Never ride while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Know your. Harley and read and understand your owner's manual from cover to cover. HOG magazine ...
The magazine of the H.O.G.® experience | Issue 4 2017
EUROPEAN BIKE WEEK® REVIEW NEW CVOTM MODELS THE BLACK EAGLE SOARS: PART 4 REGIONAL PROFILE: FRANCE H-D® 115TH ANNIVERSARY: PRAGUE PARTY PLUS THE LATEST FROM H.O.G.® UK & IRELAND
Welcome
HOG® MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY THE HARLEY OWNERS GROUP® HOG.COM
Project manager Trevor Barton Regional Consumer Experience Manager, International
SEND YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO: HOGMAGAZINE.EMEA@HARLEY-DAVIDSON.COM
FOR ALL MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT THE H.O.G.® & RIDER SERVICES CUSTOMER CARE CENTRE FREEPHONE 00 800 1111 2223 SEE FULL CONTACT DETAILS ON PAGE 87
HOG® magazine is edited and designed for H.O.G.® EMEA by Archant Dialogue, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich NR1 1RE, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 1603 664242 www.archantdialogue.co.uk
Editor Julian Milnes Digital editor Tom Smith Assistant editor Ciara Jack Art editor Craig Pearce Designer Lucy Perkins
For advertising enquiries, please contact Senior advertising sales executive James Boyle on +44 (0) 1603 772429 or james.boyle@archantdialogue.co.uk Commercial sales manager Lisa Marrison
Project director Katherine Berryman Art director Richard Berry Content and brand director Ryan Battles Agency director Zoë Francis-Cox
We care about you. Ride safely, respectfully and within the limits of the law and your abilities. Always wear an approved helmet, proper eyewear and protective clothing and insist your passenger does too. Never ride while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Know your Harley® and read and understand your owner's manual from cover to cover.
HOG® magazine is published quarterly by the Harley Owners Group Europe, a division of Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Inc. Due to various circumstances, some information in this issue is subject to change.
Harley-Davidson, Harley, H-D, the Harley Owners Group, H.O.G., HOG magazine, the Bar & Shield logo, H.O.G. logo, Harley-Davidson Authorized Rentals logo, Sportster, Dyna, Softail, V-Rod, MotorClothes and European Bike Week are registered trademarks of Harley-Davidson U.S.A., LLC.
No part of this publication may be reproduced for any reason without written consent from the editor.
All member submissions become property of Harley- Davidson Motor Company, its affiliates, and authorised Harley-Davidson and Buell dealers. Submissions will not be returned and may be used by Harley-Davidson Motor Company for any and all business purposes. Member submissions may be published in HOG magazine or posted on hog.com, the official website of the Harley Owners Group. Harley Owners Group reserves the right to edit stories for content, length and clarity.
All Rights Reserved. ©2017 H-D®
PLANNING AHEAD
We're approaching that time of the year when the elements conspire to reduce our opportunities to get out and ride, one of the key elements that brings us together to explore new territory. However, while H.O.G.® is very much about riding, it's also about having fun, and this you can do with or without your motorcycle especially in these months to come. Our various communications (Facebook, hog.com and the HOG Insider e-magazine, to name but three) keep you informed and up to date, so you can plan ahead for your next riding season.
But in these next few months, for many, it's H.O.G. chapter activities that keep the beat going. Chapter officers are responsible and committed to what they do, ensuring members stay dialled in and enthused about the road ahead. This team of volunteers is always hard at work and passionate about keeping the H.O.G. flag flying! At this time of year, Ladies of Harley® and Chapter Directors get together for their annual meetings, where they discuss and exchange ideas and establish further connections that assist them in bringing various developments to their chapter members. They reflect on the year's events, the positives and the areas that can be made even better and, of course, plan for the year ahead.
Also, at the BUN (Benelux, UK & Ireland, Nordic) H.O.G. Officer Training, all chapter officers have the opportunity to meet and mingle with their fellow officers from other countries gaining insights, ideas and information that benefit their chapters as a whole. Rides, reciprocal interest and relationships result from this, and the benefits are seen in the months ahead. These are demonstrated and evidenced in the crossing of borders to attend events that might otherwise not have happened. Your H.O.G. membership is for 12 months a year, and these folks do their best to ensure you get great value for all that time. Of course, there are numerous other benefits on offer that you can take advantage of. Be sure you make the most of these to avoid missing out, and keep your eye on the ever-expanding range. And as you look ahead to next year get ready for the many exciting things in store for 2018 when H.O.G. celebrates its 35th anniversary and the Motor Company celebrates its 115th. You'll want to be sure your membership stays active to ensure you're part of the celebrations!
Marjorie Rae Consumer Experience Manager, H.O.G.® UK & Ireland
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Contents
THISISSUE
NEWS
03 WELCOME
to issue 4 2017 of HOG® magazine!
06 NEWS
The new Harley-Davidson® Sport GlideTM, Jeep® competition winner and more
07 CHAPTER CATCH-UP
The Reims Champagne Chapter
08 UK & IRELAND NEWS
H.O.G. chapters pay their respects, while other members tie the knot
10 APP SNAPS
Check out some of the photos you've sent via the H.O.G.® app
12 INTAKE
Your letters and photographs
FEATURES
21 LADIES OF HARLEY®
It's been tours galore for the Ladies, plus Jean Lindsay says it's never too late
24 EUROPEAN BIKE WEEK® SPECIAL
Six pages on the 20th anniversary event at Faaker See
30 PARTY IN PRAGUE
The latest ahead of next summer's H-D® 115th Anniversary celebrations
34 THE ULTIMATE SOUTH AFRICAN ADVENTURE
Travel to Africa Bike WeekTM in style with this amazing H-D Authorized Tour
38 SPARKLE TOUR
This year's Sparkle Tour saw not one but four events hit the road
40 PROFILE
Jo Green was on a mission to complete the SC500 despite setbacks
42 TOURS
Planning is the key to a successful tour, says Ron Brett of Brettours
43 H-D® AUTHORIZED RENTALS
Toulouse offers the best of southern France, as well as proximity to the Harley-Davidson® Euro Festival
44 CREAM OF THE CROP
Introducing the 2018 CVOTM models
49 PROFILE
Buying a Harley-Davidson® has been life-changing, says Nick Ovenden
56 A SENSE OF ADVENTURE
The Jeep® and Harley-Davidson brands have a great deal in common
58 GB EVENTS
It's the time of year to get planning your 2018 adventures
62 THE BLACK EAGLE SOARS
Part four of Werner Frey's world tour takes us to South America
71 REGIONAL PROFILE: FRANCE
From the Alps to the Côte d'Azur, France has a little bit of everything
74 SKETCHING FROM THE SADDLE
British artist Mike Westley has used his H-D motorcycle for artistic inspiration
78 SOCIAL MEDIA MASTERCLASS
Is your H.O.G. chapter doing as much as it could to communicate with members? Learn some handy tips here...
REGULARS
36 RALLY MAP
Looking ahead to 2018's rallies
52 GEAR
The latest Parts & Accessories and MotorClothes®
82 ARCHIVES
The story of Charles H. Lang, the first official Harley-Davidson dealer
84 YOUR H.O.G.® TEAM
We meet another member of the H.O.G. Customer Care Centre team, and meet your international H.O.G. representatives
88 DEALERS AND CHAPTERS
Listings including contact details for all Harley-Davidson dealerships and H.O.G. chapters in the UK & Ireland
90 EXHAUST
Simone Mercanti, Italy's new H.O.G. Customer Experience Manager, reflects on his past and looks to the future
HOG® 5
NEWS ROUNDUP FROM THE WORLD OF H.O.G.® AND HARLEY-DAVIDSON®
VIDEOS ONLINE
As well as videos on hogeuropegallery.com, we've got a YouTube channel HOGEuropeOFFICIAL
ARE YOU FOLLOWING US?
Be the first to hear about what's going on! twitter.com/hogeurope
The new Harley-Davidson®
Sport GlideTM
Devour endless miles with some room for gear, or strip it down and carve the city streets: the all-new Sport GlideTM is locked and loaded for whatever, whenever.
The completely redesigned Softail® frame is the most advanced we've ever offered inverted front forks and a fully adjustable monoshock rear suspension let you dial
in the perfect combination of performance and comfort. Meanwhile, the rigid-mounted, counterbalanced Milwaukee-
Eight® 107 engine delivers piles of white-knuckle
power the way only a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle can. So strip it down, or load it up either way, the all-new Sport Glide is ready to take you on the ride of a lifetime.
UPDATE
The first resort
Already planning that all-important road trip for 2018? Hitting the road has now become even more attractive, thanks to a reward scheme offered only to H.O.G.® members by Best Western Hotels & Resorts.
Hit the open road and save 10 per cent or more at Best Western Hotels & Resorts around the world! With more than 4,000 hotels worldwide to pick from, including many along some of the most popular roadways and scenic routes,
you will be spoilt for choice. Best Western also offers you
a choice of more than 1,600 rider-friendly hotels worldwide. These provide bike washing stations, wipe-down towels and many more amenities to make your stay a comfortable one.
Start planning your next trip and save 10 per cent or more with the special Harley-Davidson rate offered exclusively by Best Western for H.O.G. members.
Visit https://tinyurl.com/ HOGBestWestern for more information.
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FACEBOOK
Check out our Fan page facebook.com/HOGEMEA
H.O.G.® APP
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Update
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Competition winner
In the 3/2017 issue of HOG® magazine, we launched a giveaway to offer one lucky H.O.G. member the opportunity to win an exclusive Jeep® canvas bag. The correct answers were as follows: 1. 1941 and 1902; 2. 2014; 3. J.O.G. and H.O.G.; 4. Compass.
We received many entries from H.O.G. members all across the EMEA region, and all those who answered all the questions correctly were entered into the draw.
We are delighted to announce that the lucky winner is Michael Smit from the Netherlands many congratulations, Michael!
Been there, done it... got the T-shirt?
Although the major Harley-Davidson and H.O.G. events are done and dusted for another year, it's not too late to pick up those all-important pieces of merchandise from events you attended or even those you didn't attend, if you can't bear the fear of missing out!
As we mentioned in these pages in the previous issue, there's a brand-new portal online for all the latest H.O.G. event merchandise. Head to harley-davidsonmerch.eu to purchase items from this year's main events H-D® Euro Festival, the European H.O.G. Rally and European Bike Week® but be quick, as there is limited stock remaining at the time of going to press.
In addition, when next season rolls around, you'll be able to pre-order Rally Packs to collect on site when you arrive at the main events including the Harley-Davidson 115th Anniversary celebrations in Prague. Check back regularly, as the announcements for next season's rallies are imminent!
CHAPTER CATCH-UP
Reims Champagne Chapter, France
The Reims Champagne Chapter France was created in 1995 when their local H-D dealership opened in Reims. With about 90 members, the chapter offers local, national and international rides.
In terms of location they've struck gold magnificently situated in the heart of the Champagne area, they are surrounded by the world-famous champagne vineyards.
In their early years, the chapter members created a famous run through the champagne vineyards called `Rallye de Champagne'. This run offered the opportunity to many Harley fans and chapter members from across France and Europe to visit these beautiful sites and to take part in the grape harvest.
After many years of Rallye de Champagne, its name changed to `Raid Bulles', which is held at the end of August or early in September. The chapter's director, Patrick Dumont, and all the members of the Reims Champagne Chapter are always on the lookout for new attendees, so if this sounds like the ideal way to round off your or your chapter's summer, get in contact!
The chapter also had the opportunity to represent France and enhance its reputation for perfumery when, shortly after their foundation in 1995, they were an active participant in the launch of the Harley-Davidson fragrance in France.
Twinned with the UK's Surrey Chapter since 2000, they have been reuniting with their friends across the channel for many years. This is a chapter that loves making new friends and H.O.G. chapter neighbours, and they would love to see you out there to open a bottle of fizz. And if you don't manage to get to one of their local tours soon, you'll certainly see them out in force at H.O.G. rallies across Europe!
SEND US YOUR CHAPTER UPDATES Are you a new chapter, or have you recently celebrated a milestone event or anniversary? Tell us all about it in no more than 200 words and we'll publish it here. Don't forget to send a photo!
hogmagazine.emea@harley-davidson.com
HOG® 7
NEWS ROUND-UP FROM THE WORLD OF H.O.G.® AND HARLEY-DAVIDSON®
VIDEOS ONLINE
As well as videos on hogeuropegallery.com, we've also got a YouTube channel HOGEuropeOFFICIAL
ARE YOU FOLLOWING US?
Be the first to hear about what's going on! twitter.com/hogeurope
UPDATE
A TIME TO REMEMBER
In 2008, Martin Dickinson, Director of Nene Valley Chapter, proposed an idea that today sees H.O.G. chapters and members from far and wide get on their bikes early in October, join other riders regardless of what make of their motorcycle and congregate for a service of remembrance at the National Arboretum in Lichfield, Staffordshire.
The site is one of the registered charities that come under the authority of the Royal British Legion and here, servicemen and women fallen in military conflict or terrorism since the Second World War are honoured. An annual event, Ride To The Wall (RTTW) now attracts many thousands and raises hundreds of thousands of pounds to support the efforts of the Arboretum. H.O.G. chapters and members from
the UK and Ireland that participated this year we salute you!
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Celebration
times!
This year's Thunder in the Glens rally in August had an extra element to it, as two H.O.G. chapter members ended up tying the knot, creating one rather large wedding party! After buying Harley-Davidson® motorcycles in 2010 Shelley Denton and Paul Osborn not only fell in love with their new bikes but also with each other.
Both have been riding bikes for a number of years Paul from 1996 and Shelley from 1998 but didn't meet until a ride-out at Cheltenham HarleyDavidson® in 2011. Shelley and Paul became Mr and Mrs at a ceremony at the Morlich Hotel chapel among friends on the Thursday of the rally. Stewart Wilcox, Assistant Director of the Dunedin Chapter, gave away Shelley, while fellow Dunedin Chapter members formed the bridal party, namely Fiona Gilbert as maid of honour, Dougie Calder as best man, and Mike and Hilary Joyce as witnesses.
While they originally planned a quiet wedding, it turned into a slightly larger celebration after all!
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Made for memories
Almost two years in the planning, the ride of a lifetime began on August 1 for eight members of the Plymouth Chapter when they flew to Calgary, Canada to begin the ride to Sturgis in the USA. Routes, hotels and bikes had all been meticulously chosen.
On arrival in Calgary the group was met by the Whitehats, made honorary `Calgarians' and presented with white cowboy hats a great start to the trip. After picking up their rides from Calgary H-D® two Ultra Limiteds, a Heritage Softail® and a Road Glide®, complete with support car for luggage it was off to Lake Louise with an overnight in Banff. Wildfires in British Columbia and Alberta had made the air thick with smoke, and the intended route
over the Rockies had been closed the previous day due to limited visibility. Fortunately the fires subsided and the group was able to ride over the mountains. Then it was south to Waterton Lakes and a stay in the iconic Prince of Wales Hotel, before crossing into the US. Kalispell via Glacier National Park and the `road to the sun' was next on the route, delivering awesome scenery.
The next few days took the group through Helena, the state capital of Montana, and then on to Yellowstone National Park where they encountered the only rain of the trip. A visit to Old Faithful was rewarded with the geyser erupting pretty much on schedule. The group toured around the park for the rest of the morning, and then
the sun arrived just in time for the ride on to Beartooth Pass via a `bison jam', where a very large bison was feeding by the roadside. Then it was on to some nice challenging twisties where the altimeter went above two miles.
The next morning the group headed to Sturgis via Devil's Tower, of Close Encounters fame, and the volume of bikes on the road increased dramatically. Then it was on to Deadwood, a town rammed full of motorcycles and history, where the group stayed for four nights. Before heading back to Calgary, they headed for a ride to Mount Rushmore and the Needles Highway, a beautiful day's riding finished off with a late lunch in a 1950s diner. A fine finish to a fantastic trip!
BROTHERS IN ARMS
Following the unfortunate assault on 13-year-old Owen Waight by a group of thugs, which left him in hospital, Birmingham Chapter stepped in to show support after being approached by mum Lynsey.
Head Road Captain Harry Harrison subsequently organised for Owen to be picked up at his house in Nuneaton, Warwickshire and be taken to breakfast. Harry says: "After I'd fixed a date with Lynsey we did a recce of the area beforehand to find a suitable café with parking. The day turned out to be perfect,
bright and dry and we had 42 bikes at the start point: a fantastic show of support."
Parking 42 Harleys in Owen's cul-de-sac caused a little panic with some neighbours; it's not your everyday occurrence, and the police were called out. However, the situation was soon explained and everything was back on track.
"I asked for a police escort," explains Harry, "but the request was declined. We did, however, make the local press and featured in the Coventry Herald."
Owen wore a borrowed helmet and
Harley-Davidson jacket and was given the choice of which bike to ride on. He chose Dave Haydon's blue Street Glide®, which was riding sweep, allowing a fine view of the bikes ahead as they rode through the town and out into the country.
"When we arrived at Café 1804 the manager Heidi made everyone welcome, and Owen had a `full English' on us. On his return home, one of our guys asked Owen how many brothers he had. "Four," Owen said. The reply? "No you don't. Look around you!"
HOG® 9
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Intake
SEND US YOUR
STORIES
This is your place to help fellow H.O.G.® members by sharing knowledge you've acquired on the road. · When submitting a letter, include your name, address, H.O.G. number and chapter affiliation (if any). · Keep your submission brief but include enough information to make it interesting. We reserve the right to edit submissions
for length and content, but the better your letter begins, the better chance it will find its way into print. · Submissions can be in any language.
You can also email submissions to: hogmagazine.emea@harley-davidson.com
INTAKE
WINNER! cwhIaohfSnuyyccroneomSuotoctwylfaossawtentnetnidtrndyCtniosHuinGsb.tgOhreaeon.Gilenvwe.xetw®ittnefpitntrrihrom?eizmraeeo,.f
REACH FOR THE SKYE
Our annual camping trip in early May was blessed with some of the best weather of the year so far. We started by heading out from the grand opening of the shiny new West Coast HarleyDavidson® shop in Hillington, Glasgow who were our sponsoring dealers for the trip. We had eight bikes with nine members, full loaded and ready to ride.
What lay ahead was a two-day ride with one overnight in a tent at the halfway point. Well, a tent for some: apparently camping on the annual camping trip was not for everyone, as only six people actually camped, with two in the hotel next door and one in a hotel some 24 miles away. I know that the snoring had caused some sleep deprivation for Allan Fowler on a
previous camping trip, but booking a hotel 24 miles from the campsite seemed a bit excessive.
