The vision of scores of thundering Harley-Davidson motorcycles, line astern and dominating the highway is a vision few of us will forget.
This intimidating apparition, straight out of countless movies, has served to place this venerable US motorcycle brand at the forefront of all things wicked and dastardly. Even so, the ‘don’t mess with me’ persona of the ‘hog’ has ensured Harley-Davidson is the first thing you think of when ‘bad boy’ bikers come to mind.
In recent times, popular culture has softened the image somewhat with comedy movies like “Wild Hogs”, where middle-aged characters played by John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and Tim Allen set out on a midlife-crisis-driven, adventure-packed road trip.
Then there is the famous, 30-year-old Ulysses Club, whose legendary motto is ‘grow old disgracefully’: minimum age of entry, 40. Members come from all walks of life, and it is just as likely you’ll see them with tea and scones as neat double bourbons.
To reinforce the immense popularity of the group’s claim of being ‘the largest social club in Australia’, it has around 137 branches and 30,000 members throughout the country, as well as clubs in New Zealand, South Africa, Germany, Great Britain, Vietnam, Norway, Namibia, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Cambodia, Zimbabwe and Botswana (of all places!).
While the Ulysses Club has a high proportion of Harley-Davidson owners, it is not exclusive to the brand. The Harley Owners Group (HOG) is the official club, supported by the factory dealer network through local chapters, and has around 8000 members in Australia. HOG also organises ride days and family-friendly social events for its members. It is the largest such official motoring club in the world, with more than a million members worldwide.
Tapping into the undisputed popularity of Harley-Davidson and big touring motorcycles in general, businesses like EagleRider were formed to offer Walter Mitty types and dreamers like me the chance to live out their fantasies.
Launched in the USA in 1992, EagleRider launched the Harley-Davidson motorcycle rental and group touring concept and now has offices throughout the world, including Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Cairns, with more to follow.
Even though I have ridden since the age of ten, I’ve never sat on a Harley, let alone ridden one an appreciable distance. I’d always stood back from these iron, steel and chrome monsters with a sense of trepidation, so when I walked into the EagleRider showroom in Sydney’s inner-western suburb of Burwood, I must have looked like an awe-struck kid in a very expensive toy shop.
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| Eaglerider Motorcycle Rentals |
“Sure, Harleys are big, heavy bikes,” says co-owner Will Keith with his trademark Louisiana drawl, “but they are superbly balanced and surprisingly easy to ride.”
To prove this point, Will once accepted a bet to ride a Harley 1000 miles down the freeway from Denver to Milwaukee while only sitting in the pillion seat. A film crew followed him, but soon gave up and headed for the burger joint. Point taken.
I sign off on a 1200cc Sportster® and ride nervously out of the Burwood yard and into the Parramatta Road traffic. The next day it’s a proper ride, starting out around the block, I end up at the Mooney Mooney Bridge and, 200 km later, back at the Burwood shop exhilarated and in surprisingly good shape for an older bloke with a dodgy back.
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| Motorcycle Touring USA |
The popularity of motorcycle touring is unquestionable. The vast Best Western group has even developed a 50-property, Australia-wide network of rider-friendly hotels and motels to meet demand. Harley owners are entitled to a range of benefits, including a 10 per cent discount, upgrades, late checkout and even a wipe-down towel for your hog.
EagleRider Australia has also developed a series of fully guided rides from its Eastern seaboard bases. Ranging from 6 to 12 nights and priced from around $2500.00, motorcycle hire, accommodation and most meals are included.
For more details on the EagleRider motorcycle rentals and tours, see www.eaglerider.com
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