The Unknown Bikers Motorcycle Club is a one-percenter outlaw motorcycle club founded in 1974 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York. The Williamsburg chapter is the Mother Chapter, and the club has documented chapters in Puerto Rico, Poland, and Iceland.
| Field | Documented detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | June 1, 1974, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York |
| Mother Chapter | Williamsburg, Brooklyn |
| Center patch | Skull in three-horned red Celtic helmet with iron cross behind, red/white/black |
| Documented international chapters | Puerto Rico (San German, Ponce - 2003), Poland (2012, including Brooklyn Greenpoint - 2010), Iceland |
| Federal classification | One-percenter outlaw motorcycle club per published club history |
This article covers the documented history of the Unknown Bikers MC: founding, patch symbology, international expansion, and recorded community presence in Williamsburg. For the broader cluster context, our one-percenter motorcycle clubs guide is the cluster reference.
History of Unknown Bikers Motorcycle Club
The club was established in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY, in 1974. The Williamsburg chapter is considered the Mother Chapter. The club’s initial establishment aligns with June 1st, 1974, and shares a founding date with the Dirty Ones Motorcycle Club. Over the years, the Unknown Bikers gained good publicity and positively impacted the region by reducing drug-related issues in the area.
Williamsburg in the 1970s was rough. Drugs, crime, and gang activity tore through the neighborhood. The founding members of the Unknown Bikers MC grew up in that environment. They were working-class guys who rode because it gave them something real. The club became a stabilizing force in the community at a time when most people had written off that part of Brooklyn. Members organized block parties, helped keep streets safe, and gave younger riders a path that did not lead to prison or a casket. That community-first approach is what set them apart from other clubs that formed during the same era.
Until the late 1990s, most members of the club were of Spanish or Italian descent. In 1999, Polish members began joining, and in 2010, the Brooklyn Chapter Greenpoint was founded under the leadership of Daniel Sadowski. Polish bikers have had a significant influence within the chapter. The club also caters to Polish members with an official website available in Polish, and some members wear a Poland flag patch.
The shift in membership reflected changes happening in Brooklyn itself. Greenpoint and Williamsburg were becoming home to large Polish immigrant communities. These new members brought their own riding traditions and work ethic to the club. The fact that the Unknown Bikers opened their doors to riders from different backgrounds while many other MCs stayed closed off says a lot about the club’s values. Brotherhood was not limited by where you were born. It was about how you lived and how you rode.
The Unknown Bikers MC expanded internationally starting in 2003, with new chapters in Puerto Rico (San German and Ponce) and Poland (2012). The club also has a presence in Iceland.
International Expansion Timeline
The move into Puerto Rico in 2003 was the club’s first step outside the mainland United States. San German and Ponce gave the Unknown Bikers a Caribbean footprint. These chapters operate with the same structure and rules as the Mother Chapter. The Poland chapter, founded in 2012, connected the club back to the heritage of many of its Brooklyn members. Iceland may seem like an unusual location for an MC chapter, but the country has a small but dedicated motorcycle culture, and the Unknown Bikers found solid ground there.
International expansion is a big deal for any motorcycle club. It means the club has enough structure, discipline, and reputation to hold territory far from home. For context on how clubs handle this kind of growth, our article on the most famous biker gangs covers how other major clubs have expanded across borders.
Unknown Bikers Motorcycle Motto/Club Patch / Colors
The club’s emblem features a skull wearing a three-horned red Celtic helmet with an iron cross (also called the Maltese Cross) placed behind the skull. The primary colors of the Unknown Bikers MC patch are red, white, and black.
Breaking Down the Patch Design
Every element on an MC patch carries meaning. The skull is common across outlaw motorcycle clubs. It represents mortality and the willingness to face death head-on. The three-horned Celtic helmet is less common and sets the Unknown Bikers apart visually. Celtic helmets in history were worn by warriors, and the three horns add a layer of authority and distinction. The iron cross behind the skull has deep roots in military and biker culture. It does not carry the same meaning it once did in wartime. In the MC world, it stands for courage and rebellion against mainstream society.
The red, white, and black color scheme is bold and unmistakable. Red typically represents blood and sacrifice. White stands for purity of brotherhood. Black speaks to the outlaw lifestyle itself. If you want to dig deeper into what MC patches mean and how they work, read our breakdown on the meaning of biker patches.