The ride set off on our usual route by heading west, across the Erskine Bridge and up north on the A82 Loch Lomond side to our first stop, The Green Welly. The A82 has some stunning scenery and it's easy for the members of Clyde Valley Chapter to take it a bit for granted as we use this road a lot to access the north and west Scottish Highlands. It was then on to Glen Coe, familiar to film buffs as it has been used as a backdrop in many movies, most recently James Bond's Skyfall. The journey continued on the A82 up Loch Linnhe and on to a lunch stop in Fort William at the foot of the UK's largest mountain, Ben Nevis.
By that point the sun was full in the sky and the mercury was rising. The clouds were few and far between, which meant the scenery was stunning and the riding pleasant. Good roads, light traffic and no rain what more could you want?
We climbed through Glen Garry and west through the Kintail mountains to our next pit stop at the Shiel Bridge shop, nestling at the foot of the Five Sisters of Kintail. Then it was over the bridge to Skye. The location of our campsite was stunning: on the edge of Loch Sligachan to one side and the end of the Cuillin Ridge to the other.
We had booked a table for dinner in the hotel once all of our tents were up even Andrew Russel's mansion of a tent, which required assistance from
12 HOG®
Intake
most of the campers to get it standing and pegged out in the fresh breeze. Meanwhile, he was off doing his bit for Scottish-German relations, chatting to his new neighbours.
The helpful staff at the hotel brought out more tables to accommodate our chapter, just as a Ceilidh started up. The band Ceilidh Mafia, who had also travelled up from the Scottish central belt to perform for just one night, kept the locals and the tourists entertained and dealt with the heckling from the crowd with professional ease.
The next day, on our return trip, we stopped off for the obligatory photo opportunity at Eilean Donan Castle the most photographed castle in the world plus some sites that had been locations in Hollywood movies.
The road crew Chris Kelly, Paul Stark and myself having delivered everyone safely back to The Green Welly, headed for home with everyone else. Over 400 miles later, we are already planning next year's trip.
Scott C Grove Clyde Valley Chapter, Scotland
HERE'S TO THE LIBERATOR
On May 5, 1945 the Netherlands was liberated an event that has been celebrated ever since. I read in the paper that, after 30 years of investigative work, an aircraft had been found that had landed on May 5, 1945 in the Stadionkade in Amsterdam in order to take a resistance fighter to The Hague. This aircraft, an Auster AOP Mk3, was apparently going to be put on public display in the
Museumplein, suspended from a crane behind the Rijksmuseum, on May 5, 2017. I have been riding a 1945 H-D®, known as a Liberator, since the 1960s. We managed to get the two historical objects pictured together outside the museum. You can see from my face how proud I am to be immortalised together with my H-D Liberator like this.
Whenever I park it at the side of the road, people immediately stop to talk to me about it. I have had my bike ever since 1963, it has been restored three times and it is my proudest possession.
Chris Rauch, Holland
EASY AS 1-2-3
Our 2017 Geordie Chapter ABCs of Touring ride was another triumph for sunny weather, happy riders and our amazing road crew. We met at Albemarle Barracks, home to the British Army, and then zoomed off for a charity fundraiser.
We had a brief stop for lunch, before heading east via Denwick to Boulmer, home to the Royal Air Force. It was a breezy stop, so once we'd had our picture taken, we strapped ourselves in again, and rode off south towards Ashington and Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
We split up and regrouped a couple of times, so we could make the final push along the quayside in a single group. The traffic lights thwarted us slightly but our road-crew `men in orange' did a great job in keeping us all together and in the right direction. Finally we landed at HMS Calliope, home to the Royal Naval Reserve.
We had a stupendous day, with about 100 riders and pillions, 80 bikes and trikes and a sea of smiley faces! We managed to raise more than £750 for our armed forces. Well done to everyone!
Rob Oates Geordie Chapter, England
QUARTER-CENTURY CELEBRATIONS
As the second-oldest chapter in Switzerland, and one of the oldest in Europe, the Winevalley Chapter from
HOG® 13
Intake
INTAKE
Weinfelden invited people to a big celebration. Some 120 bikers accepted the invitation and got to know the loveliest aspects of this canton in eastern Switzerland. A surprise visit to the Autobau factory gave people an insight into our fascination with vintage motors and we also enjoyed some delicious refreshments, brought by a generous member.
After a visit to the sponsoring dealer, Gerold Vogel AG, it was time for a cold drink and a BBQ. The party started with a band and great rock music. Old stories were warmed up and revisited: the shared experiences at H.O.G.® rallies, duties at biker weddings and memorable all-night parties. The founding director and chapter members were honoured, and gifts were exchanged with the befriended chapters of Sunhill, Moonstone and Rabbit Hill. In between these events, there was a weekend at the Alpbach hotel, where a voucher for Americanstyle biker clothing was auctioned. The respectable proceeds, amounting to 1,000 Swiss Francs, were donated to Wohnheim Sonnenrain a residential care home for adults with brain damage. These tireless party animals met up on Sunday and rounded off this anniversary weekend with a scenic road trip and a goodnatured and enjoyable lunch.
Ride Harley Have Fun!
Anita Haug, Switzerland
charm and is a city to be explored. We enjoyed the visit to the various archaeological sites, starting from the Acropolis and the Plaka and Monastiraki districts with their shops and bazaars. Then we visited Piazza Syntagma to watch the changing of the guard, the Panathinaiko Stadium and Gazi the Greek fashion and nightlife district. During the evening we hosted the official dinner of Legnano Chapter. We were welcomed on a terrace opposite the Acropolis with a view of the Parthenon, where we dined for the evening. It was a magical venue for an enchanting evening in the ancient city.
In keeping with all of our European journeys, we contacted the local chapter the Athens Chapter. This is always done as a sign of friendship and, at their local dealership, gifts and patches were exchanged between the directors of the two chapters. A bond was instantly established between Italian and Greek members. Then, guided by the Road Captain of the Athens Chapter, we set off together for the Run of Cape Sounio, where the Temple of Poseidon stands. Cape Sounio is located to the south of Athens, projecting seawards to the Cyclades. The road to Cape Sounio is magnificent as it winds its way along the coast. After visiting the Temple of Poseidon, we returned to the city for a friendship dinner with their chapter.
Great friendships are established on such occasions, encouraged by the universal language of bikers.
On our return, our route gave us a tour of the Peloponnese peninsula. Stops included Corinth to see the canal, Epidaurus for the theatre, Mycenae with the palace of Agamemnon and the Cyclopean Walls and, finally, Ancient Olympia where the Olympics were conceived. The Peloponnese peninsula presents a genuine Mediterranean Maquis shrubland, dense with olive trees. There are oleanders dotted with pink flowers by the roadside, creating a charming warmth, with the sea sparkling in all directions. It is truly wonderful to ride a Harley-Davidson in such places. However, the roughly repaired old roads strewn with holes demanded considerable attention, besides the unfortunate stray dog making its way along the edge of the road.
On our last day, we sailed to Ancona. The adventure had drawn to a close, and we felt melancholic. We anxiously thought of Sunday evening traffic on the motorway up to Milan, and work awaiting us on Monday morning. We had reached the end of a dream a vivid and brilliant Harley-Davidson dream.
Danilo Diotallevi Legnano Chapter, Italy
THE LEGNANO LEG TO GREECE
After last year's tour of Holland, this year the Legnano Chapter's choice fell on Greece. On the 450km journey from Legnano to Ancona, everyone's mood was lifted to say the least, and enthusiasm surpassed previous journeys. After finally reaching the port, we set sail and carefully arranged the bikes in the ship's garage with a keen eye on the floor, which, covered with oil and petrol, was quite a snare.
For the next 23 hours, we enjoyed a mini cruise on the Mediterranean. The sea was a flat mirror that sparkled in the sunlight. Once we docked, the journey from Patra to Athens awaited us with about 215km on the motorway, which meant we finally reached Athens in the evening.
Athens is pervaded by a special
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INTAKEGALLERY
Giuseppe Giacalone took some time out to explore central Italy on his new Iron 883TM, which he has named Àrtemis
More photos online! If your photo isn't published here, we may have included it in the digital version of HOG® magazine or in the Intake Gallery at hogeuropegallery.com! You can send us your photos through the site too; click on `Submit your photo'. When sending in your pictures, please make sure they are taken with your camera's quality mode set reasonably high so they are good enough for print. And don't forget to send captions!
DON'T FORGET WE ONLY PRINT A SMALL SELECTION IN HOG MAGAZINE, BUT WE INCLUDE LOTS MORE IN THE DIGITAL EDITION OF HOG MAGAZINE (MAKE SURE WE HAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS SO YOU GET THE LINK IN THE MONTHLY HOG INSIDER E-MAGAZINE). WE ALSO UPLOAD LOTS MORE TO THE INTAKE GALLERY ON HOGEUROPEGALLERY.COM EVERY WEEK. KEEP CHECKING TO SEE YOUR PHOTOS ONLINE!
There are lots of ways to share your Harley® photos with us:
· Visit hogeuropegallery.com and click on `upload my photo'
· Download the H.O.G.® App and send us your photos on the move check out the App Snaps gallery at hogeuropegallery.com/app-photos
· Upload your photos to the instagram.com HOGEMEA account
· Email us at hogmagazine.emea@harley-davidson.com
EVERY PICTURE PUBLISHED IN THE PRINTED EDITION OF INTAKE GALLERY WINS ITS PHOTOGRAPHER A H.O.G.® STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER'S PIN, SO REMEMBER TO SEND YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS TOO!
Intake gallery
Ulrich Berndt celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Alemannen Chapter Germany with a stunning photo of its 94-year-old member, Charlotte Berndt. Can the joy of H-D® last the test of time? The smile says it all
Vicki Green on her first ever Harley®, a customised XR1200 Sportster® called Rex
Thomas Dufner with his wife, sweeping through
the Col du Galibier mountain pass in France
Frank Küsters with his best buddy Joe on a Rocky
Mountains tour of the USA
Patrizia Marangoni used to be a photographer for a H.O.G.® chapter, and it shows as everyone in this photo is working for the camera... fabulous!
A fancy drone shot of Geert Dekyvere and his friends in Fintele, West Flanders, Belgium
HOG® 17
INTAKE GALLERY
Intake gallery
A hazy summer shot by Denis Deconninck, representing the Mons Chapter Hainaut Belgium
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Intake gallery
HOG® 19
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Another chapter
2017 does not know the meaning of slow, says Lorraine Seedhouse
In the last edition I wrote about how excited I was to be attending Wake the Lakes in Kendal, having only ever heard how spectacular the ride-outs, and particularly the parade ride-out, were. However, when Friday dawned, heavy clouds dampened my excitement somewhat. Things began to perk up when I joined the LOH ride-out, led by Road Captain Barbara Wyatt. I was made to feel very welcome. With pink ribbons attached to the back of our bikes we headed off through some of the most stunning and dramatic scenery you could ever imagine.
My Iron Hog Challenge in August was next, accompanied by my husband Malcolm and two other chapter members from Lakeside. The challenge is to visit four mandatory dealerships, Edinburgh, Maidstone, Plymouth and Swansea, plus any others you wish to include. The base time is 48 hours, with an additional 30
minutes for each dealership you visit. We planned to visit 24 dealerships, giving us a time limit of 60 hours. I thoroughly recommend the challenge. The key is really in the planning and preparation. We also used the hashtag #HOGukandireland on our Facebook posts to keep followers informed of our travels and adventures.
August also saw the renewing of my first aid qualification FPOS (First Person On Scene). This is important as my FBOS (First Bike On Scene) was due to expire,
so I needed to update my qualification. This needs renewing every three years and, although we like to think we will never need to use it, it really is something worth considering in the future.
In September all went well with the Twinkle Tour my spin-off from the Sparkle Tour idea and you can read more about it in that section here in HOG® magazine.
From the rear saddle, The Dudette
ON THE UP
The Ladies of Harley Sparkle Tour Weekend has grown from the original single tour to four in just 12 months, taking in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales! And by planning the Twinkle Tour for female pillions during the same weekend, a total of 58 ladies from 16 chapters took part in three Sparkle Tours (South, North and Northern Ireland) and one Twinkle Tour, and between
them, 12 dealerships were visited. Interest in the Sparkle Tour Weekend for 2018 is already growing, with female Road Captains looking to create their own tours. The official dates are Friday to Sunday, September 14-16, so watch this space.
Following last year's inaugural tour, it was suggested that hotels with a spa would help compensate for a day in the saddle, subsequently producing
the South SPArkle Tour. Day 1 kicked off at Reading Harley-Davidson®, complete with an explosive send-off!
Amazing Welsh hospitality greeted the tour at Swansea Harley-Davidson® on Day 2, while the finale of our tour was the Classic Motor Hub in the Cotswolds; its fine motorcars a fitting backdrop to our line-up of 20 Harley-Davidson motorcycles. This was finished off with a surprise treat; a uniquely designed `Share the Spark' cake, created by Priscilla Peck from Thames Valley Chapter, decorated with spark plugs, each one decorated with the name of one of the riders on the Sparkle Tour.
After the success of last year's first LOH gathering at Thunder in the Glens, this year again saw Edinburgh H-D
Dealer Principal Kirk Hale sponsoring a `sparkling' welcome reception for nearly 100 ladies. At the Blazin' Blitz Rally, 100 ladies queued out the door for the LOH meet and greet, hosted by New Forest Branch's LOH Officer Fiona Gilbert. This was also supported by Southampton HarleyDavidson, with a display of three models of Harley-Davidson motorcycles for ladies to try out for size while enjoying an early opportunity for some retail therapy. Definitely an outstanding LOH event to round off yet another memorable UK rally season.
Share the Spark,
Elaine Shepherd National Chapter LOH Officer, UK & Ireland
HOG® 21
XLaxdxxiexsxxoxf xHxaxrxley®
It's Never
TOO LATE
What started as a curiosity has turned into a full-blown passion for Jean Lindsay
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"I remember one morning my husband Dennis woke up and said out of the blue: "Let's go to that Harley place in Chesterfield, I might buy one. If I don't do it now, I never will." That was back in June 2012. So, on a whim, Jean accompanied her husband down to the dealership. "As we walked in, there was a blue 1200 Custom Sportster® staring back at us. To cut a long story short, we purchased it on the spot," says Jean.
It took some time for Dennis to become acquainted with the bike, however it wasn't long before Jean joined him for her first ever pillion ride. "I wasn't the ideal passenger as I didn't understand the need to sit still and go with the flow into corners, so I sneaked off for a few lessons at the local motorcycle training establishment," recalls Jean.
To help matters, Jean's son-in-law heard about her exploits and acquired her a Yamaha YBR125 to practise on. "Despite my initial concerns I began to feel confident, and by December I had stepped up to a 650cc bike and passed my direct access test. However, there was only one reason that I had learned to ride and that was to get my own H-D®," says Jean. Enter a brandnew shiny 883 SuperLow® in March 2013. "This was a huge step up from the Yamaha 125 for me. Nevertheless, I persevered and over time mastered the art of handling a Harley-Davidson. I was so proud of myself."
During a trip to the States in April 2014, Jean had been able to try out a 2008 Softail® Deluxe. Once back in the UK, she decided to upgrade and bought a brandnew Softail Deluxe in July that year, which she still owns today. Jean says: "I had plenty of encouragement within the H.O.G. chapter and dealership, but there can be some resistance to women riders, in particular new riders, so I had a point to prove. During the last few years, I have scared myself to death and been euphoric in equal measure." Jean has now travelled Europe twice, covering a total of 4,500 miles, as well as Florida, crossing the famous seven-mile bridge to Key West.
Intermingled with all of this have been numerous chapter and national events, as well as her first rally at Thunder in the Glens in 2014, accompanied by her Deluxe. "I keep a diary to recall dates, places, feelings and memories."
Jean became an LOH for the Peak Riders in November 2014. "On the first trip to Europe in 2015, we covered 3,000 miles in nine days. Travelling through France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, in no particular order, we often switched countries several times in a single day. My greatest
challenge probably came during this trip. I hadn't ridden for long at this point, so all the winding twisty roads, plus hours in the saddle, really did push me to the limit not to mention one full day of torrential rain," says Jean.
Despite this, Jean can now boast that she's completed the Grossglockner Pass in icy and snowy conditions and nearly completed the Stelvio Pass, but for a smoky, very hot and slippy clutch. At turn 24 her husband was taking no further risks and turned back down the pass. Jean says: "We had been on the road from Innsbruck since 9.15am. At 2.30pm, and with Milan our destination for that day, we had to circumnavigate the mountains and take the long way around, nursing the bike all the way. Eventually we made it to the cobbled streets of Milan in the dark and our hotel at 8.45pm. We have never been so pleased to see familiar faces waiting for us."
The next morning at 9.15am, Jean and her husband set off with others as a group of eight. Only three bikes made it up and over the Stelvio Pass.
I am a determined person who, no matter what the
obstacles are, aims to overcome them
"Then it was on to Nice, followed by two 500-mile motorway days from Nice through France back to Calais, topping off a sensational trip that fast-tracked all my riding skills, including filtering at 30mph through the Paris Peripherique. I had such an adrenaline rush after that experience," says Jean.
The second European trip was more sedate: a plod through northern France, their first solo European ride.
Jean says: "Between the two European trips I joined the local IAM to enhance my riding skills. I've always felt I was on catchup, having started riding at the age of 60. The training and studying of IAM has brought so much more to my riding abilities. I've been very fortunate to have a good friend from the European trip to mentor me on that particular journey." After a break over the winter Jean returned to IAM in February 2017 and applied to take the test.
"I can't tell you how proud I am that I passed four weeks later with a faultless First. I can't recommend highly enough the value of taking a course in advanced riding skills. Next stop was the Road Captains course in Oxford," says Jean.
Her chapter, Peak Riders, has seen seven new Road Captains attending the course this year and all are new Officers as well, so things are moving forward for the chapter. In respect of the Road Captains course, Jean says the group all found it very interesting, challenging and at times a little stressful, but all agreed how good it was and how much more there is to being a Road Captain than originally anticipated.
Jean found the whole course uplifting, well-executed and well-presented, so it was very easy to comprehend and remember. "Huge thanks to Marjorie Rae and her great team of instructors/presenters who made the course so enjoyable. If anyone ever gets offered the opportunity to train to be a Road Captain, you will not be disappointed. An extremely inspiring two days," says Jean, adding: "I am a determined person who, no matter what the obstacles are, aims to overcome them to achieve the challenges I set myself. It is never too late in life to learn. I aim to be a great Road Captain and I am sure with practice I will meet the challenges of this role."
