Their “investigation consists of looking up every little Crime members of a 30 year old Motorcycle Club have ever been accused of and then Squeeze all the Negative info about the MC into about 45 Minutes of air time.

The concern is that you have new and independent riders forming “Clubs” with no real knowledge of what it means to be a member of a Motorcycle Club. Some of these clubs are forming with only shows like SOA and Gangland as the model for what a Motorcycle Club should be.

Being a member of a Motorcycle Club is about Brotherhood, Loyalty, Respect, Freedom, and Honor. It’s not about Drugs, Guns, and Biker Wars.

In the Motorcycle Club world you start off as either a prospect for an established Motorcycle Club or your new MC starts off as a Supporter of a established MC and they help to teach you what it truly means to be a Member of a Motorcycle Club.

It’s like an artist taking on an apprentice and passing on what he has learned. The knowledge he passes on has been passed on down to him for Hundreds of Generations.

Now where the danger lies is the art being taught can be thousands of years old but, It only takes one generation of not passing the right information down and the art is lost forever!

With the creation of so many pseudo MC’s, We risk a danger a lot worse than losing the art of what a Motorcycle Club is all about , We risk watching the Mutation of the World We all Love turned into something as ugly as the negative, hyped up TV Shows and movies we’ve all seen.

If your thinking about starting a Motorcycle Club or want to join one, start by talking to local Club members you see at events or contact established Clubs directly. Every MC has its own set of rules, etc, but if you’re serious about becoming an MC or MC Member, you’ll have no problem finding the situation that is right for you. As I said in the beginning, I have no problem with people starting their own Clubs. It’s just that starting a Motorcycle Club is something that should be done the right way and not be taken lightly. Let us work together to Preserve the Heritage of the Motorcycle Club world and make it stronger, not destroy it.

I am Your Bro LJ James AmericanBikerX.com

LJ hosts a Motorcycle Show to teach new Bikers the meaning of Brotherhood LJ lets Bikers know they can only get so much from TV Series like Sons of Anarchy Visit the Uber Article Directory to get a totally unique version of this article for reprint.

Think about the words Motorcycle Club! Why is it that when those words are heard together many think Crime or Criminal Organization? Say you are having an event and you are looking for a place to have it. You can have a book club and everyone will welcome you in! A cooking club and everyone really loves you. You say Motorcycle Club and right away its, Sorry we are busy on that day!

Motorcycle Clubs are even turned away from bars where they want to have events by Independent Bikers, Why is that? We need to let the world know that Bikers independent or in a Motorcycle Club can be good people! We can not show people that Motorcycle Club Members are not all bad if we are not allowed in a Bar because we are wearing Colors, Its the same thing if you are an independent biker and some one will not let you in some sports bar because you are wearing a leather jacket! I hope when an independent Biker who has turned away Motorcycle Clubs from his bar and is then turned away from a bar he wants to go in Understands the irony!

Some Motorcycle Clubs have even gone so far as to changed their name, they call themselves Riding Clubs, Motorcycle associations or some other type of group so they can leave out the words Motorcycle Club! and try to avoid the problems that come with being part of a Motorcycle Club! They say they are different from a Motorcycle Club ! They look and dress and act just like a motorcycle Club but they just call themselves something different! I say a rose by any other name !!!

These Clubs are just trying to get around all the prejudice associated with the words Motorcycle Club ! They are not part of the solution but are part of the problem! This is America and You can call your Club what ever you want, But the thing that unites you and your Club is the same thing that unites all who Ride! It is the Motorcycle! How can anyone leave out the word Motorcycle? It is the heart of what you are!

