Who are the BFMC?

Who are the Boozefighters?

In 1946 a group WWII vets out of California
formed a motorcycle club called the
Boozefighters. They created the name from
a term used in the 1940s to describe a man
fighting the bottle – an alcoholic or a
“Boozefighter.” These guys were fond of
the suds and raced motorcycles. Their
girlfriends were called “Boozettes” and
they generally raised some harmless hell
and had a good time.

The 'Original Wild Ones,' circa 1948

The American Motorcycle Association refused to let them participate in AMA sanctioned races because of the name. In order to work around the AMA sanction, they raced under another name – the “Yellowjackets” and all the while keeping the Boozefighter spirit alive.

In 1947 there was a 4th of July ride by all the motorcycle clubs in the Los Angeles basin to Hollister, California. The press reports of that day’s events said “4000 members of a motorcycle club roared into Hollister for a 3 day convention…
Racing their vehicles down the main street and through traffic lights, they rammed into restaurants and bars, breaking furniture and mirrors…”
That’s a direct quote from LIFE magazine, August 1947.

Actually, only about 300 to 400 people showed up and partied as they had done in previous years.
The Boozefighters were the guys spinning donuts and drag racing up and down the street, which had been blocked off by the town specifically for the purpose.
They were the “show-offs,” without a doubt.
A LIFE reporter staged a photo and put it in the magazine with the above quote.
The events that occurred were blown far out of proportion and a legend was born.

The July 4th 1947 Hollister celebration was truly a watershed event in the history of motorcycling in America. The whole thing was immortalized by the movie “The Wild One,” starring Marlon Brando.
The young man who founded the Boozefighter Motorcycle Club, “Wino” Willie Forkner, was played by Lee Marvin in the film.

Over the years there have been numerous articles, documentaries, television shows, cable specials, and the like, all referring to the Boozefighters as being
“The Original Wild Ones.”

And just last year, a new book about the history of the Boozefighters was published. You can check out the book HERE.

The Boozefighters have never been a 1%er club.
We believe in respecting the rights of all members of the community and
peaceful co-existence with all other motorcycle clubs.
We believe in freedom of choice and freedom of the road.