Jean concludes: "If anyone could have predicted my future, I would never have believed that one day I would ride and be so passionate about Harley-Davidson, never mind all the wonderful places that I have visited, making friends throughout the journey. My life has been so enriched by learning to ride and, like all other riders, I cannot wait to get back out on the bike for the next adventure or place to visit."
HOG® 23
EAN BIKE WEEK® SPECIAL:
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY,
The biggest bike festival in Europe has just had its 20th anniversary... and what a celebration it was!
FAAKER SEE!
Twenty years ago, when Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg wasn't even in high school, when an IBM computer had just beaten a chess grand master for the first time the famous Garry Kasparov and when the film Titanic was breaking box office records, the Motor Company put on a European celebration for its 95th Anniversary. The beautiful shores of Lake Faak in Carinthia, southern Austria, were chosen as the venue and around 20,000 people turned up to party, with Bon Jovi playing the main stage and Willie G. Davidson on hand to pass on the Motor Company's thanks to its European devotees.
Fast forward 20 years and what has become European Bike Week® has grown into the biggest motorcycle celebration in Europe, a free and open event but one still dominated by the throb of Milwaukee V-Twins echoing across the lake and reflecting off the surrounding mountains.
Just getting there is half the fun, following twisting Alpine roads on the approach from any direction with some truly spectacular riding and scenery on offer, especially if you take a few detours along the way. On site, the Harley® Village encompassed more than 40,000 square metres with 22 Harley-Davidson® dealers from five countries present, along with more than 130 independent retailers and food stalls, and the event was busy all the way from Tuesday to Saturday.
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Photos: Paul Bayfield
European Bike Week®
The week before saw some torrential rain, but the thunderclouds had cleared to make way for the thunder of bike engines instead and, apart from a few showers and some early-morning mist that added to the atmosphere for mountain rides, the sun shone especially for the parade on Saturday.
European Bike Week 2017 was the first time that Harley-Davidson fans outside the USA got to see the all-new 2018 range of Softail® motorcycles. The Expo Zone was packed for all five days with both customers and press, while many of the bikes in the 2018 range were also available for customers to try out on the road at the Demo Rides area. The sharp looks of the radically redesigned Fat Bob® in particular drew attention, but the queues to ride all of the new bikes or even just sit on them for a photo as well as the large range of existing models is testament to the strength of the brand in Europe.
As usual the evening entertainment rocked hard, with more than 25 bands keeping the open-air main stage and
two party marquees rocking. Bands included Black Stone Cherry, Danko Jones and The Picturebooks. Friday night also saw a trip down memory lane as Harley-Davidson took a look back at 20 years at Faaker See with interviews, an official video, a video featuring fans' memories and a surprise bike presentation (see box on page 21).
A Harley festival wouldn't be complete without a Custom Bike Show and a Parade, and on Friday, the Custom Bike Show featured some of the most beautiful builds from Europe and beyond with more than 70 entries. The title `Best in Show' was awarded to Nedal Amin from Kuwait, who received a trophy worth more than 4,000 designed by 2Saints Paris. On Saturday the Parade saw at least 10,000 bikes take more than half an hour to filter past the start line for a tour around the surrounding Carinthian mountains and lakes and through the town of Villach.
Further entertainment was provided by Flat Track Racing (see box on page 20) and the Red Bull Flying Bulls who made an appearance at this year's European H.O.G.® Rally in Lugano with biplanes and wing walkers, but returned to European Bike Week with a jet fighter piloted by Stefan Doblhammer.
Official sponsor Jeep® had a big presence throughout the event and were inundated with visitors trying their Off Road Experience and test driving the latest models. The Jeep lounge was also showcasing the all-new Jeep Compass and just in case visitors felt their beards were getting a
HOG® 25
European Bike Week®
from the Motor Company to its fans. European Bike Week® 2017 finished
off the major event season for 2017 but its scale is just a hint of things to come as we head towards two major anniversaries in 2018: the 35th anniversary of the creation of the Harley Owners Group® and the 115th anniversary of Harley-Davidson itself both of which will be celebrated in Prague on July 5-8, 2018. And we're sure European Bike Week 2018 will be just as big a party too see you there next year!
little too shaggy, or a cure was needed for helmet hair after the long ride, a free barber service was also on hand, courtesy of Jeep.
It was a spectacular anniversary and the numbers prove it. More than 125,000 bikers and friends attended over the five days, with more than 70,000 motorcycles. And HarleyDavidson® had one final surprise for the last night a spectacular highaltitude fireworks display, which lit up the night sky above the lake a gift
FLAT TRACK RACING made its European Bike Week debut this year, in a custom-built oval right opposite the Demo Rides. And what a debut! The track was created a week before the event itself and was looked after like a Premier League football pitch, with the surface protected from rain and drained to keep the dirt pristine. Or at least as pristine as dirt gets! Riders got custom Street Rod® 750s specially prepared for the event with modified handlebars, seats, fuel tanks, exhausts, brakes, wheels and tyres. Four-time Italian Flat Track champion Marco Belli was on hand to provide training for riders, and there was a real mix of abilities.
One of the highlights of the week was the competition between journalists from around the world where third place was claimed by Daigoro Suzuki, a freelance journalist from Japan, second place went to Spain's Ferran Mas of Solo Moto magazine, and top spot on the rostrum was won by Italian Elia Sammartin from Rider's Magazine. Ferran Mas had the added bonus of winning the Street Rod® he was riding, thanks to riding the fastest single lap recorded in the competition.
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THE WORLD IS FLAT!
WILLIE G. DAVIDSON JOINED fans at Faaker See 20 years ago to celebrate Harley-Davidson's 95th birthday, and his daughter Karen, Creative Director at Harley-Davidson General Merchandise, made it over for the 20th anniversary. Karen combined a trip to every biker's favourite lake with a stopover at Prague Harley Days the weekend before, to check out next year's venue for the 115th Anniversary.
It was a great opportunity for her and a group of riders to test out the new Softail® range on the amazing roads around Faaker See, setting out on the Wednesday morning towards Velden am Worthersee and stopping off at local dealer Motodrom along the way. Karen also made one H.O.G. member's year by signing his leather jacket opposite Willie G.'s signature, which he got 20 years ago in Faak. Joachim Lesser submitted his story about getting the jacket signed in 1997 to the European Bike Week Stories programme (see page 22) and Karen was delighted to take the opportunity to update his autograph collection when she met him at the Flat Track arena.
European Bike Week®
KAREN DAVIDSON
ANNIVERSARY BIKE GIVEAWAYS!
TWO UNIQUE CUSTOMISED Sportster® Forty-Eight® motorcycles were suspended above the main stage at European Bike Week 2017. Both had the 20th Anniversary logo emblazoned on glittering metal flake-painted petrol tanks. One was for the winner of the wristband draw, which saw more than 6,000 wristbands handed out from official merchandise stands, the H.O.G. Zone and Expo Zone. The winner, who rode away with the Forty-Eight with the blue tank, was Peter Van De Luijster from Belgium.
The other bike remained a mystery until the Friday night, when it was given away as a surprise gift to a Harley rider who had attended all 20 European Bike Week events. Ana `Mamana' Ivancic from Slovenia had submitted her story to the European Bike Week Stories programme and was just one of many riders who not only shared their tales, but who had also attended all 20 editions of the event. When she turned up with her family, though, she had no idea that she had been selected for the gift and told us: "I was surprised and honoured to be presented with the bike, which was completely unexpected! I was at the first event in 1998 and loved it so much I have been back every year since on my Harley-Davidson Fat Boy®. Here's to the next 20 years!"
HOG® 27
European Bike Week®
20TH EUROPEAN BIKE WEEK® SPECIAL:
EUROPEAN BIKE WEEK® STORIES
Hundreds of riders answered the call to send us their memories of the 95th Harley-Davidson® anniversary back in 1998 and of European Bike Week® over the years. Here is just a small selection...
In the lead-up to this year's 20th anniversary event in Faaker See we put out a call to H.O.G.® members and riders around Europe via this magazine, and also on email and social media, to share their experiences of the event over the years via pictures and images. We received hundreds of replies with photos and stories and even a few videos! They ranged from tales of the very first event in 1998, which a large number of respondents had actually attended, to riders who had only recently started going or whose family members and friends were now getting involved too.
As well as sharing 20 of these stories in the countdown to European Bike Week® on social media, there was a presentation and celebration on the main stage on Friday September 8 that included a video featuring many of these memories and some rider interviews. You can see this video by searching online for `European Bike Week memories' or visiting the European Bike Week area of the EMEA events website at events.harley-davidson.com.
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HOOKED ON HARLEY®
Ana `Mamana' Ivancic from Slovenia is a veteran of the 95th Anniversary at Faaker See, which she attended as a teenager, and she's been to every European Bike Week since. Ana started riding on a Dyna® Super Glide when she was young but then moved to a Fat Boy® in 1999, which she adores as though it's one of her own kids. Now a motorcycle instructor and art professor, she sent us a photo of the 1998 souvenir canvas bag she got from her first event, which is still being used for shopping today. Ana's husband Jan also rides a Heritage Softail® and they both returned to Faak this year with two of their children. HOG ® magazine also visited Ana and Jan for our memories video but the biggest surprise for them was on Friday on the main stage, where they received a gift of a customised Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight®, delivered after the event by Motodrom, in recognition of her dedication to the brand!
A DREAM COME TRUE
Pascal Michel was a teenager when the first European Bike Week® took place in 1998, but it caught his attention and Harley-Davidson® became such an obsession that at just 17 he had an eagle tattooed on his right arm, promising that one day he would buy one and have the Bar & Shield added with pride. It took some time to fulfil, but in 2013 Michel finally purchased a Softail Breakout®, joined the Franken Chapter and toured Europe. In 2017 he celebrated his second European Bike Week with his wife, who has joined his passion, learned to ride and bought a Sportster® SuperLow® 1200T...
20 YEARS AND COUNTING...
Roland Grundmann is another veteran of the Harley-Davidson 95th Anniversary at Faaker See and he has been to every European Bike Week event since. Faak is 860km from his home in Germany, but he has extended the journey with tours around Italy, Croatia and Slovenia as well as Austria, putting 160,000km on his 1994 Heritage Softail in the process! Both Roland and his wife Marion are lifelong Harley-Davidson fans, and have also travelled to Daytona. But for them, Faak is just so special the greatest event in Europe. HOG magazine visited Roland to find out more about his memories, and he is also one of the riders featured in our celebration video.
European Bike Week®
ELVIS RIDES AGAIN!
Eddy Verheule from the Netherlands first fell in love with Harley® festivals when he went with four friends to the European H.O.G. Rally in Biarritz in 1997. He was hooked and decided to try out the very first event at Faak in 1998. He's only missed four European Bike Weeks since then and he returned for the 20th anniversary this year. Eddy had so many great stories, photos and memorabilia... for instance, on the same day June 20, 1998 he watched Holland beat
South Korea 5-0 in the World Cup live on TV, AND saw Jon Bon Jovi live on stage at Faak. Oh, and every year he rides the parade dressed at Elvis Presley...
FAAK BY CAR...
Sandor Roth from Hungary went to his first European Bike Week in 2003 having purchased a Sportster® XL883C in 2002, after riding it to his first festival at Lake Balaton that same year. He was so blown away by Faak that he returned again in 2004. Unfortunately, he had to sell his beloved Sportster in 2005 but even without a motorcycle of his own he loves European Bike Week so much he has returned three times by car with friends for the party, including this year's event.
JACKET WINNER
As part of the Stories programme we did a prize draw for a genuine Harley-Davidson® leather jacket which anyone who sent us memories was entered into. The winner was Alain Bonamy from Normandy in France. Alain sent us memories of his 4,000-mile round trip to the first event in 1998. And he's been back four times since, even meeting Bill Davidson in 2016!
HOG® 29
A PARTY TO REMEMBER IN PRAGUE
An event you will never forget, in a city you will never forget: that's the theme of an epic three-
day party marking the 115th Anniversary of Harley-Davidson®
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The Czech Republic calls itself the `Land of Stories' and anyone who joins our party in Prague from July 5-8, 2018 will be heading home with great stories of their own to tell.
The main venue for the anniversary events will be the Prague Exhibition Grounds at Holesovice, where you'll find everything you'd expect from a Harley® event: the H.O.G.® Village,
Biker Games, adrenaline-pumping stunt shows, an extensive family zone and the Harley-Davidson® Expo featuring antique Harleys and H-D® artefacts, Custom Bike Show and the 2018 Harley-Davidson model range.
Prague's beauty, history and central location in Europe also mean it has much to offer anyone who visits the city. A record seven million visitors came here in 2016, drawn by great attractions and amenities, high-quality service and good value for money. It's accessible and motorcycle friendly... and it also has some of the best beer in the world!
TOURS AND PARADES
A highlight of the celebrations will take place on July 7, when Harley-Davidson bikers will parade through the centre of Prague. Exclusively for H-D riders, spaces in the Parade are extremely limited, so you need to purchase a Rally Pack for your chance to win a place in the line-up. Rally Packs are on sale
H-D® 115th Anniversary
TURN THE PAGE
FOR AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH JARDA VAVRINA, HEAD OF THE EVENT MANAGEMENT TEAM, ABOUT THE ORGANISATION OF THE EVENT
now, but will not be available on site. When you're visiting one of the
world's most famous cities and a country that has become a leading tourist destination, you will want to explore. The anniversary celebrations offer two guided tours the 60-minute High Life in the City, which includes the spectacular view from Prague Castle, and the Heart of Europe tour, lasting around 120 minutes, taking in winding roads, valleys and historic castles.
If you'd prefer to plan your own trip, you'll be able to pick up a map along with tips on where to go and biker-friendly destinations. Whether you're looking for great scenery and charming towns and villages or friendly bars and interesting places to eat, you'll find it in Prague and the Czech Republic.
The whole country will be joining in the Harley-Davidson party, with 10 locations in Prague and 10 exclusive attractions in Bohemia chosen to join the full-throttle celebrations.
A YEAR OF ANNIVERSARIES
Next year is a significant year for both Harley-Davidson and the Czech State, so Prague was the ideal location for our birthday celebrations.
Not only is 2018 the 115th anniversary of Harley-Davidson, but it is the 100th anniversary of the Czech State and the 90th anniversary of Prague's Harley-Davidson Club Praha, reputed to be the oldest Harley-Davidson club in the world. On top of all that, H.O.G. will also celebrate its 35th birthday next year!
FIND OUT MORE
Full details of the H-D 115th anniversary celebrations, including what's on and accommodation information,
are available at https://h-d.prague115.com
For ticket information and purchasing, visit https://eshop.h-d. prague115.com and remember, you will only be eligible to ride
in the Prague Parade if you purchase a Rally Pack.
HOG® 31
Prague hosts the h-d® european 115th Anniversary celebrations next year. HOG® magazine spoke to organiser Jarda Vavrina to find out what visitors can expect...
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR ROLE IN ORGANISING THE EVENT.
I am Jarda Vavrina, co-owner of Harley-Davidson® Prague and Harley-Davidson Pilsen, 49 years old, married with three children and I ride a 2018 CVOTM Street Glide®. I've spent 15 years of my professional life in marketing and now I am head of the local Event Management Team for the 115th H-D® Anniversary celebrations; the team consists of 20 people working full time and about 100 co-workers and contractors, with the number rising each month. Because we strongly believe that only Harley® riders know what other Harley riders want, and the best way to treat them, we are sure the best approach is to use local staff so we are using external staff and contractors as little as possible.
WHAT MAKES PRAGUE SUCH A GREAT LOCATION FOR THE 115TH ANNIVERSARY?
Prague is the place in Europe everyone wants to visit and everyone who has already visited wants to come back. That is the truth, not a cliché! Compared to many other European cities Prague is small, which makes her and yes, we are sure Prague is female intimate and welcoming. The city is full of history, culture and entertainment and many people don't realise Prague is historically the European home of Harley-Davidson. Almost 100 years ago, Prague had one of the biggest Harley-Davidson dealers in the world outside of the US, and 90 years ago the HarleyDavidson Club Prague was established officially the oldest Harley-Davidson club ever. Put simply, Prague is a Harley-friendly location, in the very centre of Europe, accessible a one-night stop away from almost any corner of the continent. And finally, let's not forget the famous beer, recognised as among the best in the world, and still costing only two or three euros!
WHAT FIRST INSPIRED YOU TO START PRAGUE HARLEY DAYS®, AND HOW SUCCESSFUL HAS THE EVENT BEEN IN THE PAST? Prague Harley Days® has a relatively short, but rich history. The precursor was the 110th Harley-Davidson
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Anniversary event held in Prague. Before going to the European event in Rome, we wanted to test the format of a Harley rally that would be different from the traditional local rallies held here since the 1990s. The aim was to combine all the elements that are fun for Harley riders with a programme that is attractive and welcoming to local residents and non-Harley riders as well. So Prague Harley Days included stunt shows, biker games, a parade, concerts and all the other traditional entertainments, as well as a massive display of historic HarleyDavidson motorcycles and a special child-friendly zone to make the event attractive to bikers, nonbiking visitors and families with children. And it worked perfectly! Every year we have developed the event further, welcoming more motorcyclists as well as more people who do not ride yet!
H-D® 115th Anniversary
HOW IS THE 115TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT GOING TO BE DIFFERENT FROM THE PRAGUE HARLEY DAYS THAT VISITORS MAY BE USED TO?
Every visitor has a different idea of what an ideal event would be like, especially in the Harley-Davidson world, which naturally attracts strong personalities! So we've decided on the concept of `islands', each with its own theme, and its own programme of music, catering and entertainment. There will be the Czechoslovak island dedicated primarily to the 90th birthday celebrations of the H-D Club Prague; the adrenaline-based Dark Custom Island; a Jeep/Touring park for adventurers and explorers and a H.O.G. & Jack Daniel's village. There will be lots of other surprises that we aren't unveiling yet we expect that a visitor will go through the site and experience a bit of everything, and will later settle on the `island' which sounds, feels or tastes most closely aligned with their personal character and what they are looking for.
AS SOMEONE WHO LIVES IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC, WHAT SPECIAL `HIDDEN GEMS' WOULD YOU RECOMMEND PEOPLE TO SEE/DO WHILE
THEY'RE IN TOWN AND IN THE REGION?
Whether you like history, nature, great food, beer, military history, sport or culture, we are absolutely sure Prague will have everything you are looking for. In the next few months, the website h-d.prague115.com will start offering ideas and hints in these categories and many more. Already the local H.O.G. chapter is doing reconnaissance for the very best road trips, so you can add them to your GPS. CzechTourism is already selecting the places you absolutely should not miss while you are riding through the Czech Republic to Prague, no matter which direction you are coming from. There will also be selected and very special places to stay overnight. Already the Central Bohemia region has assigned a remarkable amount in its yearly budget to carry out road maintenance and repairs especially for us, so that you can best enjoy the ride to all the places we want to show you. And Prague really is a legend all on its own. You will cherish every extra day you spend in our region, believe me!