If You are a Motorcycle Club be proud of it and don’t try to get around any problems by playing word games and calling yourself something else by using different words!!! This is just my opinion I would like to know what others think, Please email me at AmericanBikerX@Yahoo.com

Your Bro LJ James AmericanBikerX. com

LJ does a Radio Motorcycle Show each week LJ likes to help show the facts about the Biker World and series like Sons of Anarchy Grab a totally unique version of this article from the Uber Article Directory

I want to address a question I have gotten a lot recently. (I am sure it has a lot to do with the hit show Sons of Anarchy) It is from people who want to start new Motorcycle Clubs. They want to know if they should go to the predominate MCs in their area to talk about starting a new MC first. Many have said to me they do not understand the reason why they should go talk to them! Some have even gone as far as to say that if they have to go to the predominate MC in their area and ask permission that just proves that MC is a Criminal Gang! Not sure how they came to that conclusion but they are some very strong words sent over the computer.

I want everyone to remember I am writing this info as a guideline to those who are looking to get into the MC world and individual results may vary. This maybe some new fad to you but to true Motorcycle Club Members this world is everything!

For my answer to this Question I am going to put aside any statements of having to ask permission of the MCs in your area first. I am going to instead ask why would you not speak to the MCs in your area and get their Blessing first before starting a new Motorcycle Club. Many say it’s because they are going to start a different type of Motorcycle Club. They may even be calling themselves something different like a Riding Club or a Motorcycle Association. Are your Members going to ride Motorcycles and have patches on their vests? If the answer is yes, Then again why not go speak to those who have come before you and paved the roads you now wish to ride down!

For many I know the reason they don’t want to ask is simple fear! Fear of what they do not know or what they think they do know. If it is fear, then it is because you do not know the real Motorcycle Club world! Now every Motorcycle Club in the world is different. But most Motorcycle Clubs don’t mind helping to get a new MC started and teach them what it really means to be in a Motorcycle Club, I can guarantee you it is something you will not learn on TV no matter how many episodes you may watch!

Now if you have decided that what you really want is to start up a new Motorcycle Club, One thing I want to make sure you know is something every Father should have taught his Son as a Child and that is “Do not lie and Always do what you say you are going to do” One fact I will also give you is the MC world is all about Respect! If you just start up a new MC without talking to the other clubs in your area that will most likely be seen as disrespectful!

Let’s think about some other reasons you would want to talk to the MCs in your area first. You are going to want to make sure your new Patch or MC name is not similar to another Motorcycle Club. Many MCs have worked hard over the years to create a name and image for themselves. They will not like the idea of you either using a name close to theirs or wearing a patch that looks like theirs. The reason being is a simple one, They do not want you being mistaken for them doing anything that would make them look bad. You also could be seen as trying to ride on their coat tails by using the reputation they have worked hard for. You may not understand it now but the MC world is a Brotherhood and if you are fortunate enough to be welcomed into it, You will understand after years of working hard creating a name for your MC. The bottom line is meeting with the MCs in your area and talking with them before starting a new MC is the right thing to do!

Another fear many have is they wrongly believe they will be forced to do things for these other MC’s. The only thing most Clubs may ask of you is to come to a few of their events each year have fun and again to show Respect!!!

Now I have heard complaints from many that there are areas where the MCs have decided they do not want any more new MCs! Well all I can do is guess why that might be! The reason I would think that Motorcycle Clubs would say no more Clubs in an area is that there are already a lot of different MCs in that area and they all get along real well. These MCs would not want anything new coming in and messing up the harmony they have created.

Now like I said before the reason most say they want to start a new MC is because they want to start something different then what is in that area. Well often that is not the truth. The real reason People usually want to start a new MC is because they do not want to have to Prospect! If the only reason you want to start a new MC is because you are not willing to prospect, My best advice to you is to stay an independent rider because you will not last long in the Motorcycle Club world anyway!

I am Your Bro LJ James AmericanBikerX.com

LJ hosts a online Bike Show each week . The show can be listened live or Replay . LJ works to show the facts between real MCs and programs like sons of anarchy Visit the Uber Article Directory to get a totally unique version of this article for reprint.

