Phillip Woodham, 71, from Ashburton died in the crash involving two other vehicles about 1.30pm on State Highway 8, between Hayan and Tekapo Canal Rds, in Pūkaki.
Woodham was described by the club as a "real genuine Kiwi".
Patriots Defence Motorcycle Club South Island president Darren Dumble said: "Woody was a real genuine Kiwi who loved to ride and loved his mates.
"He loved nothing better than turning up to a club function with a cheeky grin and a bunch of tall stories told with a dry wit,” he said.
Woodham served in the NZ Army as a section commander.
"To be a section commander, you need to have an excellent rapport with the troops, something Woody would have excelled in.
"Woody loved his bike, he rode a Harley very carefully.
"He was never one to tear up the road, if anything, he would loiter around the back of the group, taking in the view and just being happy he was with his mates."
Woodham also worked on fishing boats after leaving the army and was a truck driver. The police investigation into the circumstances of the crash remains ongoing.
Malaysian Canterbury University students Wan Nur Adlina Alisa and Megat Ashman Aqif were also killed in the crash.
Fellow students, Nur Firas Wafiyyah and Lya Issable Walton, along with Muhamad Faris Mohd Fairusham, from Victoria University of Wellington, were injured.
The police investigation into the circumstances of the crash continues.