And, as if all that wasn't enough, as part of the lead-up to the event Harley-Davidson will be offering 115 stories and 115 tips on the Czech Republic just check out the following web address: h-d.prague115.com/en/where/czech-republic/
WHAT WAS THE REACTION AMONG THE PEOPLE OF THE REGION WHEN THEY FOUND OUT PRAGUE WOULD BE HOSTING THE 115TH ANNIVERSARY?
Thrill and delight, of course! This was not a surprising reaction from the local Harley-Davidson community, but what was really amazing was the level of understanding and the will from absolutely everyone to be the best hosts we can be pretty much every door we have asked to be opened has been thrown open for us, by everyone from the state authorities to the most dedicated local Harley rider. We know that our brand's strength is connecting people, but it has been a revelation to see how everyone is pulling
together to make this event the best it can possibly be it makes us truly humble as well as proud. Everyone is focused on delivering, to the very best of their ability, an event that visitors will marvel at and will remember and talk about for years to come.
CAN YOU GIVE US AN IDEA OF THE SCALE OF THE CELEBRATIONS BASED ON THE PREVIOUS PRAGUE HARLEY DAYS EVENTS?
The event site is 420,000 square metres and there will be more than 40 live bands on five music stages, more than 250 motorcycles on display, a test fleet of more than 70 bikes and one Muay Thai European Championship boxing event, included in the price of the ticket! Of course with a one-off event like this it is hard to predict exactly how many visitors will come, but based on our previous experience we are expecting 100,000 visitors from all over the world on 60,000-plus Harley-Davidson motorcycles. We also anticipate in excess of 1,000 event staff, 10,000 metres of barrier banners and those aforementioned 115 tips and attractions!
DO YOU HAVE A MESSAGE FOR H.O.G. MEMBERS AND HARLEY RIDERS WHO MAY BE THINKING ABOUT COMING TO THE EVENT?
If you are thinking of coming to Prague next year, we have a simple message do not hesitate! We can promise you an experience you will never forget, in one of the greatest and most exciting cities of Europe. Come and be part of Harley-Davidson history! The Prague 115th Celebrations will be extraordinary, not just because of what we have planned but because of you, the incredible community that supports it. You cannot miss the opportunity to be part of this incredible event and we promise it will give you memories that will last a lifetime. Come and join us in Prague in July 2018!
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Nothing compares to the joy of riding your Harley-Davidson® with friends and family across hundreds of miles and when the final destination is Africa Bike WeekTM, the biggest free bike event on the African continent, you're talking about a truly lifechanging experience.
So, if you're considering heading to Africa Bike Week in 2018 (and even if you weren't before, it's an attractive prospect, right?) then do it in style and take the `Road to Africa Bike Week'. H.O.G.® Africa have teamed up with H-D Authorized Tours operator Crossroads Motortours (crossroadsmotortours.com) to maximise the experience by combining a touring ride through the stunning Western Cape with a visit to this storied event. The beautiful country of South Africa has a melting pot of
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Fancy a breathtaking 15-day touring ride through the heart of South Africa, including two full days at Africa's biggest free motorcycle event? Thought so...
cultures and history that will make this tour of the `Rainbow Nation' one you will never forget.
DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN CAPE TOWN At last you are on your way to South Africa. Your tour leaders are waiting for you at the airport and will accompany you to our first hotel. We will spend the night in Cape Town.
DAY 2: CAPE TOWN TO STELLENBOSCH (114 MILES) Today, we first explore the peninsula and head for the Cape of Good Hope. At this historic site we take a break to visit the lighthouse, where you can enjoy a good coffee and watch the amusing antics of the baboons.
We continue our ride to Muizenberg, where we have a special location for our lunch. After lunch we head for Strand and then turn inland towards Stellenbosch, which is the wine capital of South Africa. In the evening your tour leaders take you to a special restaurant for dinner, before spending the night in Stellenbosch.
DAY 3: STELLENBOSCH TO MONTAGUE (124 MILES) In the morning we start with a breathtaking ride over a mountain
pass, taking us into Franschhoek. After a coffee stop, we head for Paarl and Du Toitskloof, which is particularly stunning. After leaving Du Toitskloof we head over another mountain pass and then descend down through a canyon towards Worcester. After lunch we ride to Montague, which is another famous wine producer. We will spend the night in Montague in a boutique hotel.
DAY 4: MONTAGUE TO OUDTSHOORN (165 MILES) Today our route brings with it a lot of nostalgia as we ride Route 62, which is the equivalent of the US Route 66. Both routes were built in the 1920s to move towards a new life for the country's inhabitants, and there are many special sites to see along this route. We then continue on to Oudtshoorn, the world's ostrich capital, and at dinnertime we can sample this fine meat.
DAY 5: OUDTSHOORN TO GRAAFF REINET (198 MILES) Early in the morning we visit a famous ostrich farm and learn all about the breeding and luxury products of the ostrich and there's even the opportunity to ride one! Then we head for Graaff Reinet where the road takes us through the Great Karoo Desert, with its impressive canyons. Today's hotel is located in Graaff Reinet, in the heart of the Great Karoo Desert: it's as if time stood still in this historic town.
Africa Bike WeekTM
DAY 6: GRAAFF REINET TO ADDO (149 MILES) After another luxury breakfast we ride some more of Africa's desert roads before heading southwards towards Addo. Riding into Addo is like riding into an oasis, surrounded by fruit and citrus farms.
DAY 7: ADDO In the morning we visit Addo Elephant Park. We explore this enormous national reserve in four-wheel-drive vehicles, and hopefully encounter the majestic African elephant. After lunch we go to Scotia Game Park: in this luxury reserve you can hope to see zebra and antelope, and, if you're lucky, maybe even a lion. We end the day with a dinner in the park and spend a second night in Addo.
DAY 8: ADDO TO EAST LONDON (170 MILES) Now it's full speed ahead to East London for the fun and excitement of the annual Africa Bike Week! As you approach East London you'll see more and more riders on their way to the event. This is the first of three nights where you'll get the opportunity to embrace the party and engage with riders all over the world.
DAY 9 AND 10: AFRICA BIKE WEEK, EAST LONDON Africa Bike Week is an annual event presented by Harley-Davidson® Africa and hosted by Buffalo City Metro. All motorcycle enthusiasts, riders, their families and friends from across South Africa and internationally are invited to attend the biggest free biker bash on the continent.
Expect great live entertainment, H-D® merchandise, free HarleyDavidson test rides, trade markets, a Custom Bike Show where you can see spectacular bikes, a mass ride and much more. It's also a great chance for H.O.G.® members to meet and interact with other riders from across the globe.
DAY 11: EAST LONDON TO STORMSRIVER (190 MILES) For the next couple of days we more or less follow the coastline along the famous and appropriately named Garden Route. We pass through Tsitsikamma National Park and visit one of the most breathtaking beaches on the coast. We spend the night in Stormsriver.
DAY 12: STORMSRIVER TO MOSSEL BAY (112 MILES) We start the day with a whale-watching trip, which is a great chance to see these majestic mammals in their natural environment if you've never seen a whale in the wild before, this is something you will never forget. After another day of enjoyable riding on the Garden Route, we spend the night in Mossel Bay.
DAY 13: MOSSEL BAY TO HERMANUS (211 MILES) Today we ride to Riversdale and then to Swellendam where we will have an authentic lunch in a centuries-old drostdy (a house built for a former Dutch landdrost, or local official). From here we go on to Hermanus, which is an old fisherman's town known for its whales. We make a stop at the whale viewing point, but our hotel for the evening is also a hotspot for whale watchers.
DAY 14: HERMANUS TO CAPE TOWN (127 MILES) This is the last day of this memorable tour, so we're riding along the coast back towards Cape Town. This must be one of the most spectacular roads in the world, so we definitely end on a high! After returning our bikes, we still have one more evening to spend in Cape Town.
DAY 15: DEPARTURE FROM CAPE TOWN After a spellbinding tour, the tour leaders accompany you to the airport to see you on your way!
FIND OUT MORE
For more information on this once-in-a-lifetime experience, visit crossroadsmotortours.com/tour/info/shortcut/africa-bike-week
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Events
RALLIES 2018
H.O.G.®
As well as the H-D® 115th Anniversary celebrations in Prague, there are many other exciting events taking place in 2018
AFRICA BIKE WEEKTM EAST LONDON, SOUTH AFRICA APRIL 26-29
THUNDER IN THE GLENS AVIEMORE, SCOTLAND AUGUST 24-27
IRELAND BIKEFEST KILLARNEY, IRELAND
JUNE 1-4
HARLEY-DAVIDSON SUMMERTIME PARTY SYLT
SYLT, GERMANY JUNE 8-10
HAMBURG HARLEY DAYS® HAMBURG, GERMANY
JUNE 22-24
BENELUX
H.O.G.® RALLY LA ROCHE EN
ARDENNE, BELGIUM JUNE 8-10
MAGIC BIKE SHOW RÜDESHEIM AM RHEIN, GERMANY MAY 31-JUNE 3
OPALE HARLEY-DAYS
HARDELOT PLAGE, FRANCE
SEPTEMBER 14-16
GÉRARDMER
MOTOR DAYS
GÉRARDMER, FRANCE
AMERICAN TOURS FESTIVAL
MAY 25-27
TOURS, FRANCE
JULY 13-15
T MO
T
HARLEY-DAVIDSON® EURO FESTIVAL
PORT GRIMAUD, GOLFE DE ST-TROPEZ, FRANCE
JUNE 7-10
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SAINT PETERSBURG HARLEY DAYS
SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
AUGUST 3-5
Events
POLISH BIKE WEEK KARPACZ, POLAND
AUGUST 2-5
115TH ANNIVERSARY OF HARLEY-DAVIDSON®
CELEBRATIONS / EUROPEAN H.O.G.® RALLY
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC JULY 5-8
EUROPEAN BIKE WEEK®, FAAKER SEE, AUSTRIA
SEPTEMBER 4-9
OPEN ROAD FEST LAKE BALATON,
HUNGARY JUNE 6-10
TUSCANY RALLY NTECATINI TERME, TOSCANA, ITALY
MAY 25-27
H.O.G. RALLY MINSK MINSK, BELARUS SEPTEMBER 14-15
EVDEANVTISD.SHOANR.CLEOYM-
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Sparkle Tour
WHAT HAPPENS
This year's Sparkle Tour saw not one but four events hit the road
Shine on!
It's hard to believe that it was only last year Jo Green and I were sat in a pub discussing our travels when the idea for the Sparkle Tour came about. Following on from its success, we wanted to have more than one this year, so we were thrilled when the Sparkle Tour North was created, to complement our Sparkle Tour South, followed by the Sparkle Tour in Northern Ireland and then the Twinkle Tour for pillions. The response for the South Tour was overwhelming: when registration went `live' in April it was fully subscribed within 18 minutes!
One of the amazing things about the Sparkle Tour is the amount of excitement in the build-up to the weekend. There's so much positivity around the event that you can't help but get carried away by it. What's also great is the amount of preparation that goes into it, whether this is buying or making sparkly attire or the postings on the Sparkle Tour Facebook as
the big day draws closer. Of course, all this build-up
translates into smiles and laughter, as the ladies reunite with each other once again, and all in relaxed surroundings, which only adds to the bond between them. It was also marvellous to see the way everyone rallied round when a mechanical issue struck one bike. Out came the tools, complete with a steady flow of insight from those in the know, allowing the issue to be rectified in no time.
And, being the Sparkle Tour, it was only fitting that a fine array of sparkles was on display, whether this was glittery nail varnish, gifts made for each other or the T-shirts and hoodies individually created for the tour, with their bespoke shimmer and sparkle. Such is the unity with this group that even parking or luggage duties were a real unified effort.
One of the great moments on the tour is the debrief after the ride, reflecting on the favourite
moment, road or view of the day and, with this, the empowerment and the growth in confidence that the ladies feel as the weekend progresses.
To pull into a car park 20 Harley-Davidson® motorcycles deep and see the reaction on people's faces when all crash helmets are removed to reveal an all-women troupe is priceless.
And once the dust has settled after a truly eventful weekend, the feedback, flurry of Facebook postings, photo exchanges and agreements to do it all again next year are phenomenal. And of course, before that arrives, there are numerous Sparkle Reunions, allowing the ladies to stay in touch in the interim.
Next year's dates are September 14-16, 2018, and early indications show potential interest in six Sparkle Tours, plus the Twinkle Tour. The Spark is truly being shared.
Elaine Shepherd is National Chapter LOH Officer, UK & Ireland
Bringing up the rear
It may have been the inaugural event, but judging by the number of positive comments from all those involved, the Twinkle Tour has certainly surpassed expectations.
To give you a snapshot, here are just some of the comments we recieved: "It was a great weekend and it was lovely to get to know everyone, I'm looking forward to the next one!" "What can I say? What a truly fabulous weekend; great riding through the Kent and Sussex countryside with a great bunch of friends, and that's what happens when you participate in overnight ride-outs. There's nothing like early starts and a love for riding to pull you all together." "Received a surprise in the post from H.O.G. a spark plug LOH pin for taking part in the tour a new pin is always a plus. Can't wait for next year." Thanks again to everyone who took part, I'm already looking forward to next year's adventure!
Lorraine Seedhouse is National Associate LOH Officer
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Sparkle Tour
Door to door
It was game on in Northern Ireland, says Judith Ringland... I was hoping to put Northern Ireland on the map in the H.O.G.® world with the Sparkle Tour, and what better way than with a classic road trip adventure? The plan was to visit 10 wooden doors scattered all over Northern Ireland, each located close to Game of Thrones film locations, with stories from the various series carved on each door. It was absolutely perfect!
I outlined a two-day itinerary of the doors/destinations/miles etc. (polished by our Road Captain Chris Gray closer to the time) and then emailed everyone on the contact list and created a Facebook event. The response was brilliant, and before long we had 17 ladies confirmed.
Then, with some help from the assistant director Robbin McMinn, we started planning our attire, starting with our pink hi-vis vests! Women and their clothes, eh? The vests were a massive hit and disappeared in one night. This was swiftly followed by our `Sparkle Tour' T-shirts.
By the time the big day arrived the energy was amazing. We started out with the sun shining as we left the Harley-Davidson® dealership in Antrim. The first stop/door was Ballygally Castle, by which point the rain had started, followed by the second door at Mary McBride's, Cushendun. By now we
were already up against poor visibility and muddy, slippery roads.
From here we persisted and travelled on to the Dark Hedges and Gracehill House, Stranocum, but already by this stage we had had some really unfortunate mishaps due to the weather. These included some injuries and damage none critical, but nonetheless disheartening for the group.
We were due to continue to the Fullerton Arms in Ballintoy and Frank Owen's Bar in Limavady, but for the safety and wellbeing of all we decided to cut our losses and head to the hotel. The next leg of the journey seemed to go on forever over the Sperrin Mountains, and by the time we reached Enniskillen it was already getting dark and everyone was bitterly cold.
Day two was the opposite, a glorious day from the start, which thankfully continued this way. Our first visit was to the Blakes of the Hollow, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh and then on to Percy French, Newcastle, Co. Down. After that we headed to the The Cuan, Strangford, Co. Down and after a short ferry trip we decided that Fiddler's Green, Portaferry would be our last door on day two.
So we achieved seven of the 10 doors and, while disappointing in one respect, we were actually full of admiration for ourselves getting as far as we did!
It's fun up north
Shared passions and laughs were in plentiful supply on the Sparkle Tour North, says Lorraine McGuire After following the 2016 Sparkle Tour in the South of England on Facebook, I was inspired to deliver one in Scotland. Following discussions with Elaine Shepherd, National LOH Officer it was agreed I would organise the Sparkle Tour North 2017. The ambition was to deliver the opportunity for other lady riders to come together. The response was fantastic 13 lady riders signed up for the amazing 585-mile round trip.
Following the trend set by the tour in the south in 2016 I decided to organise a route that included local H-D® dealerships in Scotland and the north of England. Starting day one at Gateshead H-D we travelled north via the A68 to Edinburgh H-D then west via Stirling and the A811 to West Coast H-D (Glasgow). Day two we headed south via the A77/A76/A75 to Gretna then the A6/A592 through the Lake District to Bowker H-D (Preston). Day three we headed west via the A59/A65 to Leeds H-D before heading north via the A58/A1 to Jennings H-D (Gateshead). By following these routes it allowed us, where possible, to avoid the main roads and ride through quiet, open country roads.
The highlight of the tour for me was the camaraderie that quickly built up within the group. For many of the riders it was a new experience for them riding on their own in an all-female group.
There will certainly be another tour next year but the plans are still to be finalised. Details and how to register will be issued in the near future.
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Profile
BEST
LAID
PLANS
Despite some challenging circumstances, Jo Green was determined to complete the SC500
Back in September 2016 I met the lovely Cathy Robert from Chelsea & Fulham Chapter while we were taking part in the original Sparkle Tour, of which I am one of the joint organisers. I really warmed to our little `French Fancy', as she became known, with her infectious Gallic charm and we kept in touch after the tour. I even travelled to London to share in her special birthday celebrations with Bridgwater Chapter member and great friend, Debbie Atterton.
Cathy had recently taken part in a tour of the WW1 battlefields with Tour1 and was due to go to America to travel Route 66 with her daughter Izzy, while I'd recently completed the Road Captain's training course as a precursor to this year's Sparkle Tour to Wales. We were both in the mood to try our own
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journey, deciding on the North Coast 500 route, taking in the wild, stunning scenery of Scotland.
Months went into the planning. Accommodation, routes, sights to take in and roads to travel were all finalised. Our departure date, sandwiched between my daughter's and Cathy's daughter's birthdays was set for June 11.
However, shortly before we were due to leave, Cathy's family had a tragic setback and she rightly took the decision to stay to support them. Furthermore, my bike, Dixie, (a 2014 Softail® Deluxe) decided to chew up its own starter motor and it looked liked all was lost. Then Oxford Harley-Davidson® came to the rescue and, amazingly, let me use their demo fleet Road King® for the journey. I really
cannot thank them enough for such a generous gesture!
Then the big day arrived this was it! A deep breath and I was leaving home alone, on an unknown bike. Once under way, the miles began to rack up as I navigated the open road. On my first day I made some welcome stops at Robin Hood H-D in Nottingham and HarleyWorld in Chesterfield, before staying over on the first night in Piercebridge.
