UK & Ireland exclusive: Chapter News

ALL THE LATEST H.O.G. CHAPTER NEWS FROM THE UK & IRELAND

Harley-Davidson to take over Coronation Street?
Did you read our article about the grand opening of Manchester Harley-Davidson in the June edition of Insider and the celebrity guests from a well-known cobbled street in Wetherfield who helped with the opening?

Well, we have an exciting update as Alan Halsall (Tyrone Dobbs) and Andy Whyment (Kirk Sutherland) now have their very own Harley-Davidson^® motorcycles and five other actors from The Street were so impressed that they now want to get their bike licences too. Coronation 'Street 750'?

 

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Bridgwater Chapter in Prague!

Months before the big 115th Anniversary celebrations in Prague, the Bridgwater Chapter decided to see if we could get all the Brits together on the Saturday night. 

I sent a message to all the Chapters letting them know what we were going to try to do and to let them know that there was going to be a Hawaiian theme! Not knowing how many we would get, I was feeling apprehensive. Would anyone dress up? To my surprise – that Saturday night there must have been near to 200 guys and gals in front of the Hard Rock stage - the majority of them dressed in brightly coloured Hawaiian-themed fancy dress. 

I felt very proud to be part of such a great group of like-minded people. To top if off we sang the national anthem, which was amazing, giving many that were there goosebumps.

I’ve been to many European rallies over the past 20 years and this was definitely one of the best. A brilliant venue and attended by many. I would like to say a huge thanks to everyone that made the effort to dress up and join in with the Bridgwater fun and frolics. Here's to many more!

Gill Mogg (Moggy)
Bridgwater Chapter

 

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St. Leger in Prague

I do love a good European road trip and boy this must be the best yet.

Hi, my name is Jane Foster. I ride pillion with my husband and partner in crime, Lee Foster and we are members of St Leger UK Chapter. We are privileged to own a 2017 black Road Glide and we definitely live to ride.

Our trip to Prague started at 5am, Sunday July 3. We set off to meet our St Leger UK friends, Debbie and Vic Smith and Carl and Tracy Halstad, at Wooley Edge services. As it was still early roads were relatively empty, so it was a steady tootle with a couple of petrol stops until we reached Folkestone to catch the Eurotunnel to Calais. 

Once we reached Calais we set off to our first stop, Bruges. What a beautiful city. After a few local beers we ventured into the old square for food, culture and drink.

Our next stop was a lunch stop at The Biker Ranch in Germany. Then on to Konigswinter for an overnight stop. Not so much to do here but we did find a restaurant boat that we sat in and watched the boats and jet skis bombing around.

Next stop was Nuremburg. On one of our petrol stops we met some very friendly French people and some lovely guys from Saudi Arabia who asked us to take a picture of them with their chapter flag. The French chapter flag came out and so did our St Leger flag. After a few laughs and chats about where everyone was from we all said, “goodbye and maybe see you in Prague”. I think that it’s amazing how one thing in common can get everyone talking. On to Nuremberg. The hotel was packed with Harley-Davidson riders.

The next morning, we were moving on to Prague. The sun was blazing as we arrived. We checked in and after a few drinks decided to go to the event site. We had to go on the tram to the rally site as we were stopping in a hotel in the city, but it was interesting on the tram. It was also full of Harley bikers doing the same as ourselves.

The site was very big. I don’t think we managed to walk around the whole site on that day, but we were going to be there for a few days, so we took it steady. We went back to the hotel for a good rest that night. I think we needed it after all the traveling we had done, it was finally time to relax a little. 

Friday morning, we decided to do a little bit of sightseeing in Prague. It started to drizzle but that didn’t put us off. We walked to the Old Town Square and walked across the Charles Bridge. Amazing statues, people selling their goods and lots of bikers were walking around. After taking some photographs, Lee and I decided to sit in a restaurant and watch the world go by. We were just getting settled when a Jersey Chapter member asked us to be in a picture that someone was taking of them, we obliged and after an afternoon/evening of drinking and eating with the Jersey Chapter, we are now firm friends with them and have arranged to go to their rally in 2020.

