Road Names in a Motorcycle Club

Posted by Disciple P-Nut
Natl Road Captain
Disciple Christian Motorcycle Club

Road names:

Let’s talk about them for a second. What is a road name? It is a moniker bestowed on someone as a reminder of an event or trait that was impactful and meaningful whether funny, serious or otherwise.

Road names are bestowed by your brothers and throughout club history there will be road names that come and some that go. Some will stay, some will change. Some will never be given and some will have multiple. But, like the patch, they should be earned, not just tossed about haphazardly or brought in from another organization.

This is a young club, but with a very rich history. This is a history that should be pivotal in your journey. You should have researched who we are and what we do prior to pursuing membership. And while pursuing membership, learning it should be second only to your spiritual development. I say that because I see guys scrambling so hard for road names and they don’t even understand the significance of what they are, where they come from or how they are earned!

You know names like Bigbeard, Sumo, Jester, Eagle, Kickstand, Spike, Freebird, Quickdraw, Warhammer, Gonzo, Retrow and so on. They are indelibly etched because of the personality, persona, commitment and sometimes the story and longevity of the bearer…and they are still here. But, many influential, profound and no less impactful men still don’t bear a road name… James Johnson, Bill Wyatt, Randy Burns, Rick Lucas, Jim Lovegrove and more.

There are also road names that have impacted this club in MANY different ways that you may or may not know about, but they are etched into the archives of who we are as a club and building the legend of the 888...both good AND bad...Knuckles, Lockdown, Loudmouth, Viking, Eazy, Snakebite, Rundown, Honor, Clippers, Yup Yup, Preach, Orale, and more.

So when you come up to me and others as a new supporter or hang around and introduce yourself with a road name and I have never heard of you before, maybe this can help you to understand why I look at you funny. If you tell me you got a road name because you sat down and thought about it with someone else, I am going to laugh at you. When you come from another organization (as many of us have) and try to bring a road name with you, I will not call you that. If you should happen to leave this organization after having the privilege of being given a road name, I will no longer refer to you by that road name because it’s meaning was attached to something we no longer share (good, bad or otherwise).

The long and short of what I’m trying to say is this...Road names have meaning to the club and its members. People have meaning to the club and its members. Road names bring history and color to the stories told around the dinner table at Hoffa’s, Sheely’s, the 24 hour burrito joint, Chickadee's, the church meeting room where we crash, Thursday throwdown, the testimony time at the run, the solemn moment at the graveside, Drift weekend, the quiet stretch of highway when we fall back in the pack to contemplate, etc. Brothers impact you forever...good, bad and otherwise.

So, you think you have been here long enough to earn that road name? You think you have a story that matches up to the tales around the campfire? When someone speaks of you does everyone else ask, “Who?”

Earn your name. Etch your memory into the brotherhood. Become part of the legend of the 888. Have a meaningful impact on those around you. Love with a passion second only to Christ’s for his bride. Build bonds deeper than those sitting in a foxhole in the middle of nowhere. Walk with integrity. Cry with your brother when he hurts. Laugh with him when he laughs. Be there when no one else is. Go to the ends of the earth without hesitation just because….Then, and only then, will your name (given or road name) make a lasting impression on the brotherhood!

Much love.
Disciple P-nut

Editorial Note from the Founder

In my experience, road names originally were a way of hiding your identity as you were out doing dark deeds.

If you're introducing yourself to me, use your name. You can add your road name if you like, but that isn't who you are and I won't be able to connect you to it based on your online profile or perhaps the background check I read about you.

I've seen men desperate for a road name, and charters having conversations about what to call so and so. Forget that. You don't need a road name. We arent doing anything illegal here, you don't need to hide your identity. Be who you are. Road names are more often a moniker your can't escape than a super cool way to introduce yourself...

James Disciple Johnson
Natl President and Founder
Disciple Christian Motorcycle Club