The following day it was off to Inverness and the start of the NC500 route. Taking in a quick sightseeing stop around Corbridge Roman town saying `Hi' to the piper as I crossed into Scotland at Carter Bar I arrived for my B&B stopover in Inverness. Crossing the Forth Bridge for the first time ever the next morning, I was missing my buddy. However, now being 564 miles
from home there was no looking back. I was committed.
En route I stopped at the Rock Rose distillery at Dunnet Bay on the way to my destination in Bettyhill. Did you know that there are more than 20 independent gin distilleries in Scotland? Good job that the Road King has spacious panniers to accommodate a bottle as a present to take home.
A hilarious evening followed at the B&B with the other two delightful biker occupants, involving a long walk home from the local hostelry, midges, beaches, graveyards and Highland Cattle.
Suitably rested, my idea of a road soon disappeared the following morning, as I started off on the single-track roads common in the Highlands. The road took me through Durness, where I had a
Profile
sandwich in Smoo Cave, a local wonder, and moseyed on through to my next stop at Ullapool, at the Ceilidh Place. It had been raining steadily all day and I was feeling a little overwhelmed by it all when I guided the bike towards the car park for the night. All of a sudden, someone jumped out into the road and started waving wildly. A few months before I had had a conversation with Margo Hamilton from Dunedin Chapter, who had been planning a trip the opposite way round the NC500 with her other half, Jim McIntyre. They had been following my adventures on a Facebook page and were looking out for me. What were the chances?! After much hugging, we decided to get some dinner together at a quayside crab shack during a rare break in the rain. Never
underestimate the effect you can have on people by showing some kindness. Meeting Margo and Jim out on the road 870 miles into my journey and sharing our experiences really made a difference to my determination to carry on. Thank you both! Facebook was definitely my friend at this stage, as were calls to my friends and family. The support was overwhelming and I received numerous messages and good wishes.
The track over the Applecross Pass was wet, treacherous and isolated. It was a real `heart in the mouth' experience getting down through the switchbacks to safety at the bottom. Saving the Skye Bridge for another trip, I pressed on along the A830 and into an incredibly wet Fort William. Someone told me that it's the wettest place in Scotland; I could well believe it.
Thankfully, my room was nice and dry and the hotel kindly dried out my bike gear. Up and out the next morning and with Ben Nevis at my back, the Road King and I pressed on down the A82, 1,090 miles in.
I have no pictures to show of the ride through Glencoe. Quite honestly, I don't think any pictures I could take would ever give a sense of the awe-inspiring majesty of the mountains. If you have never ridden through the Trossachs National Park I thoroughly recommend it.
From there I decided to check out the impressive new West Coast HarleyDavidson dealership in Glasgow. A welcome coffee and I was off again, on to another dealership in Preston. The helpful staff took pity on me and made me a coffee
complete with a bar of chocolate as the café was closed super! At this point a decision had to be made: carry on and surprise the family, or find a local hotel. I pointed the Road King, which had been a fine escort thanks to its superb engine and ride comfort, towards home. We had covered a staggering 500 miles since I left Fort William in the morning and a total trip of 1,650 miles.
So there you have it. I never felt alone, and I loved the feeling of being able to just go where the mood and the road took me. Had I had enough? Well, a week later I was back in the saddle, taking part in the One Day Run with other Thames Valley Chapter members. If there are any ladies thinking of taking a trip on your own I would say go for it!
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QUALITY OVER
QUANTITY
Planning is key to ensuring customers receive a memorable tour, says Ron Brett of Brettours
"We don't offer more than four tours a year. We like to concentrate on the research and planning of the routes, checking out the hotels and making sure everything's in place to give our customers the best experience possible."
Ron Brett, co-founder of Brettours, is discussing the company's approach to touring and the key elements that make for an unforgettable journey. "Each tour is planned to take in the scenery, historical places of interest and as many H-D® dealers as possible en route."
Ron previously worked for a car and motorcycle publisher before he started running tours
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and events for magazines. From there he made the jump to providing luxury motorcycle tours full time, which ultimately led to collaborating with Harley-Davidson®.
"We already ran motorcycle tours for sports bikes. We approached H.O.G.® with the idea of running tours for their members, as at that time there were no luxury tours being offered, only chapter runs and rides to European rallies," says Ron.
Brettours customers are generally professionals who enjoy relaxing and holidaying while riding their motorcycles,
but don't want the hassle of planning, according to Ron.
"They are discerning and like the comfort of knowing that everything is planned for them from pre-inspected routes to upmarket accommodation. All they have to do is turn up and enjoy the back-road riding, and then take their luggage off the support van each night!"
The majority of Brettours' customers come from the UK, and some have been on more than 20 tours. However, there are also regular customers from the US, Australia and South Africa. A key to the business's success is ensuring the tour offering stays fresh each year, hence the aforementioned planning procedures and the maximum of four per year. The longest tour, through France and Spain, totalled 17 days, but generally the tours are around 12 days.
"We have run tours to most European countries, from Portugal in the west to Hungary in the east, the Baltic
in the north to the southern coast of Spain. We often have customers who only wish to do part of a tour, so they can leave and arrive at points along the route if required. Our strangest request was to arrange a hot-air balloon ride for the wife of one of our customers," says Ron.
As for the future, in 2018 Brettours is returning to Austria and two areas of northern Spain. "Three tours, all different, but with the common denominator of scenic mountain riding on fantastic back roads," says Ron.
www.brettours.co.uk
Authorized Rentals
RIDING THE RIVIERA
Toulon is composed of Mediterranean blues,
mountains and sands, but it's also a stone's throw away from some idyllic islands
It feels like there's been an Authorized Rentals dealership at H-D® Toulon all along. After all it makes perfect sense: located on the Mediterranean coast and west of Saint-Tropez, it's the perfect place to pick up a Harley® motorcycle for the 2018 HarleyDavidson® Euro Festival in Port Grimaud next June.
H-D Toulon was first established in 2000, but this summer it moved to a brand-new premises on the main road between Toulon and Hyères les Palmiers. A furniture retail store has been transformed into a brand-new 980m² Harley-Davidson dealership, where a team of 12 works together to deliver the best experience possible.
Toulon is an ideal place to base yourself for a journey through the south of France. It's host to museums, theatres and monuments, with cobblestone streets and fountains filling the old town. It has that Mediterranean seafront glamour to it walking outside the palm treeshrouded Opéra de Toulon has the ambience of a film noir.
Toulon's 18th-century cathedral
with its baroque features is a must-see peaceful visit on any historical tour of the city. The harbour also tells a lot of stories about the city's past and is the principal base of the French Navy. Guided tours plus a museum dedicated to its naval history are a great place to get a sense of the significance of this city's coastline.
Foodies can enjoy lively outdoor markets selling local produce, such as the Cours Lafayette. Visitors have recalled getting some brilliant bargains on not just food but textiles too. If you have your heart set on scoring some local cheeses, vegetables and charcuterie, then there is the local farmer's market, which is held every Friday and Saturday.
Those who crave delving into the mountains will enjoy sweeping through this city's mountainous region. Aside from enjoying riding
through mountain passes, visitors can take a trip up to the top of Mont Faron to see jaw-dropping views of Toulon and the surrounding coastline. Once you're there, there are ideal picnic spots and a memorial museum dedicated to the landings of the Allied troops in August 1944. At the summit there is also a wild cat breeding centre, although the name is misleading as there are plenty of animals to see apart from the odd lynx. Alongside lions, tigers and panthers you'll see hyenas, lemurs and African baboons.
Toulon is famous for its port, which means that boat trips are just moments away. The biggest nearby island of Porquerolles has established quite a reputation of having a bit of south coast pizzazz. Despite its scale, there are vineyards, a monastery, castles and even a botanical conservatory. It also has everything you'd want from a miniature paradise: coves, pine forests to stroll through and cyan waters to swim in.
To the west of Toulon is Calanques National Park. Those who have fantasies of limestone and green cliffs with plunging blue seas should venture out to see this stunning stretch of coastline. It's also a great location for outdoorsy types who need something to do once they're out of the saddle, as there are opportunities to snorkel, kayak or go fishing.
Toulon Authorized Rentals will provide you the opportunity to discover the French Riviera outside of the usual hotspots. This region has everything for those who like a hands-on approach to the outdoors, or for the beach bums who are happy to soak up the sun. History, great food and vivid blue waters: c'est parfait, n'est-ce pas?
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New models
The 2018 CVOTM models offer a more contemporary look with the choice of three styling treatments for the first time
Text: Charles Plueddeman
B ig changes to the HarleyDavidson® Custom Vehicle OperationsTM (CVOTM) programme bring more performance, fresh style and exclusive features to these limited-edition factory-custom motorcycles for 2018. The new CVO Street Glide®, CVO Road Glide® and CVO Limited models offer the most discerning H-D® motorcycle owner a premium experience backed by HarleyDavidson service and warranty the most power, all of the latest technology, and attention to custom detail that can only be described as obsessive.
Each model delivers a smooth ride and confident handling offered by premium Dual Bending Valve front suspension and emulsion rear suspension with handadjustable preload, backed up by ReflexTM linked Brembo® brakes with ABS.
MILWAUKEE-EIGHT® 117
All 2018 CVO models are powered by the new Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine, the most powerful V-Twin offered from the factory (exclusive to 2018 CVO models). The 117ci (1923cc) engine produces 4 per cent more power than the Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine featured in the 2017 models.
MORE STYLING CHOICES
For the first time, CVO models will be offered in a choice of three different styling treatments. "This is an exciting new direction for CVO design," said Harley-Davidson Vice President of Styling & Design Brad Richards. "Since the programme started in 1999, CVO has been high-profile, and featured a lot of chrome and big, bold, colourful paint. For 2018, we've shifted the CVO bikes to a look that's more contemporary, with finishes that are super premium, and on some models more subtle."
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Creofatmhe cr p
The CVO Street Glide and CVO Road Glide models will be offered in three styling treatments. The first provides the most chrome, and the brightest paint and wheels. The second features a blacked-out powertrain and smoked satin finishes, with a subtle two-tone paint scheme and tapering stripes. The third choice is the most extreme, with completely blacked-out components and a rich, monochromatic paint scheme in a bold new colour: Gunship Gray. The CVO Limited debuts a striking new paint treatment in two styling schemes plus a version finished in a bright 115th Anniversary Limited Edition in an exclusive colour: Odyssey Blue.
WIRELESS HEADSET INTERFACE MODULE
Harley-Davidson cuts the cord. An exclusive factory-installed feature on all 2018 CVO models, this new wireless communication system uses an integral Bluetooth transmitter to link the BOOM! Box 6.5GT Infotainment System with a wireless headset. The system offers features that are exclusive to Harley-Davidson, including the ability to link one or two headsets with the single Bluetooth transmitter. This wireless system offers all of the features previously available with a wired headset: CB, phone, intercom, navigation, radio,
and audio, with voice commands, plus audio quality that's superior to aftermarket headsets. The wireless headset menu options are accessible through the radio, and the bike's hand controls can be used to adjust headset volume. Use of the new Interface Module does not interfere with the headset's Bluetooth bike-to-bike communications. The 2018 CVO Street Glide and CVO Road Glide models will be delivered with a single wireless headset, while the CVO Limited includes a pair of headsets.
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New models
CVOTM LIMITED
The CVO flagship gets a dramatic new paint scheme for 2018. The Black Cherry Sunglo Fade and Black Earth Fade colours transition up the motorcycle. "It was a real challenge to figure out how to apply this fade effect in production," said Richards. "The fade effect is replicated on each painted part. It makes the bike look like it's being illuminated from below." The machine is also equipped with a premium Harley® Hammock Heated Seat with built-in suspension for rider and passenger, and an exclusive custom cover and contrast stitching, plus an adjustable rider backrest.
46 HOG®
CVOTM STREET GLIDE®
The new CVOTM Street Glide® model offers audio power to match the performance of its new Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine. Three separate amplifiers deliver 900 total watts of power to six bi-amped BOOM!TM Audio Stage II speakers, including new speakers in the fairing lowers, to surround the rider with a stunning sonic experience. New 19-inch front and 18-inch rear Turbine wheels are delivered in specific finish treatments to match each of the three styling choices.
New models
CVOTM ROAD GLIDE®
An exclusive 21-inch KnockoutTM front wheel gives the new CVO Road Glide motorcycle a dramatic stance. This is the first factory installation of a 21-inch front wheel on a Harley-Davidson® Touring model motorcycle, and it has been paired with an 18-inch rear Knockout wheel and revised front suspension to deliver style with no compromise in ride, handling or braking performance. The BOOM! Box 6.5GT Infotainment System is boosted by a pair of 300-watt amplifiers and BOOM! Audio Stage II speakers in the saddlebag lids and fairing.
115TH ANNIVERSARY CVOTM LIMITED
Celebrate 115 years of motorcycling excellence with this very special limited-edition model. Each 115th Anniversary CVO Limited motorcycle is serialised, and production will be limited to 1,200 bikes worldwide. This bike features exclusive Odyssey Blue Paint with hand-painted inserts in a metal leaf effect, hand-applied pinstripes, and a colour-matched inner fairing.
Featured on the tank are 115th Anniversary Eagle with Bar & Shield medallions in Scorched Chrome and cloisonné. The seat features blue stitching in a diamond-quilted panel. More smoky Scorched Chrome is applied to the lower rocker covers, timer cover, transmission cover badge, derby cover, inner fairing insert, air cleaner trim and the horn cover insert.
HOG® 47
harley-davidson-verona.com
Shop online, passion on fire.
EUROPE'S BIGGEST ONLINE HARLEY-DAVIDSON® SHOP SECURE SHOPPING AND INTERNATIONAL DELIVERY
H-D® VERONA
HARLEY® STYLE
Some passions need rewarding at Christmas too! The entire H-D® range, a world of original accessories, fashion and technical apparel, gadgets of all kinds, games and objects for home and work: whatever you're looking for, we've got it!
Come and visit us online or in store!
HARLEY-DAVIDSON® VERONA
Via Dell'Agricoltura, 3 37066 Sommacampagna - VR TEL. 045/510174 - h-paradise@h-paradise.it www.harley-davidson-verona.com
Harley Davidson Verona
VISIT OUR STAND AT THE MOTOR BIKE EXPO
Profile
Becoming a Harley® enthusiast has been life-changing, says Nick Ovenden
"Harley-Davidson® has a saying: `If I had to explain, you wouldn't understand'," says Nick Ovenden, National H.O.G.® Officer Training Co-ordinator for H.O.G. UK & Ireland. "That's the best saying I know for the H-D® brand. When I bought my first Harley-Davidson I had no idea where it would take me," he says. "I now have lifelong friends all over the world.
"I drive an American Ford H-D edition F150 pick-up. I have an H-D-themed log cabin with H-D pool table, H-D dartboard and wardrobes full of H-D clothing. My garage has H-D dealer T-shirts from all over the world on the ceiling. It represents a world tour that could only be done through owning a Harley®. Owning one has been a truly life-changing experience."
And it seems the relationship was always meant to be. Nick first got into motorbikes at the tender age of seven, despite his dad attempting to steer him towards four wheels. "He didn't particularly like motorcycles, but he couldn't stop the fascination," says Nick. "My friend and I bought a non-running scooter from an old man in the village where we lived, with money we had earned from picking strawberries. Neither of our parents knew. We got it going and rode it on the village green and around another friend's field. We both ride Harleys together nearly 50 years on."
It was only a matter of time until the inevitable epiphany occurred. "The first Harleys I ever saw were in the shop window of Rugby Motors in Ashford, Kent," says Nick. "Reg Moore was the owner of the shop and must have been one of the first H-D dealers in Kent. I used to skip school to go to the shop and look at the bikes. I swore back then that I would own one some day I was probably 12 or 13. It took me nearly 30 years to achieve my ambition."
That breakthrough came in 1999 when Nick bought his first Harley-Davidson from the Foundry in Canterbury. He originally had his sights set on a Fat Boy® with all of the expensive parts and accessories fitted. However, he was accompanied by his wife and it was a Touring motorcycle that caught Nick's eye, and more specifically the comfier rear seat it sported compared to the Fat Boy.
"We arranged a test ride for later that
HOG® 49
Profile
week, rode it and bought it," says Nick. "In the first year, we covered 8,000 miles on it. My previous bike had done around 100 miles between MOT tests, so you sort of get the picture. I realised after a short time that buying a Harley with all the accessories on is not how it works. Looking through the P&A catalogue, deciding on a theme and a budget and buying and fitting your own parts is what makes most Harley owners tick."
It soon became apparent to Nick that Harley-Davidson ownership is not your typical bike relationship. "It's more of a hobby and a lifestyle than just being a motorcycle owner and that's something that really clicked with me," he says.
From there, Nick bought a new 2001 Road King®, which he owned for six years then traded in for a new 2007 CVOTM Road King. The only standard part on it was the frame. "I had changed everything several times during ownership and covered more than 30,000 miles."
Nick joined H.O.G.® in 2000 and the Invicta Chapter shortly afterwards. "I got involved with the Invicta committee in 2001 as an area rep. I became Activities Officer in 2003, followed by Assistant Director then Director, where I served for three years. I was part of the team that created the South of England Rally in 2004 and was still part of the organising committee at the 2016 event the last of 12 very successful rallies."
The interest in training began after Nick participated in several events, becoming part of the training team for P.O.T. (Primary Officer Training). "I had a conversation with Marjorie Rae about my training career within my business
50 HOG®
industry and she asked if I would be interested in joining the UK Training Team. I was honoured to be asked and accepted straight away," he says.
That opportunity has seen Nick travel to Milwaukee, as well as Austin, Texas, and various venues throughout Europe. The training has evolved from P.O.T. to H.E.A.T. (H.O.G. Enthusiast Adventure Training) and then to its current guise of H.O.T. It has also evolved from being US-based to a more regional course, with workshops for specific chapter roles.
"I'm currently involved with H.O.T. BUN (Harley Officer Training Benelux, UK & Ireland, and Nordic regions) and my official title is National H.O.G. Officer Training Co-ordinator for H.O.G. UK & Ireland. I am also an instructor for various workshops within H.O.T. and an instructor
for Road Captain Training at Oxford and Carnforth," says Nick.
Being so immersed in training also means that Nick is involved in various events throughout the year. Recently he was in Scheveningen, Netherlands, with other delegates from UK, Ireland, Benelux and Nordic regions, where he co-presented the workshops. There were various workshops, including Chapter Communications, Chapter Operations, Chapter/Dealer Relationship, Ladies of Harley®, Events and a Bootcamp for Chapter Officers. Bringing various groups together also allows for facilitated discussions so the attendees are sharing ideas and experiences, rather than instructors delivering rigid content.
