What Does '1%er' Mean? The Hollister Story and How the Label Spread

"1%er" (one percenter) is a label for a member of an outlaw motorcycle club, and the "1%" diamond patch is its best-known symbol. Where the number comes from is disputed: one account ties it to a 1960 remark about 99% of riders being law-abiding, which the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) says it has no record of. This page sticks to the history of the phrase. For the wider picture, start at biker culture.

Key takeaways- "One percenter" means a member of an outlaw motorcycle club or gang.- In this setting "outlaw" first meant a club outside the AMA, not automatically a criminal one.- The usual origin story points to the 1947 Hollister rally, but the sources disagree on how the label began.- The US Department of Justice uses a much stricter definition for "outlaw motorcycle gangs".

What the label means

A glossary of motorcycling terms defines a one percenter as a member of an outlaw club or gang. The "1%" patch, often drawn as a diamond, is a patch some outlaw clubs wear on their vests. If you are new to vest vocabulary, see what bikers call their vest and biker slang.

"Outlaw" needs care. In the United States it mainly describes a club that is not sanctioned by the AMA, which is different from a club that is necessarily criminal. The US Department of Justice, by contrast, defines outlaw motorcycle gangs as organizations whose members use their clubs as conduits for criminal enterprises.

Sources do not agree on how far the label goes. One encyclopedia entry says the 1% patch is worn only by clubs characterized by criminality, and in the same article says most outlaw club members have no serious criminal record. Read the term as a self-chosen label with a contested meaning, not a neutral description.

The Hollister rally of 1947

In early July 1947 an AMA-sanctioned Gypsy Tour rally took place in Hollister, California. Attendance estimates range from about 2,000 to about 4,000 people. Heavy drinking and street racing overwhelmed the town's small police force.

The accounts differ on the damage. One encyclopedia entry reports about 50 arrests, mostly misdemeanors, about 60 reported injuries (three serious) and minor storefront damage, with no Hollister resident physically harmed. A ThoughtCo account counts about 55 arrests, reports no looting, and says the press exaggerated the event. These are two summaries of the same weekend that do not fully match, so treat the details as estimates.

How the picture spread

Coverage did the rest. A Life magazine photo of a drunk rider among bottles ran on July 21, 1947, under a headline about a cyclist's holiday and terrorizing a town. Whether the photo was staged is disputed: a bystander said it was, a newspaper colleague of the photographer said the photographer would not fake a picture.

Americans still recovering from World War II began to fear motorcycle "hoodlums". The story fed into a short story and then the 1953 film The Wild One, which popularized the image of bikers as misfits and outlaws. Hollister itself saw little lasting effect. Bikers were welcomed back, and a 50th-anniversary rally was held there in 1997.

Where "1%" comes from: the disputed accounts

There are two main accounts, and neither is confirmed by a primary document we could find.

What is better documented is how clubs adopted the patch. One encyclopedia entry says outlaw clubs began wearing it after a 1960 meeting of leaders of several California clubs about police harassment, and that a club on the East Coast first wore it in 1963. That is also a single secondary source, so it is shown as reported, not settled.

What this page does not cover

This page does not rank clubs, describe club insignia, or explain club rules. Patch meanings differ from club to club, and there is no single code that applies everywhere. For vests, patches and how they are worn, read how to place patches on the front of a biker vest and understanding motorcycle club leathers and their symbols. The leather side of the story is in why bikers wear leather chaps.

If you are thinking about a vest of your own, Leather Collection explains how leather and biker culture connect in its guide to biker culture and leather.

FAQ

What makes someone a 1 percenter?

By the usual definition a one percenter is a member of an outlaw motorcycle club or gang. Clubs set their own membership rules, which differ widely.

Did the AMA really say 99% of bikers are law-abiding?

The AMA says it has no record of such a statement. Another account ties the term to the 1947 Hollister coverage instead, so the origin remains unresolved.