Does H.O.G.® need to change?

[Omaniac]

Originally Posted by AusHDKid

Fark, in Sydney, a HOG ride means you are over 40, and follow road signs likt they are gospel. In fact, all HOG rides are stipulated that the group must ride atleast 10km/h LOWER than the speed limit...

Its like watching grannys riding together...

Don't get me wrong, most of the guys are good blokes, we at work are heavily involved with the HOG crew, but their rides are apparently more boring than batshit....

The average age of bikers (all types) is now around 40 years. As for the rest of your statement, that's pretty much how I used to view ALL Davidson drivers when I was riding my 143 HP Yamaha Fazer.
With the exception of the Rod, Harleys are not racebikes. Sure you can drive them "fast", but it's not half as fun as on a proper sports bike.

[toybox99615]

Well HOG has a few other benefits that are hard to beat. Fly-n-ride for one is a great deal. My last rental in Brisbane (where we went over 100k/h) cost me a third less than it cost other to just use Harley rentals. That save me over $ 700 for the three weeks.

I'm sure some folks will never use any of the benefits and some use all of them.

My one concern is that your membership is tied to you vin number when you join. My bike went up in flames but HOG still uses the old vin number. And truth be told I suppose I could still belong to HOG even if I did not get another Harley to ride.

I once watched an argument going on at a HOG ride. One of the riders just bought a new brand XXX. He had been a HOG member and still owned several Harleys. But that night he showed up with new toy. Came time for the ride and he was told he could not ride with the group as it was not a Harley. After a long dispute with questionable decisions being made it fell back on the ride was for HOG members. The ride did not say you had to ride a Harley to participate. THe rider with the brand XXX was the Harley dealer.

[NHMongo]

Originally Posted by toybox99615

Well HOG has a few other benefits that are hard to beat. Fly-n-ride for
I once watched an argument going on at a HOG ride. One of the riders just bought a new brand XXX. He had been a HOG member and still owned several Harleys. But that night he showed up with new toy. Came time for the ride and he was told he could not ride with the group as it was not a Harley. After a long dispute with questionable decisions being made it fell back on the ride was for HOG members. The ride did not say you had to ride a Harley to participate. THe rider with the brand XXX was the Harley dealer.

My chapter actually said it was ok for me to lead a ride on a spare Beemer I had after I crashed the King. I didn't wind up doing the ride because my knee was too sore but that was pretty cool regardless. My SO who is a die hard BMW rider said she was going to hide in the bushes and take a pic of that to post on a Beemer forum she frequents.

[nessus]

Originally Posted by toybox99615

Well HOG has a few other benefits that are hard to beat. Fly-n-ride for one is a great deal. My last rental in Brisbane (where we went over 100k/h) cost me a third less than it cost other to just use Harley rentals. That save me over $ 700 for the three weeks.

I'm sure some folks will never use any of the benefits and some use all of them.

My one concern is that your membership is tied to you vin number when you join. My bike went up in flames but HOG still uses the old vin number. And truth be told I suppose I could still belong to HOG even if I did not get another Harley to ride.

I once watched an argument going on at a HOG ride. One of the riders just bought a new brand XXX. He had been a HOG member and still owned several Harleys. But that night he showed up with new toy. Came time for the ride and he was told he could not ride with the group as it was not a Harley. After a long dispute with questionable decisions being made it fell back on the ride was for HOG members. The ride did not say you had to ride a Harley to participate. THe rider with the brand XXX was the Harley dealer.

We have a member that has several bikes of different makes .noone bats an eye when he shows up on one of his other bikes.

[killerbob]

Originally Posted by nessus

We have a member that has several bikes of different makes .noone bats an eye when he shows up on one of his other bikes.

It all comes to WHO's in the chapter

[03flstfi]

Originally Posted by nessus

We have a member that has several bikes of different makes .noone bats an eye when he shows up on one of his other bikes.

As is ours... one of the Chapter guys rides a goldwing with the drop-down wheels (Training wheels) in addition to his electra-glide.

Yeah, we give him **** for it, but sucker let me ride it one day... now I want one too... dammit...

Another member rides his Hayabusa to chapter events...

Both are great guys, and really, we dont give a sh!t what they ride.

[FL_HIGHLANDER]

I'm gonna stick my neck out here and respectfully disagree with you. I fully understand HD's desire to keep it all Harley. I don't think it's out of snobbery or eleteism. I think its about brand loyalty. Like any other club there are perks that belong solely to the club and don't need to be shared.

If you want to ride with everyone thats ok, Join the SCRC (southern cruisers riding club) http://www.southerncruisers.net They don't care what you ride and have chapters just about everywhere you might find yourself. You can then tout the advantages of HD there along with everyone else on an HD.

JMHO

[Mr-Jester]

With over 1 million members in 2006, I don't believe HOG needs to change it's business model. When I was growing up I don't remember young men dreaming about owning a rice burner...the dream was a Harley-Davidson. At 50, I realized my dream!

[8-Ball]

Originally Posted by Lefty

The last time I rode on a HOG ride several leather clad dentists and attorneys went down in front of me but I was able to escape hitting them. I checked to see that they were ok, then rode off alone into the sunset vowing never to have anything to do with the group again. Been true to my word to date, but I'll keep my national membership - I like the publications and the once annual road service I've used one time each of the last three years - I do ride a Harley . . . .It seems to like riding on the back of a truck once in a while. . . .

Lefty
big motorcycle
very noisy
shiny too
but now decomissioned for the winter . . .