Saturday saw us lining up in the street to see the big Parade, which I must say was awesome. Seeing people shouting, clapping and cheering the bikers on really did make me smile. Once the procession had finished we decided to take a boat trip down the canal to see the sites. In the evening we ventured to the rally site again to meet up with the rest of the UK Chapters. Gill Mogg from Bridgewater Chapter had arranged for us all to meet outside the Hard Rock Cafe bar and we all had to wear a Hawaiian shirt. What a sight. “Moggy” then got us all together for pictures to be taken. 

As the football was on someone started singing the national anthem and everyone joined in. It was a memory that I won’t forget in a hurry and I do have to say it brought a tear to my eye. People started to disperse and we went to see some of the bands that were playing, and then went back to the hotel. On the Sunday some of us decided to go for a little ride to The Church of Bones in Kutna Hore, just a little way out of Prague. It was very interesting and well worth the visit.

Monday came too quickly and it was time to make the homeward journey. So off we went, stopping back at Nuremburg. The hotel wasn’t as full this time. We had a lovely meal and a night of culture, bed and then set off in the morning with an amazing trip following The Rhine to where it meets the Mozell. Hills with fairytale castles dotted about, beautiful villages with pretty buildings that I thought only existed in Disney films. Our destination for that night was Koblenz. A little walk took us along the river to where the chairlifts are, and we stopped for a bit to eat in a little quirky restaurant.   

Our next stop was Dinant. Another little town with lots to see. They have a bridge here with saxophones on in colours that represent different nations. To see it at night was a pleasure. Just one night at Dinant and then we were off to our final destination of Calais. The Calais hotel is near the Eurotunnel. After checking in, I was a little tired so I went to lie down. Lee and Carl went for a ride down the Normandy Coast (which is another tour I would like to do).

We caught the Eurotunnel and arrived in Folkestone earlier than expected, so we decided to take a trip into London and have our lunch at The Ace Café. After sausage and mash, we set off on our last stint home. A couple of petrol stops on the way up the motorway and home.

11-days. 2,500 miles door-to-door and an amazing time with our amazing traveling buddies. I can’t wait to do it again. Killarney here we come, with a few other rallies in-between.

Jane Foster
St. Leger Chapter

 

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Black Mountains sample the craic at Ireland Bikefest
It’s not every weekend that you cover hundreds of miles, deal with rider incidents and broken bikes but still manage to laugh until you cry and make lifelong friendships. That folks, kind of summarises my inaugural H.O.G. Rally!

We left Swansea Harley-Davidson at midnight for the hours ride to Pembroke Dock in what can only be described as a monsoon. 

I’m halfway through completing my Marshall and Road Captains training and am eternally grateful to the more experienced Black Mountains road crew and their invaluable tips. For the ferry crossing take an old tea towel to protect your tank from the straps, and with it being so wet, the floor of the Ferry is truly like an ice rink so be careful – tips that saved both me and my trusty Sportster from certain doom.

Pack a separate bag of essentials for the crossing that you can quickly grab as once under sail, you don’t get access to your bike. Again, a really good tip as the loading process is hurried with bikes and cars everywhere, quite stressful if you’ve not experienced it before. On a personal note it’s helpful to take some spare earplugs as I think Harley men take tips from their pipes when it comes to snoring!   

Once we’d docked in Rosslare I was surprised by the speed in which we disembarked. Another good – although unglamorous tip – don’t  leave it to the last minute to have a wee, there simply won’t be time!

It has always been a dream of mine to own a Harley-Davidson^®, and also to visit Ireland so combining the two was a match made in heaven. The weather was very kind to us Black Mountain Chapter folk as we rode across Ireland taking in beautiful views and stopping at lovely towns for refreshments. Breakfast in New Ross, and breaks in Dungarvan, Tallow, Mallow and Rathmore before arriving at Killarney. All the locals were so welcoming and there were numerous photoshoots of the bikes. 

