One Percenter Motorcycle Clubs

Chosen Few MC (Motorcycle Club)

Chosen Few MC is a one percenter motorcycle club founded in Los Angeles, USA in 1959. They were originally a club made up of black members, but quickly invited white members to join, making them one of the first, if not the first, mixed-race one percenter motorcycle club.

Chosen Few MC Patch Logo
Chosen Few MC Patch Logo

Chosen Few MC History

The Chosen Few Motorcycle Club was founded in Los Angeles in 1959 by Lionel Ricks, Lil Frank, Roger, Hawk, Slim, Shirly Bates and Champ. All of these founding members were African-American. Like most other clubs of the time, the members came together as they loved riding their bikes, mainly focussed around Harley Davidson motorcycles.

Also around the area at this time were the black one percenter motorcycle club the East Bay Dragons Motorcycle Club.

At the time of choosing their motorcycle club name, they were also considering the name “The Patriots of Iron & Steel”.

In 1960 a white member joined the club, who went by the name of “White Boy Art” and then a short time later another white member who went by the name “White Boy Tom”. This then made the Chosen Few Motorcycle Club a mixed-race motorcycle club, which was extremely uncommon at the time. They are one of the first, if not the first mixed-race one percenter motorcycle club.

Being a mixed-race motorcycle club, particularly in the early years, saw confrontations arise with many other clubs who held the view that racial segregation should occur within the motorcycle  club community.

Over the decades the club has expanded with new chapters. They remain a mixed-race motorcycle club overall, however they do have some chapters which consist only of a single race, fully-mixed with Black, White, Mexican and Asian members, and everything in between.

There are a number of other clubs who also go by the “Chosen Few Motorcycle Club” name, but use different logos although they still hold ties with the club. These other clubs have expanded into new territory in Europe including the Chosen Few Belgium, Chosen Few France, Chosen Few Germany, Chosen Few Italy and Chosen Few Sweden.

A “Chosen Few Motorcycle Club” also exists in Buffalo, NY which has a long history, however their history does not list any connections with the Los Angeles founded motorcycle club, nor does it share their logo or any of the common mottos.

Chosen Few MC Patch / Motto

The Chosen Few patch was originally black and white, however this was later changed to the colors red and white.

The Chosen Few patch consists of a cross made of bones which is being held up by chains, towed by two motorcycle riders.

Chosen Few MC Patch Logo
Chosen Few MC Patch Logo

The European chapters of the Chosen Few Motorcycle Club have a patch which consists of a skull with a starred flag in the background.

Chosen Few MC Sweden Patch Logo
Chosen Few MC Sweden Patch Logo

The Chosen Few Motorcycle Club also use the following abbreviations:

  • CF: (C)hosen (F)ew
  • 36: The 3rd letter of the alphabet being the letter “C” and the 6th letter of the alphabet being “F”, coming together to make (C)hosen (F)ew.
  • CFMC: (C)hosen (F)ew (M)otorcycle (C)lub.

There are a number of different mottos which can be associated with the club, including the following:

  • “It’s Not About the size of the Few in the Fight, It’s About The Size Of The Fight in The Few”
  • “Many Are Called. Few Are Chosen.”
  • “Take None, Give None”

Chosen Few MC Chapters

Details of the chapters in the USA can’t be confirmed, however their Mother Chapter is well known:

  • Chosen Few South Central / Los Angeles (Mother Chapter)
Chosen Few MC Clubhouse Compton Los Angeles
Chosen Few MC Clubhouse Compton Los Angeles

As well as the chapters which use the patch of the human bones, there are a number of other related clubs which use the Chosen Few Motorcycle Club name, but have a different patch.

  • Chosen Few Belgium
  • Chosen Few France
  • Chosen Few Germany
  • Chosen Few Italy
  • Chosen Few Sweden

Famous Chosen Few MC Members

Cliff “Soney” Vaughs – Motorcycle Builder / Producer & Director

Born 16 April, 1937. Cliff Vaughs may be best known for being the designer behind two of the motorcycles in the 1969 biker classic, Easy Rider (link opens in a new tab) which starred Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson. The custom bikes for Captain America and Billy were then built by Ben Hardy. Due to a legal dispute his name, along with many other crew members who worked on the film, does not appear in the credits.

He was a member of the Chosen Few Motorcycle Club.

Cliff Vaughs died on 2 July, 2016, age 79.

chosen-few-mc-cliff-vaughs-clifford
Chosen Few MC – Cliff Vaughs

Lionel Ricks – Known as “The Father” and one of the founders of the motorcycle club.

Chosen Few MC Lionel Ricks The Father
Chosen Few MC Lionel Ricks The Father

Chosen Few MC Crime

2000 – A person is chased, dragged inside the Chosen Few Mother Chapter clubhouse in Compton, stripped, tied to a pole, beaten and slashed in the face with a knife.

2006 – A 17 year old girl dies after being shot outside the Chosen Few Compton clubhouse.

2010 – April, 2010. A man is shot in the parking area of the Chosen Few Compton clubhouse.

The Chosen Few MC Media

Book – The Chosen Few: A 40-Year Look at an Outlaw Motorcycle Club by Elliot Michael Gold.

The author speaks with multiple members where they provide an insider perspective of the club, covering both how the club came to be, as well as the lifestyle of being a member. Find out more on Amazon (link opens in a new tab).

The Chosen Few book Elliot Michael Gold
The Chosen Few by Elliot Michael Gold

Chosen Few MC Enemies and Allies

Chosen Few Enemies:

Chosen Few Allies:

  • None

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