CUSTOM PATCHES

Motorcycle vest patches are not to be taken lightly. They hold a lot of weight in the world of bikers. From your achievements to your affiliations, they can tell a lot about the biker. Custom patches worn by bikers on their vests have become an identifying characteristic of seasoned bikers. These motorcycle vest patches have a rich history and a strong demand in the present.

The custom patches worn by bikers came into existence a century ago with the birth of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) in the 1920s. AMA meetings played an instrumental role in creating biker groups that started wearing their identity in the form of patches on their vests.


The original motorcycle patches for vests were embroidered. These motorcycle vest back patches only used to spell out the name of the group to which the biker belonged. These were usually formed by the bikers who belonged to the same area. That’s all it was to them. However, it all changed in 1947 with the riot at Hollister in California that was fueled primarily by the bikers. In response to this fiasco, the AMA stated to the press. In the announcement, it conveyed that 99% of its members abide by the laws; it is just the 1% that were the outlaws. Since then, bikers who related to the outlaw image started wearing the 1% patch. It is one of the most renowned patches around.


As the motorcycle clubs grew, they started introducing custom motorcycle vest patches which the members had to earn to climb up the ranks in the group. It became a rite of passage. Today, there are hundreds of custom patches that have been created or even by individual bikers to reflect not just their affiliation to specific groups, but also to express their personal beliefs.