It was at one of these little towns that one of our members fell ill, but the meticulous planning of the road crew prior to the trip again shone through. In addition our allocated Incident Officer (who is also first aid trained) dealt with the rider,  with me assisting as an FBoS trained rider. Locals also leapt to our aid, calling the local GP and assisting the ambulance crew and then offering to store his bike.

Lessons learned for my future ride outs, always plan, and have a B and C plan just in case. Identifying the strengths in your crew will help, allocate them roles accordingly and always expect the unexpected. It’s also a really good idea to get some training both in first aid and how to manage scenes of accidents.

With spirits slightly dampened we carried on, but on hearing that the rider was doing well (via our Intercom systems) we soon turned to enjoying the Craic! I’m not sure what sticks in my mind the most. The BikeFest village with such a fabulous atmosphere, the camaraderie of the Chapter members, the friendly banter with the non-H.O.G. members and the beautiful star lit sky – and all that before I had even gone on a ride out!

The Sunday morning Parade was out of this world. Hundreds of bikes, roaring through the town to the cheering spectators. Emotions were running high, especially as we were riding in memory of a recently passed Chapter member and flying his flag, epitomising the spirit of the Chapter and its family.

The scenery was magnificent, the Ring of Kerry, Ladies View and Molls Gap. Coming from a Welsh hill farm I didn’t think such views could impress me. How wrong could I be. It’s also difficult to put into words how welcoming  everyone was. I was delighted to meet the very lovely Fiona Carroll, the Road Captain who led the rides with such competence and her fabulous smile. 

The one thing which has been drummed into me is you never overtake a Road Captain, and so when I happened upon her walking to her bike to lead the ladies ride I dutifully hung back, while she jogged in front of my bike. I’m not sure that’s what my Road Captain expected but I wasn’t taking any chances!

The Ladies of Harley ride was spectacular in its scenery and in the cakes we ate at Avoca in Molls Gap, an excellent choice and a chance to meet other ladies - one who had travelled all the way from France. The power of social media meant that I came home from Killarney with a lot more like-minded lady rider friends than I went out with.

On the subject of social media, pre-ride two facebook messenger groups had been set up. One was for the general planning, chats and almost frenzy of excitement leading up to departure. This was also invaluable for keeping in touch with each other while at Bikefest, as we were in different hotels in and around Killarney. The other was an ICE (in case of emergency) with just names and contact details of next of kin. A simple but very effective tool when things possibly go awry.

Unfortunately for my brother, who had tried to pass as a Lady of Harley despite his green goatee beard, this was the end of his tour when his wheel bearings took a turn. Although there was an issue with the bikers code as I swept passed him with a cheery wave we couldn’t have asked for more help in getting him, his partner and the bike back home. The lady in the Waterford Harley-Davidson marquee could not do enough for us, and we were astounded by the generosity of Fiona’s parents for the transport back to Rosslaire. Irish eyes were truly smiling.

So too soon, the last night  was upon us, another superb band and some truly amazing dance moves! I couldn’t believe that the weekend had gone so fast, and the ride back to the ferry was already here. 

It was a beautiful day, warm and sunny and I was grateful again for my pre tour tips. Always take water and some nutty bars, or other suitable energy food. Dehydration and lack of energy leads to lack of concentration, which on unfamiliar roads can be a real danger. Wet wipes are also a really good idea for a freshen up and if you use intercoms try not to laugh so hard at the banter that you nearly fall off your bike! And finally don’t leave your lights on when you go for ice cream – ooops!

Even the ferry ride home provided a highlight when I met with the lovely ferry Captain, himself a biker who a few weeks previously led a 700-mile charity ride out for disadvantaged children, what a legend.

So where do I go from here? You’ll be pleased to hear all our riders are now fit and healthy and my brother’s bike is fixed. Another trip to Ireland Bikefest 2019 is an absolute definite. It will give me another chance to meet up with my new Irish friends and sample more amazing Killarney hospitality. And who knows, I may be leading the next one!

Meriel Symons
Black Mountains Chapter