"Instructors will fuel a topic using PowerPoint headings that conform to H.O.G. guidelines. The delegates get involved and the conversations almost become the training material," says Nick.
So, with all of his knowledge and vast experience, what advice would he give to those looking to enter the training arena? "Just do it," he says simply. "The networking opportunity is priceless. Most people that attend strike up friendships with their counterparts in other chapters, more often than not in other countries."
Nick adds that many H.O.G. chapters do the same things in different ways. "There is no fixed way, sometimes a mixture of approaches works well. The networking pays dividends learning from other experiences, opening up opportunities to travel to different countries and allowing for cross-promotion of events." For Chapter Officers, this is sound advice.
1
IN WITH THE NEW
A new Harley-Davidson® model year brings a multitude of exciting items from Genuine
Motor Accessories. The 2018 selection includes more than 300 accessories for the latest Softail® models, plus
recently launched collections and select accessories for other Harley® bikes. Here's
a sample of what's available...
STYLE: EXPRESS YOURSELF
1. H-D® BRASS COLLECTION The H-D® Brass collection is the first of its kind authentic brass motorcycle parts which deliver a handcrafted aesthetic that's a great match for an old-school custom look or any blacked-out bike. Manufactured from solid brass, these components feature a natural antique finish that will change over time with regular exposure to the elements, becoming truly unique and custom to the owner.
1
The 1.5-inch diameter Brass Collection Hand Grips are easy to install, and feature a glue-less design for removal for service without damage. The Brass Collection also includes gear, foot and passenger pegs, brake pedal pads, derby and timer covers, air cleaner trim, head bolt and axle nut covers, and fuel caps to fit many Harley-Davidson Dyna®, Softail®, Sportster®, Street®, Touring and V-Rod® model motorcycles.
Brass Collection parts offer a garagebuilt look with a finish that ages naturally for a one-of-a-kind look from bike to bike.
FUNCTION: READY TO RIDE
2
LONG-HAUL CAPABILITIES New Softail® motorcycles can go the distance with quick and easy additions such as passenger sissy bars, the Tour-Pak® Luggage Carrier, Detachable Saddlebags and Wind Splitter Windshields.
2. HOLDFASTTM DETACHABLES Designed from the ground up in tandem with the new Softail® models, the all-new HoldFastTM Detachables feature an intuitive snap-in and release design for easier-than-ever installation and removal of Holdfast Sissy Bar Uprights, Luggage Racks and Tour-Pak® luggage carrier mounting.
3. WIRELESS HEADSET INTERFACE MODULE (WHIM) FOR TOURING MODELS Now SPH10 and 20S Bluetooth® headsets can communicate wirelessly to the feature-packed Boom!TM Box 6.5GT Radio with the all new Wireless Headset Interface Module (WHIM). WHIM allows customers to use their Bluetooth® headset to communicate with the motorcycle infotainment system, their passenger and other riders.
3
Parts & Accessories
FIT: TAILOR THE RIDE
P&A is creating a great riding experience by tailoring the bike to fit every rider and passenger, based on how they prioritise comfort, fit and style. Ergonomic seats get a facelift for new Softail® models, with all-new styling that matches the personality of each bike and comfort seating launches with new configurations.
From Reach® and Tallboy® products to SundownerTM seats and passenger pillions and footpegs, Harley-Davidson leads the way in providing fit solutions for every model motorcycle and for every customer need... from smaller to taller and everyone in between. 2
Scan the QR code with your smartphone to visit the Parts & Accessories website, or visit http://accessories.harley-davidson.eu
HOG® 53
MotorClothes®
Man: Crestwood 3-in-1 Jacket 97448-18VM Performance Vented Shirt 96476-18VM
Fleece Lined Cuffed Knit Hat 97812-18VM Woman:
Studded Plush Hoodie 96068-18VW Laced V-Neck Top 96072-18VW Button Accent Cable Knit Hat 97626-18VW Button Accent Cable Knit Scarf 97629-18VW
'TIS THE SEASON
TO WEAR HARLEY®
Man: Quilted Leather Accent Jacket
9744-18VM
Woman: Lightweight Hooded Puffer Vest
97451-18VW Wings & Skulls Waffle Knit Top
96033-18VW Reversible Rose Hat 97615-18VW
54 HOG®
For most of us in the northern hemisphere, as the holiday season approaches
the temperatures can plummet. Keep warm and stylish with H-D®
MotorClothes®
The Winter 2017 Collection from Harley-Davidson® MotorClothes® is an inspirational blend of new fabric mixes and new finishes combined with dynamic original hand-drawn graphics. The collection has been created to marry the functionality required for riding in even the most inhospitable of conditions, while still looking smart and chic when you're off the bike.
And of course, with the festive season approaching, you might prefer to treat that special someone with a brilliant addition to their riding wardrobe. With collections for both sexes exuding class, you're sure to find a suitable stocking-filler for the friends and family in your life.
MEN'S COLLECTION The Men's Winter 2017 Collection features utility details, piecing and blocking with texture, contrast accents, and reinforced construction details to create updated custom classics for this season.
WOMEN'S COLLECTION The Women's Winter 2017 Collection features darker metallic finishes as well as open textures and glossy coated materials. Texture, piecing, colour-blocking and the use of tonal graphics are prevalent throughout the collection.
MotorClothes®
BACK WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
If you're looking for extra gift ideas inspired by the storied history and heritage of the H-D® brand, look no further than the fantastic new 1903 Collection.
The 1903 Collection was inspired by the originality and legacy of the H-D® brand. Vintage-inspired pieces combined with modern construction and fabrics highlight the incredible craftsmanship that is synonymous with the world's greatest motorcycle. Featuring an authentic look with cutting-edge techniques and hand-finished details, the 1903 Collection is for the customer looking for something different and particularly those customers who are drawn to the history and heritage of the brand.
Above left: Men: Oak Leaf Plaid Shirt 99010-18VM Logo Overprint Slim Fit Tee 99025-18VM
Above right: Women: Eagle Hoodie 99032-18VW Studded Logo Tee 99048-18VW
lIecaotnhiecrBfiokreraJdaicsktertesssilehdo,uveitntteagine
hand-sanded look.
JACKETS:
Above: Master Distressed Slim Fit Leather Biker Jacket 98003-18VM (Men). Right: Wild Distressed Leather Biker Jacket (Women) 98017-18VW
Rough-and-
tumble
leather treatment,
chunky zippers and distressed details infuse this jacket with vintage character.
Scan the QR code with your smartphone to visit the MotorClothes
website
Whatever you need for the coming season, you know that Harley-Davidson MotorClothes has got you covered. For more information, go to www.harleydavidson.eu/motorclothes or visit your nearest Harley-Davidson dealer for the full Winter Collection.
HOG® 55
#TGPTGQH#&8'0674'
Between them, Harley-Davidson® and Jeep® have clocked up nearly two centuries of engineering innovation in the spirit of adventure
Like Harley-Davidson®, Jeep® is more than a manufacturer of class-leading vehicles, it represents a spirit a spirit that enables people to do more tomorrow than they did today by bringing freedom and a sense of adventure into their everyday lives.
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The Jeep brand was born 76 years ago, and is founded on four core values Freedom, Adventure, Authenticity and Passion. All have endured the test of time, proving that not only are they true to Jeep, but are shared by its owners and fans. They are certainly values that dovetail neatly with those of H-D® and its legions of followers across the globe.
Jeep owners know that they can `Go Anywhere, Do Anything' this claim epitomises how Jeep SUVs allow customers to reach any destination thanks to their functionality and unparalleled 4x4 capability, complemented by the latest technological advancements in terms of road handling, comfort, entertainment and safety. Jeep produces vehicles that encapsulate the very essence of freedom and the spirit of adventure; they allow customers to live out their individuality in a strong and distinctive way.
$GUUGSUQIGUJGS
Customers who choose a Jeep SUV essentially make a choice to embrace a lifestyle that makes them feel part of a global community. It is this sharing of values that has seen the two American brands team up for a fourth successive year at the major Harley-Davidson rallies across Europe, the Middle East and Africa in 2017.
As with where it can go and what it
Jeep®
can do, there are also very few restrictions on how Jeep vehicles can be personalised to represent owners' tastes and requirements. The Jeep Wrangler is the world's most customised car; it can be modified from bumper to bumper with exclusive accessories. This is another obvious touchpoint between the two brands: Harley-Davidson motorbikes also offer huge potential for individualisation, with a huge global market in customisation and legendary Custom Bike Shows taking place at many major events worldwide.
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But the affinities don't end here; they also involve the sharing of an iconic heritage. Throughout its legendary history, the Jeep brand has created and shaped the SUV segment with pioneering vehicles. Its reputation for innovation remains as true today as it did in the wartime days of the Willys Jeep.
From the military 1941 WillysOverland, the brand developed the 1945 Civilian CJ-2A, which was the first modern mass-production 4x4 vehicle. This was followed by the seven-seat 1946 Willys Wagon, which kicked off
the `sport utility' segment and enabled owners to share adventures with family and friends. In 1963, it expanded into new territories with the Wagoneer creating the `premium large' SUV class and laying the foundations for the capable SUV range that it offers today.
6JGTUCSTQHUQFCZ
It is from these milestone vehicles that Jeep has developed its current range. Today the line-up comprises the Grand Cherokee, the brand's flagship and the most-awarded SUV ever; the Cherokee, the legendary mid-size Jeep that sports a cutting-edge design; the iconic Wrangler, the direct descendant of the original 1941 Willys;
the Renegade, the small SUV with class-leading off-road capability; and, most recently, the new Compass that made its debut in European Jeep dealerships this summer.
Sitting neatly between the Renegade and Cherokee, the Compass's Jeep DNA is unmistakable. Distinctive Jeep design cues and legendary 4x4 capability combine to create an SUV that perfectly meets the lifestyle needs of any owner.
The Compass delivers more than 70 safety and security features, and was awarded the prestigious five-star EuroNCAP rating. Its user-friendly technology extends to infotainment and connectivity, and includes the next-generation Uconnect systems. In addition, the exclusive Jeep Skills application provides off-road-specific indexes that allow drivers to monitor their performance during their 4x4 adventures on extreme trails. It also offers the Jeep Selec-Terrain system, which provides up to five modes, for best four-wheel-drive performance on any surface on- or off-road and in any weather condition.
With the new Compass, Jeep enters an exciting new era that celebrates its legendary heritage while embracing the future. In true Jeep style, the brand is enjoying a new adventure of its very own.
HOG® 57
Events
RETURN OF
THE CRAIC
Following record attendance in 2017, next year's Ireland BikeFest promises to be the best yet
The 12th Ireland BikeFest, held on June 1-4 next year, continues to build on the legacy first established back in 2006. Last year broke all attendance records, with more than 50,000 visitors welcomed into the Bike Village over the three-day festival. And once again Ireland BikeFest (IBF) will be pulling out all the stops to ensure that visitors will come flocking.
Lenny Burns, dealer principal at Waterford Harley-Davidson®, says: "We have people coming from all over Ireland, as well as from Europe, to check it out. It's fantastic to receive such interest." Ireland BikeFest attracts motorcycle owners and enthusiasts from many countries, including the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Belgium, Canada, New Zealand and the United States.
Chairperson Breffni Ingerton says: "Our passion and commitment to developing Ireland BikeFest is unwavering, spurred on by the phenomenal support of HarleyDavidson, the biking community and the people of Killarney."
The event is set to feature a range of attractions. On the entertainment front, three headline acts have already been confirmed for the INEC Main Stage. Friday will see rockers The Affray cut loose and get the crowd in the mood for the weekend ahead, while on Saturday acclaimed all-female band JOANovARC will be strutting their stuff well past midnight. Sunday will climax with AC/DC tribute band Hells/Bells, who'll be ensuring the weekend closes with a bang.
Of course, IBF is also famed for its spectacular ride-outs, which incorporate the area's rich culture and heritage,
58 HOG®
and of course the Wild Atlantic Way, which provides spectacular vistas. Breffni says: "We are very mindful to highlight local culture and continue to make this an integral part of the festival programme. While Killarney is synonymous with the most breathtaking landscapes, we are delighted to include the Wild Atlantic Way as an integral part of our festival and a must-ride touring route." Ride-outs planned for 2018 include the infamous Ring of Kerry and Skellig Ring, which features in the forthcoming Star Wars film The Last Jedi. This year also saw close to 1,000 bikers ride through the streets of Killarney for the Parade Ride on the Sunday, and you can expect the same in 2018.
Also set to woo the crowds is the Custom Bike Show. Open to both classic and custom models, there are numerous categories to enter, including the crowd-pleasing Best in Show and People's Choice. And of course, don't forget the Novelty Dog Show, which sees pooches of all types compete to be top dog.
Part of the success of the festival is down to the Killarney community, which is encouraged to get involved and enjoy the occasion. "We try to ensure the local community as a whole benefits from and engages with our festival. Local residents are welcome to participate as spectators or volunteers," says Breffni.
There are also various accommodation options available within the Bike Village, including B+Bs and shared apartments for up to five adults, so you don't have to stray too far from all the action.
For more information or to book
accommodation online visit
irelandbikefest.com
GOOD
Events
TIMES!
It was yet another fantastic Circus Maximus this year, with more than 300 attendees coming from every corner of England, as well as from the Isle of Man and Scotland. And, once again, the feedback from all involved was exceptionally positive, whether it was about the fantastic entertainment, brilliant atmosphere or the quality of the ride-outs. Thursday saw rally scene favourite Matt Black put on a consummate performance, accompanied by his fine piano skills. This culminated in a unique mash-up at the end of the night an impersonation of Mick Jagger singing Bohemian Rhapsody.
The black bin bag fashion parade on Friday allowed attendees to get all creative. Naturally the standard was high, however a certain head road captain was quickly eliminated for his (frankly poor) Fred Flintstone-style effort. Husband and wife team Chris and Debbie Sykes' cocktail dress and dinner suit were superb. However, the winners by popular vote were Miss Twin Peaks (Hazel Thomas)
and Racy-Butler (Steve Dakin). On Saturday Ronnie Swiller worked not just the stage, but also the dancefloor and pretty much everywhere else as he entertained the crowds with fine singing skills. Ronnie is a born entertainer. By the end of the night everybody was on their feet.
The ride-outs are a true highlight. Friday started round the Horseshoe Pass, then the famous Ponderosa Cafe where the route then drops, winds and twists through the foothills to Ruthin & Mold, then a final climb for a view across the Wirral, Merseyside and Cheshire. Rain almost threatened to mar the Saturday parade ride but Graham Bell settled his account with the weather deities and it dried up 30 minutes before the ride left. Escorted out of Llangollen by Guy Stevens in full CHiPs regalia, the ride headed off into North Wales and Graham led the bikes on a Harley-Davidson rollercoaster for 100 miles of motorcycling nirvana. The Deva Legion wants to have fun so it's no surprise that other people want to join in!
PUTTING ON THE BLITZ
Blazin' Blitz was back with a bang, says Paul Stewart
After a year off, the New Forest Branch was back with a bang with the Blazin' Blitz Rally. Located in a fantastic new venue, the secure, level site provided plenty of room for traders, and the bands and entertainment came under the chapter's control. The atmosphere was fantastic right from the start. Everyone had come to enjoy themselves. Attendees were a fine mix of local, national and international in particular, a group from the Netherlands were showing off their dancing clogs.
There was also some great interchapter rivalry and participation, with many geting into the spirit of things and dressing up for the Saturday Night Party. A well-attended bike show nearby had us interacting with the local community.
The feedback was also amazing. In fact, a number of rally-goers commented that the event compared to the Sandy Balls rallies held in days gone by. Fair praise indeed. The site and staff at our new venue have made a great difference as has having full control of the bands. Our DJ and compère was slick in holding the evening and the Bike Show together, while the theme was well supported by props and decorations.
Lounging in the pool listening to the comments from other rally goers who were having a great weekend makes it all seem worth the effort. The locals also seemed to enjoy the spectacle, particularly the ride-outs, with plenty of smiles and waving as we boomed past. Arriving at the Bike Show was our opportunity to present ourselves to the locals and eat them out of fish and chips, while raising money for our good causes. The visiting Mayor seemed to enjoy her tour around the bikes on show too.
If you're looking to attend this event next year the advice is to book as soon as tickets are available. After such a succesful event this year we expect them to sell out fast!
HOG® 59
Xxxxxxxxxxxx
UK & IRELAND
EVENTS
2018
GET ONLINE!
Discover previews and reviews in your monthly Insider and view pictures online at hogeuropegallery.co.uk
APRIL
27-30 THE CIDER RALLY Bridgwater Chapter bridgwaterhog.co.uk
MAY
11-14 IRON HORSE RALLY St. Leger Chapter ironhorserally.co.uk
18-20 BACK TO THE FOREST Sherwood Chapter sherwoodchapterrally.co.uk
25-28 VIP PARTY Red Rose Chapter redrosechapter.com
JUNE
2-5 IRELAND BIKEFEST irelandbikefest.com
8-11 THE GATHERING Clyde Valley Chapter www.clydevalleyhog.com
15-17 HOGS IN THE HAYFIELD Great Western Chapter greatwesternchapter.uk
JULY
20-22 PROUD TO BE RUTLAND RALLY Rutland Chapter rutlandchapter.co.uk
60 HOG®
26-29 EAST OF ENGLAND RALLY Fenlanders Chapter fenlandershog.co.uk
27-29 HEART 'N' SOUL RALLY Geordie Chapter geordiehog.com/rally
AUGUST
3-5 HOG 'N' BOG Belfast Chapter belfasthog.com
17-19 OLD SKOOL RALLY Nene Valley Chapter nenevalleyhog.co.uk
24-27 THUNDER IN THE GLENS Dunedin Chapter dunedinhog.co.uk
SEPTEMBER
14-16 HOGS AROUND THE ROCK Jersey Chapter jerseyhogs.co.uk
14-16 SPARKLE AND TWINKLE TOURS WEEKEND Ladies of Harley chapterreploh@harley-davidson.com chapterrepassociateloh@harleydavidson.com
28 - 1 OCT BLAZIN BIG TOP New Forest Chapter newforesthog.co.uk
DID YOU KNOW?
Thunder in the Glens is the largest H.O.G. chapter event in Europe?
It's that time of the year to get planning for 2018 and another fantastic year of Harley-Davidson chapter events across the UK & Ireland. It all kicks off in early April with The Cider Rally (27-30). This sell-out event, held at Kewstoke, Westonsuper-Mare on the coast, is followed by three further events that month.