This Month I want to talk about the Brotherhood mentality verses the gang mentality in the Motorcycle Club world . Now for those of you who may be asking what is the difference? I will set up a scene to help give you an idea! At a small Bar a member of a Motorcycle Club walks in he sees four Bikers playing pool, He can tell they are a bit nervous, They see his patches and they know who he is with. Now how does he act? Does he walk over to the pool table knock the 8 ball in the pocket say games over and tell one of them to buy him a beer or does he walk over introduce himself and let them know when they are done shooting pool they are welcome to stop over at the bar and have a beer and talk with him! One is the gang way of thinking the other is the Brotherhood way of thinking! I really don’t think I need to tell you which is which!

Now one thing everyone needs to remember is all of the original Motorcycle Clubs Started out with the idea of being a tight nit group of Brothers and just about all of these Motorcycle Clubs got along. Don’t forget many of the men who started the first MCs where returning home after serving their country during times of war. They where looking for that feeling of Brotherhood here at home that they had been left behind. These where good men seeking adventure, looking to ride their Motorcycles and have a good time with others like themselves. Today most Motorcycle Clubs have gone back to that way of Club thinking, There are very few Clubs that still have the Gang Mentality that was seen mostly during the 70’s threw 90’s. During the late 90’s things had just gotten too far out of hand and most Motorcycle Clubs began to realize the Gang Mentality was not the way it was meant to be and it was not the way they wanted it to be anymore, This was not what the Clubs where started for ! Many Clubs who had been friends where now fighting with each other. No one wanted to wear club support gear and things where just not fun anymore. These MC’s had all started their Clubs with the same ideals and ways of thinking, How and why had they grown so far apart that they now hated each other!

Well the answer to how is during the 50’s and 60’s the golden age of the Brotherhood years of Motorcycling the Motorcycle Clubs where really huge. During this great time many of the Biker Movies that came out showed Motorcycle Club Members as Bullies and thugs. The Bikers in these movies would pick on those weaker then them, take over small towns and the Clubs in these Movies all fought each other just like the street gangs of the time! So of course over time many new Bikers came to believe that this was the way it was. So when New Clubs started this was how they would act and the Original Motorcycle Clubs now had members who where young kids looking to prove how tough they where by starting fights with each other. The Original Motorcycle Club Members had been threw wars together and they where as hard as nails they had nothing to prove to no one, But these younger members felt that they did and would imitate the Biker Clubs from the Movies they had scene and soon it was Biker against Biker, Brother against Brother, MC against MC. This began the Dark age of the Motorcycle Gang Mentality years.

Now for the question Why did this Happen? Well When something Changes the way of thinking and being of Groups like the Motorcycle Clubs so far from their original ideals, You have to ask was it just an accident these movies did this? Or is there more to it? Was there a plan behind it? Is there someone or some group out there that would benefit from having these large groups of Motorcycle Clubs who are run in a very military fashion and are made up of many ex-Military Members fighting against each other? If these Clubs all got along and worked together the world could be a very Different place! Are there people out there who are afraid of this happening?

Today there are very few Clubs left that have the Gang Mentality most have gone back to the Brotherhood way and the word Gang in the Motorcycle Club world has become almost the equivalent of a racial slur. Now as Motorcycle Clubs are beginning to go back to the way it was at the start and trying to put the past behind them, I am noticing that there are more and more Biker movies and TV shows Coming out. Will these shows show MC’s in a good way? Will they go out of their way to stir up the quarrels of the past? Will they show us as mindless Bullies much as the Movie Wild Hogs did? Most Important will we let them influence how we really are? Or have we learned from our past? If all continues to go well we could soon be making are way into the second Gold age of Motorcycle Club Brotherhood back to where it all began!!!

Are you part of the Problem? or part of the Solution? I am Your Bro, L.J. James AmericanBikerX.com

LJ hosts a Radio Motorcycle Show every week LJ likes to help show the truth about the Biker World and series like Sons of Anarchy Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.