Uptown Riders

The  are an African-American outlaw motorcycle club that operate through Northwood and North Holland areas in Algonquin, and Hove Beach area in Broker. They play a minor role in The Lost and Damned, and featured in The Ballad of Gay Tony, Chinatown Wars, and Grand Theft Auto V.

Background
Uptown Riders were founded some time before 2008. They describe themselves on their website as a group of urban riding enthusiasts. Originally started as a lifestyle group, established for the discussion of sports bikes and, as they claim, the betterment of community, they were branching out into a clothing line with more merchandising to follow.

Despite being much less known than Angels of Death and The Lost MC, Uptown Riders already managed to capture the attention of the media for their weapon smuggling, street racing and attacks on individuals.

Uptown Riders is one of the few gangs focused on the publicity image and selling thematic merchandise. They seem to expand by legal ways, offering to enthusiasts in other regions their help in founding new chapters of the club.

Events of The Lost and Damned
After the arrest of Billy Grey, Johnny Klebitz starts looking for new partners. Jim Fitzgerald, well connected treasurer of the club, hooks him up with two Uptown Riders "best young guns", as the website describe them, Malc and DeSean. The two provide Johnny with handmade pipe bombs, which he uses for blowing three vans of Angels of Death.

Major drug dealer Elizabeta Torres, who was informed of the relations between Johnny and Malc, lacks people she can trust with orders and starts hiring them for jobs. The first job is to hit the Angels of Death convoy and steal their coke. Elizabeta provides the team with assault shotgun, because she wants convoy to be hit hard. Johnny, Malc, DeSean and unnamed member of the Uptown Riders ambush the convoy by taking control of toll booths on the bridge between Broker and Bohan, kill every member of the Angels of Death and steal the Slamvan containing the coke. They leave the van in the garage in Industrial for Elizabeta's henchman, Andreas, to pick up later.

Elizabeta also asks Malc, DeSean and Johnny Klebitz to sell some drugs to new customers. She is under tight surveillance of the police after the last events, but being under the effects of her own drugs can't see the situation adequately. Malc, DeSean and Johnny arrives on deal with drugs, but customers attempt to rip them off and blow Johnny's Hexer in process. However, because of Elizabeta's notoriety deal was monitored by the police and heavy forces are sent on the scene. Johnny takes Malc's Double-T Drag passenger seat and they, along with DeSean, try to escape police. After the massive chasing and shootout they manage to escape. Elizabeta is sent to prison some time after.

Johnny Klebitz also uses Malc's help, when asked by Russian Mafia to kidnap Roman Bellic, because he doesn't want The Lost MC members to be involved. Malc provide him with his Presidente for the ride and guard Roman on the back seat.

During the random encounter Johnny can meet Malc again. He is tuning his bike and appears to be in bad mood, because of DeSean's disappearance. The phone call enlighten the situation: during the street race DeSean was grazed in the arm by sawn-off shotgun, which was used by losing bikers. Johnny offers to hit bikers back and the three attack and kill Angels of Death members.

A week later Malc can be encountered one more time, tuning his bike again. He challenges Johnny for a race to finally see which bike is better. He is beaten in the end, however.

Description
The Uptown Riders are a motorcycle gang. Their members include Malc and DeSean and their headquarters are in Northwood, Liberty City. The club rides Japanese sport bikes and appear to be predominately African-American, much like the Ruff Ryders.

The Uptown Riders did not appear in GTA IV, but are present in The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony. Even though Malc seems to be allied with The Lost MC, the Uptown Riders will still attack Johnny if he is armed.

The Uptown Riders are a GTA replica of Ruff Ryders. They too ride Japenese motorcycles through New York City (mainly Harlem) which in GTA they do it in Holland and Northwood of Liberty City.

They are also said to sell merchandise such as clothing, DVDs, video games, books, and motorcycle equipment. You can hear this on the Beat 102.7 or see this on their website.

Their clubhouse is inaccessible, though you can arm wrestle with members of the Uptown Riders outside the clubhouse, but if you're armed or on a bike, they will attack you (same with the Angels of Death when arm wrestling). If you don't want to be attacked, park your bike somewhere away from their clubhouse.

Mission Appearances
TLAD
 * Hit the Pipe
 * Heavy Toll
 * Shifting Weight
 * Roman's Holiday

Members and associates

 * Malc - One of the best "young guns".
 * DeSean - One of the best "young guns".

Associates

 * Elizabeta Torres (Formerly) - Business associate. (Arrested)
 * Johnny Klebitz (Formerly) - President of The Lost MC. (Deceased)
 * Jim Fitzgerald (Formerly) - Treasurer of The Lost MC. Starts a friendship between the gangs (Deceased)

Turf

 * Northwood, Liberty City
 * North Holland, Liberty City
 * Hove Beach, Liberty City

Bikes

 * Bati 801
 * Bati 801RR
 * Double-T
 * Double-T Drag
 * Hakuchou
 * Hakuchou Drag

Trivia

 * The club's favourite radio station is The Beat.
 * In Grand Theft Auto V, Franklin Clinton owns multiple outfits bearing the Uptown Riders logo, meaning that he may be a supporter of the club.
 * The Uptown Riders and the Angels of Death's turfs are very close to each other. The Angels of Death walk by a street near Luiz Lopez's apartment that the Uptown Riders go to as well, but never at the same time.

Gallery
Uptown Riders Uptown Riders Uptown Riders Uptown Riders