June sees the return of Ireland BikeFest, now in its 12th year and better than ever. From then on there's a selection of events to choose from some large, some small. But all offer the opportunity to discover a new place and mingle with fellow H-D riders and H.O.G. members. So get planning now to avoid disappointment!
And with a new year comes a fresh challenge. The 2018 H.O.G. UK & Ireland National Chapter Challenge is a great way to get rewarded for all your road-based adventures throughout the year. Just ensure you're registered to participate in the H.O.G. Mileage Programme and that your chapter has included you in their membership listing on hog.com. Visit hog.com to learn more about the H.O.G. Mileage Programme and get racking those miles up. Extra points are awarded for pics taken at events in this listing. Email: chapterchallenge@ gmail.com
THE
BLACK EAGLE
SOARS
PART IV
SOUTH AMERICA
IV R O A D T R I P
Werner Frey's world tour continues with a trek through the diverse landscapes of South America
I left Switzerland at the start of July 2015 crossing the Mediterranean to Israel, continuing over the Sinai Peninsula to reach the continent of Africa, which I rode through to South Africa, then crossing Australia from west to east. I then landed in Santiago, Chile on January 6, 2016. My idea was to cross South America from south to north. Since Ushuaia, the most southerly city in the world, does not have a major airport, I was forced first to ride around 3,500km to the south to Tierra del Fuego before I could start my journey to Colombia.
backwards and forwards, I finally managed to take receipt of the Black Eagle from the shipping contractor and immediately set off southwards.
My first stay after leaving Santiago de Chile was at Hostal del Sur in Talca.
SOUTH FROM SANTIAGO
Santiago de Chile is a modern city and has modern infrastructure such as an underground, good hotels and a lively business district. Chile's good infrastructure was also the reason that I chose the country as my point of arrival in a new continent. Before I left Switzerland I knew that travelling through South America would be a challenge. The first problem I encountered was an administrative one, since the carnet de passage, the travel
The following day I took Ruta 5, the Chilean stretch of the Pan-American Highway, to Osorno. This town was then the starting point for my first crossing of the Andes via the Paso Cardenal Antonio Samore to Argentina. Christmas and New Year is also holiday season in the southern hemisphere, which meant that all the roads and customs offices were very busy. That meant I needed a lot of patience at the Los Lagos border crossing, where I had to join the longest queue I have ever seen in my life! The landscape in the region is breathtaking. I then reached San Carlos de Bariloche after travelling on some excellent winding roads.
document for the motorcycle, was not shipped with the Black Eagle despite it being firmly attached to the bike in Australia. This meant that I had to have the motorcycle approved for temporary import by the authorities. After eight days of
IN THE GRIP OF WINTER
In San Carlos de Bariloche, one of the main winter sports resorts in South America, I quickly noticed that the weather became cooler and wetter. I also had to combat strong side winds coming from the Andes, which meant that I was often leaning to one side when travelling in a straight line. The landscape in southern Argentina is dominated by enormous plains, which are bordered to the west by the Andes. There are very few people in southern Argentina and the villages are widely spaced, which meant that I had the roads almost to myself. I rode for thousands of kilometres in these
MAIN IMAGE: ALAMY
HOG® 63
IV R O A D T R I P
conditions, partly on unmetalled roads southwards on Ruta 42 Rio Gallegos before I finally reached the Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego. Tierra del Fuego is separated from the mainland by the Straits of Magellan, which are under Chilean sovereignty and are important for shipping in southern waters.
A FRIEND IN NEED
On the ferry to Tierra del Fuego I met a Japanese motorcyclist travelling round the world on a BMW GS 1200, who was also on his way to Ushuaia. He told me that the roads to Rio Grande were almost all unmetalled and wondered whether it would be possible to travel on them on a Street Glide®. I told him that I had travelled on far poorer roads in Africa.
After leaving the ferry we travelled together, and actually the Black Eagle was a joy to ride. Riding at up to 80kph we quickly travelled over the gravelled roads, some of which were quite hairy. At the Argentina-Chile border crossing at the Rio Grande we had to stop to complete the customs formalities, after which my Street Glide carried on as if it were unstoppable while my Japanese friend's GS broke down. We tried to mend his motorcycle together but failed. We soon realised there was nothing I could do to help get his bike back on the road so I
crazy, why didn't I ride round the world on an adventure bike and why it had to be a HarleyDavidson®. But once again I realised what a robust, comfortable bike I was riding and the only things I had to be careful of were potholes, grooves and speed bumps because of its low frame height.
decided to continue so I reached Rio Grande before sunset. It was a shame, of course, that we couldn't carry on together. During the evening my head was again full of everything people said to me before I set off, asking if I was
THE EDGE OF THE WORLD
In Rio Grande, after plenty of searching I found a comfortable hotel. The weather forecast was so good that I decided not to sleep in Ushuaia but to ride back to Rio Grande on the same day. Ushuaia is cold even in the southern summer, with the snow fields still reaching right down to the town; the filling station attendants have to wear fur caps to do their work. Ushuaia is a tourist town and is only around 1,000km from the Antarctic coast, which is why it is often used as a base for expeditions to the Antarctic.
Ushuaia was the turning point for my South America trip as I turned northwards from it. I took the same road back to Rio Gallegos as the one I had arrived on. Buenos Aires is around 3,300km from Ushuaia, and I decided to use the large Ruta National 3 because of the massive distance. On the one hand the barren landscape was fascinating, if rather monotonous. It made a bit of a change simply to see a filling station, a motel or an oil well.
I stayed for a few days with Marcel and Susan in Santa Clara del Mar, around 300km to the south of Buenos Aires, to recover from the long days I had spent riding up northwards. These two
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emigrated from Switzerland to Argentina a few years ago and run a guesthouse in Mar del Plata. They told me about the greater freedoms they enjoy here but also about the economic difficulties that Argentina is currently experiencing. I enjoyed the beautiful house and the excellent cooking, and we had great fun on the sandy beach.
town before I arrived back in the Andes mountains. The Argentinean Andes are dominated by barren landscapes, rust-coloured rocks and sand, and whole armies of cacti.
The Argentinean Andes are a dream for any
THE ARGENTINEAN ANDES
Until then I actually wanted to ride through Uruguay and Brazil to Bolivia, but the two of them convinced me that it would be worthwhile for the landscape to ride through northern Argentina. Because Argentina is a secure country to ride through and the roads in the north are good, I decided to take the route they suggested.
From Santa Clara del Mar I rode to Buenos Aires where my Black Eagle required another service after around 8,000km. The Street Glide® was still performing without the slightest problem and I was keen to find out whether the mechanics at Harley-Davidson® Buenos Aires would find anything wrong with it. Just like their colleagues in Cape Town and Sydney they found nothing unusual, and the Harley-Davidson team in Buenos Aires
motorcyclist hours of cornering and top-quality roads. I crossed the border into Bolivia at La Quiaca/Villazon. At this point I was generally riding at altitudes of 3,000 to 4,000 metres above sea level. Before I set off I gave a great deal of thought to whether my Black Eagle would suffer reduced performance in the Andes but, against expectations, the engine continued to perform superbly even at these altitudes.
was delighted to hear about how the bike was performing since I'd already ridden thousands of kilometres on poor roads and gravel tracks. After staying for two days in the Argentinean capital I continued northwards. The landscape was breathtaking, with rolling hills and massive green fields with enormous herds of cattle. Salta was the last large
SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS
This area is extremely sparsely populated and the villages were often just a few simple houses, which is why one evening I was unable to get to a town in time. It was simply too dangerous to ride over passes and through valleys during the night because lorries often drove at that time, frequently with inadequate lights, and the valleys were extremely dark since there was no moonlight on the road and therefore there was a great danger of me seeing potholes and other obstacles too late. That meant that I had no other choice than to spend the night in minus temperatures in an unheated emergency hut full of bugs around 4,000m above sea level. My reward for spending a rather poor night there was a spectacular sunset over the Andes.
I travelled through Potosi, Oruro and finally reached La Paz, the capital city of Bolivia,
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around 3,800m above sea level. I overcame the height difference between the flat land in Argentina and the mountainous country in Bolivia, but for a while the very slightest effort made me breathless. La Paz is the highest capital city in the world and I found it difficult to find my way around the place since the navigation system did not work in Bolivia. I then crossed the border into Peru at Desaguadero on Lake Titicaca. Throughout South America the border crossings always seem to be very busy and the controls and the paperwork they involve are very strict. I rode over the Peruvian passage through the Andes, which went up to around 4,500m above sea level in pretty poor weather. On one of these passes I met Dimitri, a real hardcore biker who knew his way around the Peruvian Andes passes very well and with whom I got on very well straight away, even though he spoke very little English and I spoke very little Spanish. His home in Arequipa was then my home for one night. Dimitri was the first biker for a long time that I had met during my trip over the Andes. While I was planning the trip I had assumed that this area would be a bikers' Eldorado and that I would meet lots of them here not so!
knocking noise in the engine. The Harley-Davidson® technicians in Lima were thrilled with the performance of my Black Eagle, and I was no longer surprised that they could find nothing to do other than a normal service. Although Harley-Davidson Lima had only been open for a few months, I was impressed with the competence of the staff there. The owner explained to me that the technical personnel had been trained in Mexico and had gained certification in stages from a technician to an engineer.
I continued over the Peruvian desert north towards Ecuador. I crossed the border near Piura and suddenly both the weather and the landscape changed massively. Suddenly everything was green, and on the high passes in the Andes I was generally riding through fog and rain, which meant that I hardly saw the peak of a mountain. That weather demoralised me a few times, causing me to ask why I was actually doing this to myself...
I was happy when I reached the equator just north of Quito because I knew that from now I was going back towards the coast. I crossed the border into Colombia near Tulcan and continued on the same day to reach Cali. In this metropolis close to the Pacific the weather was warm again, the rain had stopped and my mood had improved significantly.
BACK DOWN TO EARTH
After passing through a spectacular desert landscape I finally arrived at the Pacific and rode along the coast to Lima, the capital of Peru. The Black Eagle completed this demanding section of my journey without the slightest problem. I had ridden it in altitudes as high as 4,500m above sea level, and to my surprise it suffered absolutely no loss of power and no increased
END OF THE ROAD
Since there are no roads between South America and Central
America, I had been researching whether the ferry to Panama was
actually still operating. When I left Switzerland it was definitely
operating, which meant I would not have to change continent by
flying. When I reached Cali, however, it was clear that the ferry
operation had ceased, although I couldn't find out why. I decided
that rather than going to the port of Cartagena I would ride to
Bogota. I finally reached Bogota after 15,000km through South
America from Santiago via Ushuaia, on some fantastic roads and
through some spectacular passes.
If you only know Colombia from the media, you no doubt
assume that the country is rife with difficulties and crime, but
if you actually ride through the country you feel safe and the
people are friendly. The nature is varied and beautiful. Bogota
is a modern city with lots of high-rise buildings, and you
really get the impression that Colombia is booming.
In Bogota I decided not to fly to Panama but
to take a break on my trip around the world.
After a great bike party thrown by Harley-
Davidson Bogota on February 18, 2016,
I flew back to Cape Town to see
Marlies, the love of my life,
whom I had met on my trip
around Africa.
If you wish to
follow Werner as
his trip progresses,
TO BE CONTINUED...
visit his website at black-eagle.ch
68 HOG®
Regional profile
WELCOME TO THE TOUR DE FRANCE
France is a place packed with possibilities
for Harley-Davidson® riders, whether you are
looking for stunning landscapes, challenging
mountain roads or a trip into the past through
1
ancient towns and villages
Paris, the Côte d'Azur, the beaches of the Normandy Landings the list of must-visit places in France is endless, though some of the most interesting locations are perhaps less well-known. The south and east of France, and its west coast, have much to offer the traveller and there is no better way to explore them than by Harley-Davidson®...
1. HAUTE SAVOIE AND SAVOIE
The départment (French administrative region) of Haute Savoie, bordered by Switzerland in the north and Italy in the south, has some of the finest Alpine scenery in France.
Chamonix, dominated by Mont Blanc, offers year-round attractions, including skiing, climbing and hiking, perfect ways to work up an appetite for a mountain cuisine featuring fondues, raclette cheese and tartiflette, a rich, cheesy potato dish. Haute Savoie is also home to two famous lakes Lake Geneva, one of the largest in western Europe, and crystal-clear Lake Annecy offering visitors the choice of relaxing, semi-seaside locations or dramatic mountain routes.
Neighbouring Savoie offers legendary mountain passes including the Col de l'Iseran (the highest paved pass in Europe at 2,770 metres), the Col de la Madeleine, which has
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Regional profile
regularly featured in the Tour de France,
3
and the Col du Mont Cenis, which some
historians believe was used by Hannibal,
his army and elephants to cross the Alps.
If you are planning to visit by Harley®, be
warned: they are open only in summer.
Numerous glaciers, including Tignes
and the Grand Pissaillas, enable snow
lovers to ski 365 days a year and if the
white stuff is scarce, the local liquor will
soon cheer everyone up!
Harley-Davidson® has a strong presence
here. The Spirit of Eagle dealership in
Seynod, Haute Savoie, is one of the biggest
in Europe while the Alpes Spirit Chapter,
based in Annecy in Haute Savoie, is made
up of 175 members and organises many
day and weekend outings. All H.O.G.®
members are welcome to join the chapter
in discovering the region. Make a note in
your diary for July 2019, when the next
biannual Morzine Harley Days festival,
in which the chapter is closely involved,
takes place this year's four-day event
attracted some 80,00 visitors and
5
25,000 motorcycles.
2. LA PROVENCE VERTE
Bordered by the Sainte-Victoire Mountain to the west, la Provence Verte (the Green Province) in the Var department is said to have taken its name from its multitude of waterways, including the River Argens, and lakes.
Hit the road in Provence Verte, and you'll be taking a journey through French history. Brignoles became the preferred summer residence for the Counts of Provence back in the 13th century and hosts a medieval festival each August celebrating its heritage; Nans-les-Pins, with its reputation for clean air and a healthy climate, has long been a popular summer resort; the village of SaintZacharie is famous for its 16 fountains, fed by water from the local hills.
Plot a route across the Argens valley to discover Châteauvert, with its fine 17th-century church, Barjols, which boasts 30 fountains and 12 washhouses, and Correns and Pontevès, each built around a castle. Carcès is a superbly restored medieval city while the only castle of the Knights Templar in the Var department stands guard over Montfort-sur-Argens.
A visit to la Provence Verte must include
the Sainte-Baume mountain range and the town of Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, with its huge basilica and nearby grotto, where Saint Mary Magdalene was said to have lived as a hermit, a place of pilgrimage for centuries.
3. THE VERDON GORGE
Straddling the departments of Var and Alpes de Haute Provence, the gorge is a natural wonder, dug out by the Verdon river over thousands of years. A narrow, winding corniche circles the rim of the gorge, combining superb views and some hairpin bends. Starting at Moustiers Sainte
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2 Marie will take you on a round trip of around 90km to Trigance but take your
6. THE WEST COAST
The Atlantic coast is one of the less
time and stop off for a diversion or two
well-known or visited areas of France,
to explore historic villages, like Rougon
but there is much to discover from the
or La Palud sur Verdon.
seat of your Harley-Davidson. There is
great diversity here, from the granite
4. MONT VENTOUX
coasts of Brittany to the canals and countryside of `Green Venice', a large
Mont Ventoux, the `Giant of Provence', is
area of marshland that crosses the
the highest point of the Vaucluse Mountains départments of Vendée, Deux-Sèvres
at 1,911 metres. The summit is accessible by and Charente-Maritime, or the hairpin
road it has featured in the Tour de France bends of French Basque Country.
but be warned: strong winds are not
La Rochelle home to H.O.G's
uncommon, and may close the route. In
La Rochelle Atlantic Chapter, which
clear weather, a trip to the top will give an
celebrated its 20th anniversary in
exceptional panorama that includes the
September this year is a good
whole chain of the Alps, the Sainte-Victoire starting point for road trips, although
mountain, the Mediterranean Sea, the lower there's plenty to do and see in the
Rhone valley and even the Notre-Dame-de- town, including its historic port,
la-Garde in Marseille.
one of the largest aquariums in
Europe and cathedral.
5. `THE EAGLE'S NEST'
For example, the Three Islands Route will take you to the Ile de Ré,
Head inland from Nice, and there are as
where you can climb 257 steps to the
4 many attractions to be found as along the famous coastline. Take the steep,
top of the Phare des Baleines lighthouse for great views and its ports of Ars, Saint
hinterland roads and you'll discover
Martin and La Flotte, and then further
charming hilltop villages, valleys, the
south to the tiny island of Ile d'Aix, with
Mercantour Natural Park, Mount Bego
its links to Napoleon, and the Ile d'Oleron
and the Vallée des Merveilles.
with its fabulous beaches.
For amazing views, head for the
Or head south to Bordeaux from Le
medieval village of Èze, known as the
Phare de La Coubre lighthouse, which
`eagle's nest', perched some 420 metres
offers fantastic views that take in the
above sea level. Or climb even higher to
Gironde estuary, said to be the largest
picturesque Saint-Martin-Vésubie, 1,000
in Europe, and of the Côte Sauvage
metres above sea level at the foot of the
(Wild Coast) to Royan, where fine
Mercantour mountain range.
beaches face both the estuary and
Around 100km down the coast from
the open sea. Catch a ferry across
Nice is Grimaud, which will host the
the estuary, then head through the
Harley-Davidson Euro Festival from
vineyards of Medoc, on the banks
June 7-10, 2018. Tickets are due to go
of the Gironde, before arriving
6 on sale soon, so save the date.
in Bordeaux.
FIND YOUR NEAREST DEALERSHIP
There are more than 50 dealerships across France to find out where, visit h-d.com and click on `DEALER LOCATOR' at the top of the homepage.
HOG® 73
5MGUEJKPI
A self-proclaimed H-D® fan, awardwinning artist Mike Westley says that riding in the saddle is key to his inspiration
The culture surrounding HarleyDavidson® motorcycles inspiring music, films and the arts is no new idea. However, Mike Westley is an artist who uses his adventures on his beloved 2002 Road King® Classic to bring life to his paintings.
He has exhibited at a number of London and UK galleries as well as winning the Guinness Prize at the Royal Academy. However, Mike decided to combine his success as painter and his love for H-D® by basing an exhibition at Warr's Harley-Davidson. A few years ago, he turned his passion into a unique concept.
1SKIKPT
Mike can trace the urge to ride back to a family holiday. "When I was a student in 1968, I was doing some drawings in Cornwall on the harbour front when a couple rolled up on a motorcycle something just clicked." The world's fascination with the American Dream also fed into Mike's childhood.
