A Brief History of the Pacific Coast M/C

Once upon a time, that is in 1969, assorted members of the California Motor Club (of San Francisco), having moved to Los Angeles, decided that they would enjoy having a branch of that club here in Tinseltown. And so, with the approval of the mother club, they set up the "CMC South,” and began to gather new members and have activities. Among the latter were included several “Open Meatings,” about three runs, and participation in the CMC Carnival and in Rainier Creek (each Independence Day weekend). In the summer of 1970 that affiliation ended. Most of the members preferred to continue their happy little club, and so...

On 1970 September 15 at a Silverlake home in Los Angeles, having hammered out a suitable set of by-laws, an intrepid group of eleven men founded the Pacific Coast Motor Club. The open meetings were continued, and our new logo first appeared at a Gala Party in February 1971, when four new members were welcomed. The highlight of our first year, made possible by the discovery of Black Mountain Campground by the scouting party of Newhouse, Lusink, Brown, and Pepper, was “Night on Black Mountain,” and we have returned there nearly every year since (excepting only 1977). In 1972 our population of motorcycle-riding members increased, and the name was changed to Pacific Coast Motorcycle Club. To complement the Pacific Rim theme, an annual feature of Black Mountain was “Krakatoa,” where primal urges could be fulfilled right out in the forest!

Highlights of the early years included a memorable series of Volcano Runs (some one-day, some overnight): Helgafjell, Aetna, Popocateptl, Kilauea, Suribachi, and Volcano-by-the-Sea. At one point, after a prior rejection, we joined the Council of Southern California Motorcycle Clubs, and one of our rank rose to the simultaneously exalted offices of President of the Pacific Coast M/C, Chairman of the Motocross Fund, and Chairman of the Council; this individual, having been passed over for Man of the Year, was presented, as a consolation, with the Zenith Award, an honor not equaled before or since. Eventually we left the Council, striking out alone in the wilderness!

A major revamping of the uniform in 1977, including adoption of the seagull as the centerpiece of our club logo, was followed by the glory years at Black Mountain, complete with up to 150 guests, world-class entertainers, sit-down dinners, extravagant award-winning shows, and even movies! We began to have occasional motorcycle tours, most proceeding through the Sierras, the Gold Country, and into northern California, but some going as far as Arizona, Lake Powell, and South America (this wasn’t on motorcycles exactly, but we did have quite a time). By 1984 several of our members had accepted Alumni Membership (very prestigious and exclusive), and the working membership had dwindled; the solution was to abolish not only the special classes of membership, but also all the rules and by-laws. Black Mountain became a smaller and more relaxing affair, often extending over a full week, and it now regularly includes the weekend nearest the full moon each July.