What is this annual road service? I've never used it...

I'm sitting here with my renewal letter and trying to decide whether I want to cancel.

I don't like the meetings, just not my cup of tea. I'd rather ride with friends or alone. I also find that most of the members are old and fat. This was not my dream either.

So I usually park my Harley near a group of crotch rockets on the road and start up a conversation with the young and beautiful.

I do like the 10% off parts at my local dealer that the national HOG membership provides me.

The road service, the one time I needed it, was a joke... suppose it would be okay if I broke down in town. I've since added my bike to my AAA road service plan.

[Ultra89Rider]

Originally Posted by 8-Ball

What is this annual road service? I've never used it...

I'm sitting here with my renewal letter and trying to decide whether I want to cancel.

I don't like the meetings, just not my cup of tea. I'd rather ride with friends or alone. I also find that most of the members are old and fat. This was not my dream either.

So I usually park my Harley near a group of crotch rockets on the road and start up a conversation with the young and beautiful.

I do like the 10% off parts at my local dealer that the national HOG membership provides me.

The road service, the one time I needed it, was a joke... suppose it would be okay if I broke down in town. I've since added my bike to my AAA road service plan.

8 Ball,
I have been a HOG member from the beginning. I have helped start two local chapters. I am not, at the present time, a local chapter member. I enjoy the information that National HOG provides. I too have my motorcycle on my AAA. I have never used the HOG towing service. I think that if you need a tow and use the HOG Road Service, you pay for it and get reimbursed. That is unless HOG sends one of their contract tow company

If you are in HOG just for the local chapter, you don't need to be a member for the rides. You can go on them. You just don't have a voice in the direction the chapter is conducted.

I became a Life member so I never had to pay the yearly fee ever again. I just get the information, pins, and patches. It is the best of both worlds. No bill for membership. If you have been a member for 10 years, I think you get a discount on the Life fee. I did. I don't think it changed. Then the only annual fee you will be asked for is the local fee, if you decide to join.

Good luck.

[albertmangled]

Originally Posted by nessus

My gf is like 4 ft 11 and about 90 lbs soaking wet.She loves to ride but isnt even able to hold up a ridley.She is an associate member and loves riding on the back with me and hanging out.Should they kick her out if she wont buy a harley?

sounds like she is already a member (albeit with only associate status)...

to me it sounds like thats as far as she's going to get without owning a bike....

to be a full member I think you (quite rightly so) have to OWN a Harley....

as for whether ppl should be "allowed" to ride other brands on a HOG run....

why not?

though I must admit I dont have any interraction with my local HOG chapter whatsoever.

[Ultimate Bagger]

I try to stay away from debatable topics as a rule.

But, I'm a HOG member and rarely ride on the rides due to safety. I don't really like riding with strangers unless I've had a few miles to feel them out.

HOG is a click all to it's own. I have, like most been riding for over 35 years and these folks that are in HOG have just discovered riding, I think someone called them weekend warriors. My problem is first safety, then they diss you like you are a newbie and you need to beg to be apart of their click. My buds and me are just fine not sewing on a patch that states how many miles we've ridden.

We just ride.

No flames please.

[RABNTN]

Originally Posted by Softglider

HOG is a click all to it's own. I have, like most been riding for over 35 years and these folks that are in HOG have just discovered riding, I think someone called them weekend warriors. My problem is first safety, then they diss you like you are a newbie and you need to beg to be apart of their click. My buds and me are just fine not sewing on a patch that states how many miles we've ridden.

We just ride.

No flames please.

Hey there Softglider...having been active in local HOG, my opinion differs from yours, so as you requested, this isn't a "flame", rather the other side of the coin...(though it's sorta hard to request "No flames please" when you're flaming local HOG Chapters pretty good.)

You need to find a Chapter other than the one you describe. I know for a fact that within 35 miles of me are 3 Chapters that are the opposite of what you state - obviously, if you felt the need to beg to be a part of a clique, then it's a lousy Chapter.

On the flip-side of things, I have seen new members (but self-proclaimed "longtime riders") come in and begin telling everyone what is wrong with the Chapter...and more than half the time, it's "they" who have trouble understanding why we have and enforce safety protocol (i.e.-staggered formation, use of hand signals, pre-ride safety briefings). It's these "long-time" riders that tend to wander all over the lane, and then get all pizzed off when a Road Captain coaches them.

I have never seen anyone in our Chapter wearing a patch proclaiming how many miles they've ridden - and we have 35 to 40 members that ride from 12 to 40 thousand miles a year. We just ride too...and have a hellava lot of fun doing it!

Ridin' regards,
RABnTN

[davidtn]

Yea...What RABNTN said.

[Lefty]

Originally Posted by 8-Ball

What is this annual road service? I've never used it...

I'm sitting here with my renewal letter and trying to decide whether I want to cancel.

I don't like the meetings, just not my cup of tea. I'd rather ride with friends or alone. I also find that most of the members are old and fat. This was not my dream either.

So I usually park my Harley near a group of crotch rockets on the road and start up a conversation with the young and beautiful.

I do like the 10% off parts at my local dealer that the national HOG membership provides me.

The road service, the one time I needed it, was a joke... suppose it would be okay if I broke down in town. I've since added my bike to my AAA road service plan.

I've not had problems with the HOG road service in or out of town. Haven't had to pay the tow company a penny to take my bike to the nearest dealer, three times in the last four years (gettin' better - only once in the last two years with the FatBoy and that turned out to be a loose battery cable connection). How much is it to add towing to your AAA?

Lefty