Uptown Riders

The Uptown Riders are an African-American outlaw motorcycle club that operate throughout Northwood and North Holland in Algonquin, and Hove Beach in Broker. They play a supporting role in The Lost and Damned, and are featured in The Ballad of Gay Tony and Grand Theft Auto Online.

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 have branched out to include a clothing line and other merchandising opportunities.

Despite being lesser known than the Angels of Death and The Lost MC, the Uptown Riders have 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 their publicity image and selling thematic merchandise. They seem to have expanded by legal methods, offering their help with founding new chapters to enthusiasts in other regions.

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

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

Elizabeta also asks Malc, DeSean and Johnny 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 at the location of the drug deal, but the buyers attempt to rip them off and destroy Johnny's Hexer in the process. However, because of Elizabeta's notoriety, the deal was monitored by the police and heavy forces are sent to the location. Malc sets off with Johnny on the back of his bike and they, along with DeSean, flee from the police. Elizabeta is arrested and imprisoned soon afterwards.

Malc also helps Johnny when Johnny is ordered by the Russian Mafia to kidnap Roman Bellic, because Johnny doesn't want The Lost MC members to be involved. Malc provide him with his Presidente for the ride and guards Roman in the back seat.

During the random encounter Johnny can meet Malc again. He is tuning his bike and appears to be in a bad mood because of DeSean's disappearance. It transpires that DeSean was grazed in the arm by a sawn-off shotgun during a street race with the Angels of Death. Johnny offers to help Malc gain revenge and the duo chase and kill three 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 and Italian sport bikes and appear to be predominately African-American, much like the Ruff Ryders.

The Uptown Riders are absent in Grand Theft Auto 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.

They are also said to sell merchandise such as clothing, DVDs, video games, books, and motorcycle equipment. This is advertised on The Beat 102.7 and their website.

Their clubhouse is inaccessible, though the player can arm wrestle with members of the Uptown Riders outside the clubhouse, but if the player is armed or on a bike, they will attack them (same with the Angels of Death when arm wrestling). If the player does not want to be attacked, they should park their 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 102.7.
 * The Uptown Riders logo bears a resemblance to the logo of the Ruff Ryders, a hip-hop collective featuring DMX, whose “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” music video prominently featured sport bikes.
 * During The Lost and Damned mission "Heavy Toll", when discussing the differences between their respective motorcycle gangs, Malc sarcastically tells Johnny Klebitz that The Lost MC dress like "rejects from a bondage club", to which Johnny sarcastically replies that the Uptown Riders dress like the Republican Space Rangers.
 * In Grand Theft Auto V, Franklin Clinton owns multiple outfits bearing the Uptown Riders logo.
 * New clothing was introduced in the GTA Online: Bikers DLC with Uptown Riders logos, as well as an Uptown Rider Emblem for Clubhouses.

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