"A lot of the television when I was growing up was American adventurebased, such as Westerns, Cannonball and Highway Patrol. It was always a land of dreams, with these massive landscapes and huge buildings. Everyone drove around on these exotic pieces of machinery that you didn't see anywhere else."
However, it wasn't until he found himself drinking with a group of American soldiers fresh out of Vietnam that he, like many other
Freswick Bay, Wester Ross, Scotland
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Travelling artist
riders, watched a film that would clinch the solidarity with Harley®. Of course, that film was Easy Rider, which they saw at midnight through a dense cloud of cigarette smoke. "I just watched the film mesmerised, it was a combination of the music and these great big Harley motorcycles."
+PUQUJG XKNFGSPGTT
As a landscape painter, Mike found riding his Harley to be the perfect way of taking in the world around him in every dimension. His paintings pull together silhouettes of inky structures with iridescent pools of colour, while others are intricate pencil sketches of cloth and figures. "Scotland is a particularly fantastic place if you're a painter. It's the colours you get the most extreme contrasts, white beaches and turquoise seas. I've seen blue beaches and almost black seas with silver waters. You get a lot of this black and silver effect with the water there."
Mike is also fascinated by the minutiae within a landscape the pebbles lying at the bottom of streams, the footpaths leading behind the mountains. "You get a sense of how big you are in the landscape: you're just a dot." Even the water navigating between the stones in a river has inspired Mike's paintings. Alongside this he loves using shadows cast by clouds to capture a sense of time and movement.
Rannoch Moor, Scotland Deforested Land at Black Mount, Scotland
(TC41FF/N6G* '
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Travelling artist
4QQOCUUJGKPP!
This freedom to explore in detail is aided by the fact that Mike's approach to travelling is very off the cuff. "Before I travelled to Scotland people told me: `It's so remote, you've got to book B&Bs before you go.'" However, he has yet to book before he sets off. "People are so helpful, they'll phone around and ask other people if they know anywhere you can stay." He lets his eye guide him when travelling on his Harley®: "If I see something interesting on the horizon the other way, then I go off that way."
The only places that warrant a bit of forward planning are the islands that lie off the coast of the highlands, including Skye. A good friend once told him a cautionary tale about a group of Scandinavian Harley riders who were stranded at night in the pouring rain only to find that every B&B on the island was full. With Scotland's recent `Most beautiful country in the world' status granted by Rough Guide readers, he's worried some preparation might be needed.
When it comes to pairing his love of travelling and H-D®, however, Mike had an offer he couldn't refuse. As a member of the H.O.G.® community, he had built a close bond with his local dealership, Warr's. "Warr's has been my dealer for many years, and I've retained that friendship with the Managing Director, John Warr."
6JGDKISGWGCN
The genesis of making the iconic UK dealer the location of his exhibition was an on-the-spot impulse. "I was standing there in the showroom and there were hundreds of spotlights it's an amazing showroom the motorcycles were all lit like rolling pieces of art." Mike uttered the fateful words "I think this might make a good art gallery", to which John simply
The Road To Wast Water, Cumbria. Oils and enamel paints on pastel board
Torridon, Wester Ross. Oils and enamels on pastel board
replied: "Then why don't you do it?" And that's how it started.
"In typical fashion with John, he just went all out to make the event something special." To add that touch of H-D familial care, John made sure the press were invited, there were people on the door handing out catalogues and, of course, champagne was served. "The exhibition could only run for two days, as opposed to the usual two weeks. We'd sent out hundreds of invites to people on John's mailing list which could have easily included rock stars!" Mike was over the moon with how his exhibition turned out in the Harley-Davidson showroom, but had no real expectation of sales. The only thing that could be certain about the guest-list was that they had bought motorcycles buying paintings is a completely different matter. "I had loads of riders saying they loved it and thought it was great. Considering we only ran it for two days, we sold four or five paintings."
Even with plenty of exhibitions and an H-D exhibit under his belt, Mike feels like there's more of the UK to explore. Watching the BBC's Coast series has added many more potential destinations to his list. He still feels like he hasn't seen it all. After such a successful exhibition at Warr's, who knows if a new H-D exhibition trend is on the horizon?
76 HOG®
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Chapter communications
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H.O.G. Europe, Middle East & Africa November 2017
Hogsback Chapter is highly active, writes Chapter Director Dell Evans, with one of the largest ride and event programmes of any chapter in the UK, and probably in Europe...
HogSback Chapter
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Dell Evans This year we will host at least 122 events from rides to parties to rallies and so communication is an essential part of how we operate [if you can beat that record, please let us know at hogmagazine.emea@harleydavidson.com Ed.]. Within the chapter we have various forms of communication we use depending on different circumstances.
For all new members we send welcoming emails upon joining, then we ensure at monthly club nights they are made to feel included with the rest of the club. We can all, I'm sure, recall that first time as a stranger in a room full of people who all seem to know each other it can be very daunting, so we help them though this stage with a `meet and greet' by our Membership Secretary and her partner, wearing very visible T-shirts stating: `If you're new talk to me!' We also, as part of our presentation each meeting, welcome them by name and point them out to rounds of applause.
Our website is the golden, single source of information about the chapter, and we try to make it the place everyone wants to visit by frequently posting news and (importantly) photos of rides and events we all want to see how good we look on our Harley®! There is a protected members' area that gives access to more detailed content. We provide basic ride details on the public section to try to stimulate interest, while protecting the detailed description, meeting place and timing details within the members' area. It's vital to keep it updated; things change, and we feel that having a single source helps. On the public page we also have links to other chapters and the HOGukandireland Facebook page.
Twitter is used as a means of notifying members of special news or changing details for example if a ride is cancelled this will be posted, or if we launch our annual party to advertise tickets.
Facebook is a powerful tool for communication, but it needs to be handled carefully. Our chapter, like many others, has had bad experiences with Facebook in the past, and it is essential to constantly monitor postings for offence, abuse and inappropriate messages. Our page is locked down to members only, though we will allow partners to access it upon request. We do not at this time post ride details on Facebook we always refer to the website to try to protect a single accurate source; also, not every member uses social media on a regular basis.
Our weekly e-shot is our most effective means of communication. It is emailed to each member every week, informing them of the coming week's rides in detail. It is maintained by our webmaster Czes Wicherek. Apart from ride information it contains news and current information, for example forthcoming weekend away rides, rooms available for events, national news from H.O.G., and to push ticket sales for events. We also loop in our Regional H.O.G. Consumer Experience Manager for information, and for further publicising as appropriate. The chapter is indebted to our webmaster, who puts in a massive amount of work to maintain all our electronic communications.
Our print newsletter is issued quarterly in a familiar format: articles from the Chapter Officers on their work, write-ups from the members on rides and events, and so on. We used to put this only on the website, but following members' requests we now print physical copies that can be picked up at club nights and left in our dealership for anyone to read and spread the word.
17 · November 2017
80 HOG®
Archives
Softail through the years
Classic looks coupled with modern technology have earned the HarleyDavidson® Softail® a place as one of the company's most iconic models
Although they are undoubtedly the most widely recognised HarleyDavidson® models with `hidden' rear suspension, motorcycles in the Softail® family were actually not the first Harley® bikes with shock absorbers mounted under the frame. The 1963
Scat and Pacer lightweight models each included a unique `Glide-Ride' rear suspension that consisted of two coil springs at the frame bottom that dampened the movement of the rear swingarm. The Glide-Ride rear suspension was also later utilised
on the BTH, or Bobcat, motorcycle. But these motorcycles were not nearly as sophisticated or popular as the machines generations of riders have come to know and love as `Softails'.
Fast-forward to the early 1980s, when Harley-Davidson Motor Company acquired a concept motorcycle from a design engineer named Bill Davis, who experimented with hidden rear shock absorbers on a Big Twin frame. Davis, along with Harley-Davidson's engineers, perfected the design with the 1984 FXST Softail
82 HOG®
Archives
"The Fat Boy® model has become one of the most famous motorcycles in the
history of cruisers"
model. The frame offered riders clean styling and the classic `hardtail' look, without sacrificing the comfort and handling of rear suspension. The placement of the horizontal gas-charged shock absorbers underneath the transmission also allowed for a lower seating position. Rounding out the vintage look was the return of the horseshoe oil tank, not used since the early 1960s. Introduced on the 1936 EL model, the horseshoe tank has become an important visual component of the classic HarleyDavidson look and is a signature design element of the Softail family through to present models.
In 1986, the Softail line resurrected the look of the 1950s with the FLST Heritage Softail model. The Heritage Softail motorcycle brought even more classic styling into the family with a Hydra-Glide-style front end. Today, the motorcycle remains in the product line as the Heritage Classic and has been completely redesigned for 2018.
The 1988 model year saw the introduction of the FXSTS SpringerTM Softail model, which combined Softail design and performance with the classic `springer' front end updated with disc brakes. The stylish front forks with exposed springs, known so well to Harley-Davidson customers from the 1920s through to the 1950s, was back, gleaming in chrome and complementing the clean Softail look.
For the 1990 model year, HarleyDavidson unveiled the iconic Fat Boy® motorcycle. One year prior, VP of Styling Willie G. Davidson rode a Fat Boy concept bike to Daytona Bike Week and received rave reviews. The original Fat Boy achieved its minimalistic look and feel with a striking monotone silver paint scheme, disc wheels and a wide, or `Fat', look, hence its name. The Fat Boy model has become one of most famous motorcycles in the history of cruisers. Even among non-riders, the bike is recognised for its appearance in the
1991 film Terminator 2: Judgment Day. One of the `T2' stunt bikes is now on display in the Harley-Davidson Museum® in Milwaukee.
Keeping with the theme of the Softail platform as a modern-day classic, Harley-Davidson introduced the FLSTS Heritage Springer® for the 1997 model year. This time, the 16-inch front wheel and full fender assembly last seen in 1952 were back, along with classic saddlebags, white sidewall tyres, a front fender light and `tombstone' tail-light.
In late 1999, the FXSTD Softail DeuceTM motorcycle was introduced for the 2000 model year. Perhaps the most radical of the Softail factory customs, the Deuce introduced a stretched gas tank, sleek chrome front fork sliders, an all-new rear fender and the Twin Cam 88BTM engine. It also introduced a new speedometer and centre gas tank panel, which would eventually make their way into the Sportster® model line.
Throughout the years, the Softail's versatility also served Harley-Davidson's Custom Vehicle OperationsTM (CVOTM) offerings with the 2004 Screamin' Eagle® Deuce and the 2005 FLSTFSE Screamin' Eagle Fat Boy models.
One of the most innovative
variations to the Softail motorcycle came with the RockerTM models for the 2008 model year. The Rocker's rear fender was attached to the swingarm, allowing them to be placed much closer together for a slammed, custom appearance without sacrificing suspension travel.
Also new for 2008 was the Cross Bones® model, which brought denim paint finishes, pinstriping, the springer front fork, and a blacked-out appearance all reminiscent of post-war bobber motorcycles. A retrofitted Cross Bones model made to look like a World War II Army WLA motorcycle was featured in the 2011 film Captain America: The First Avenger.
The Softail family stands today as one of the best-selling lines of motorcycles in Harley-Davidson history, and for the 2018 model year it has been reinvented with an all-new chassis. Mating authentic Harley-Davidson cruiser styling with a new mono-shock chassis rear suspension, the classic Harley-Davidson cruiser is reborn.
Photographs courtesy of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company Archives. Copyright H-D®.
HOG® 83
GET TO KNOW US
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOUR H.O.G.® CUSTOMER CARE CENTRE TEAM WITH A LITTLE Q&A...
ALICIA CASU
Customer Service Representative
SO, WHAT ARE YOU INTO?
FAVOURITE BAND: Enrique Iglesias / Sean Paul
FAVOURITE FILM: The Notebook, 2004
FAVOURITE HARLEY®: Fat Bob®
LANGUAGES SPOKEN: Italian, English
ALICIA'S BEST ADVICE: IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR H.O.G.® PACKAGE TO BE DELIVERED TO AN ADDRESS OTHER THAN THE ONE WE HAVE, PLEASE ENSURE YOU PROVIDE THE NEW ADDRESS BEFORE YOU EITHER RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP OR
ORDER THE ITEMS.
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that participating in them is a wonderful experience. You personally meet the members with whom you interact over the telephone and by email I find that a thrilling prospect! There are members from all over the world, and I find it fascinating to share their different feelings and the enthusiasm each one conveys in real life.
Q: What is the most frequent request made by the members, and what is the answer?
Q: How long have you been with the H.O.G.® Customer Care Centre team?
A: I started in my position in May 2017. I enjoy being part of the team we all come from different countries and everybody is kind, friendly and helpful. I work mostly with the Italian market.
Q: Describe a typical day at the office?
A: We start work at 8am (Irish time), which is when telephone lines start operating. Each person handles emails and calls in his or her language; for instance, I reply to emails in Italian, and when I have gone through all of them, I answer emails written in English. The workload varies on a daily basis, depending on the number of calls and emails we receive. Regarding calls, I answer both Italian and English calls. I find it interesting to communicate in English with members of all nationalities. There are also German, Spanish, Dutch and French operators; we are therefore very well equipped to answer any member queries!
Q: How many events have you been to?
A: I haven't yet had the opportunity to participate in an event, but I genuinely hope to attend one in 2018. Colleagues who have already been to H.O.G.® events have told me
A: The most frequent request I receive is how to renew a membership. Many members wish to renew their membership through the H.O.G. website, and at times they do not succeed in doing so because they have not created a personal profile. Therefore, when they call me, I help them over the telephone to create a profile on the hog.com webpage.
Sometimes members want to renew their membership online and, instead of renewing it, they register as new members by mistake. This can generate a new duplicate membership, and consequently mean that the renewal package is not ordered. My colleagues and I are always happy to renew or create memberships over the telephone.
Q: What do you like most about working in the H.O.G. family?
A: I like the atmosphere conveyed by the members. I feel their strong and intense passion for H.O.G. and I find it deeply moving. Before I joined the team, I would never have thought of becoming a member of the Harley Owners Group®, but talking to members makes me long to share this passion.
Now I too can say that I share your H.O.G. passion. I too anxiously waited for my welcome package to arrive, so I can perfectly understand what our members experience. On receiving it, I was delighted to open it, and while opening the envelope I thought of all the members who receive their envelope for the first time. Now I proudly flaunt my patch and the H.O.G. eagle pin on my jacket.
I would also like to add that it is inspiring to hear that some members want to convey their passion to their future descendants. For instance, a member once called me saying that he wanted to gift a lifetime membership to his grandchild who was to be born in a few days. He told me that he hoped that some time in the future they would experience the same enthusiasm for the Harley-Davidson® brand.
Q: What activities do you like to do in your free time?
A: I like to keep fit I certainly don't lack physical exercise! On weekdays I practise spinning, aerobics and swimming, and I enjoy relaxing in the sauna at the end of a day's work. When the weather allows it here in Ireland, I like to step out and explore the island during my leisure time. I love walking, visiting new places, learning about Irish history and listening to the different accents of the Irish people.
Q: What's your favourite holiday destination?
A: I don't have just one favourite place. However, I must say that I love sunny places. I am proud to be Sardinian, and I love my home island of Sardinia. I particularly enjoy travelling; I am convinced that every country has something unique and special to offer, regardless of warm or cold weather. However, when I book a journey, I invariably choose exotic places that feature tourist attractions and historical sites.
Q: Are you a rider?
A: I was honoured to sit on a Harley® once, and the experience was wonderful but I didn't ride it. I hope some kind member will allow me to try theirs at the next event I attend.
Join us next issue to meet another member of the Customer Care Centre team...
H.O.G.® International
CUSTOMER CARE CENTRE
FOR ALL MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES: Email us: customerservices@hog-europe.com Visit online: hog.com
SPEAK TO THE TEAM: 00 800 1111 2223
FREEPHONE available in Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and United Kingdom. Freephone number only available from landlines not available via mobile phone.
00 44 20 8891 9088 (from all countries)
OPENING HOURS: Monday-Friday 08.00-17.00 (GMT)
VIRGINIA SUESCUN
Account Manager
AARON CONLON
Team Manager
YANNICK FOULON
Fulfilment Manager
THOMAZ ATTISANO LOPES
Administrator
RAMIL TINGZON
Administrator
ADRIANO BAGNI
Customer Service Representative
ALICIA CASU
Customer Service Representative
ALIX LEMOINNE
Customer Service Representative
FRANCESCA PASETTO
Customer Service Representative
ANNA PUDICA
Customer Service Representative
DIRK SCHMITTE
Customer Service Representative
YESSICA SOGLIANI
Customer Service Representative
ARTHUR VAN NUNNIKHOVEN
Customer Service Representative
MEMBERSHEEP
Mascot
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MEET THE TEAM
AS WELL AS A MILLION FELLOW H.O.G.® MEMBERS AROUND THE WORLD, THERE IS A TEAM OF PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE YOU ENJOY EVERY SECOND OF YOUR HARLEY-DAVIDSON® MOTORCYCLE AND YOUR H.O.G.® MEMBERSHIP...
H.O.G.® CENTRAL
TREVOR BARTON
Regional Consumer Experience Manager, International
GEMMA KIRBY
Operations Specialist
H.O.G.® MANAGERS
BEV ENGLISH
Event Manager
VICKI CLARIDGE
Finance Manager
SARAH LEWIS
Marketing Programs and Jeep Brand Alliance Project Manager, International
MARJORIE RAE
UK & Ireland Regional H.O.G.® & Consumer Experience Manager
STEPHANE SAHAKIAN
France Regional H.O.G.® & Consumer Experience Manager
BJORN MARTIN SOLBERG
Nordic Region Regional H.O.G.® & Consumer Experience Manager
SERGEY KAMENEV
Commonwealth of Independent States Regional H.O.G.® & Consumer Experience Manager
LISA WACHA
Germany Regional H.O.G.® & Consumer Experience Manager
SIMONE MERCANTI
Italy Regional H.O.G.® & Consumer Experience Manager
TO BE CONFIRMED
South East Europe Regional H.O.G.® & Consumer Experience Manager
SUE NAGEL
South Africa Regional H.O.G.® & Consumer Experience Manager
TIM KOEDIJK
Benelux Regional H.O.G.® & Consumer Experience Manager
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FLORIAN RUEBARTSCH
Switzerland and Austria Regional H.O.G.® & Consumer Experience Manager
ROSS CHAMBERS
Central Eastern Europe Regional H.O.G.® & Consumer Experience Manager
LUIS DA SILVA
Middle East & North Africa Regional H.O.G.® & Consumer Experience Manager
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