The club’s patch logo represents its multiple chapters, with the main chapter based in Williamsburg, NY, and several international chapters worldwide. The chapters include:
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Unknown Bikers MC Poland
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Unknown Bikers Club Iceland
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Unknown Bikers Club Ponce Chapter
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Unknown Bikers MC Puerto Rico
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Unknown Bikers Motorcycle Club Williamsburg, NY
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Unknown Bikers San German Chapter
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Unknown Bikers Club USA
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Former clubhouses, UB MC in Williamsburg, NY
Club Structure and Membership
Like most outlaw motorcycle clubs, the Unknown Bikers MC follows a strict hierarchy. Prospects must earn their way in. There is no shortcut. You do not buy your way into an MC. You prove yourself over months or years of riding, showing up, and putting the club first. This structure is similar across most serious MCs. The Unknown Bikers operate as a three-piece patch club. That means full members wear a top rocker (club name), center patch (the skull and helmet emblem), and bottom rocker (chapter location). Prospects typically wear only a bottom rocker until they earn the full patch. This system is the standard across outlaw MCs worldwide and it keeps the hierarchy clear.
The club is considered a 1%er organization, placing it in the same category as clubs like the Hells Angels, Bandidos, and Outlaws. The 1% designation traces back to the American Motorcyclist Association’s claim that 99% of riders are law-abiding citizens. Clubs that wear the 1% diamond patch reject that label and embrace the outlaw identity. Not every club that claims 1% status has the history or respect to back it up. The Unknown Bikers have been around for over 50 years and have held their ground in one of the toughest cities in the country.
Unknown Bikers MC Crime
In 2016, on June 24th, members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club allegedly had a confrontation with Unknown Bikers members, resulting in several cuts being exchanged.
Conflicts between MCs are not unusual. Territory disputes, disrespect (real or perceived), and personal beefs between members can all spark incidents. The 2016 confrontation with the Hells Angels was significant because the Angels are the largest and most well-known MC in the world. Standing your ground against a club of that size takes serious backbone. While details of the incident remain limited, the fact that cuts were exchanged means the situation was personal. In MC culture, taking another rider’s cut is one of the most aggressive acts possible. It is a direct challenge to the other club’s identity and existence.
It is worth noting that the Unknown Bikers MC has not been linked to the kind of large-scale criminal enterprises that have followed some other outlaw clubs. Their reputation leans more toward community involvement than organized crime. That does not mean every member has a clean record. No honest club would claim that. But the club as a whole has managed to keep a lower profile than many of its peers.
FAQ About the Unknown Bikers MC
Is the Unknown Bikers MC a 1% club? Yes. The Unknown Bikers MC is considered a 1%er outlaw motorcycle club. The 1% designation means the club identifies outside the mainstream motorcycle community and does not follow the rules set by organizations like the AMA.
How many chapters does the Unknown Bikers MC have? The club has chapters in Williamsburg (Brooklyn, NY), Greenpoint (Brooklyn, NY), San German and Ponce (Puerto Rico), Poland, and Iceland. The Williamsburg chapter is the Mother Chapter and holds the most authority within the club.
What do the Unknown Bikers MC colors mean? The club’s patch features a skull in a three-horned Celtic helmet with an iron cross behind it. The colors are red, white, and black. Each color carries meaning in MC culture. Red for blood and sacrifice, white for brotherhood, and black for the outlaw way of life. Learn more about how MC patches work in our guide to the meaning of biker patches.
Are the Unknown Bikers MC rivals with the Hells Angels? There was a documented confrontation between the two clubs in 2016. However, the full nature of their relationship is not publicly known. Tensions between outlaw MCs are common, especially in dense urban areas like New York City where multiple clubs operate in close proximity. For more on how major MCs relate to each other, see our article on the most famous biker gangs.
Sources
- One Percenter Bikers: Unknown Bikers MC - Club history, founding details, and chapter information
- Viking Bags: Unknown Bikers Motorcycle Club - Overview of club emblem, colors, and organizational structure
- Unknown Bikers MC Official Website - Club chapters, membership history, and Polish-language resources
For the wider context on outlaw MC history, patch protocol, and how the brotherhood code actually works, read our complete guide to motorcycle clubs.
Wear the brotherhood. Our biker patches and accessories carry the same garage-built spirit as the clubs in this story.
