I'm a pretty green rider and had my first HOG ride a couple of weeks ago down south through the national park, across the Sea Cliff Bridge to Shellharbour. It was a big group (up to 100 bikes) and frankly for me a bit of a thrill. Everyone I spoke with was pretty good and it was well organised and safe. I'll do one of the Youth on the Streets rides this month as well. Maybe I'll grow out of it as I get more experienced but so far so good. The best social riding group anywhere though is via this forum.
Posted By Phantom on 08 Mar 2010 7:28 PM
On balance, HOG is a great concept. And I enjoy some of what it provides. But it just seems to attract wood ducks and wannabes. You just have to seperate the good from the bad. Like most things in life I guess.
I'd agree with this line of thinking
since our sponsering dealer went bust and HOG tried to shut us down, we found out the organisers of the chapter made it a Inc. body, so now we are not a official HOG chapter but a group of Harley riding enthuseists, we are all international members, some of our group have joined the Adelaide chapter, we have lost a couple of members that didn't get along with everyone but thats teir choice,
the main thing is WE ARE ALL STILL RIDING
Soapbox, i bought a new bike from the above-mentioned dealer and as such was offered a membership to the HOG chapter you speak of, i agree that it looks good on paper. After recieving emails and news letters regarding planed rides etc i looked further into it and was put off by the idea of some clown wearing an appropriate patch leading and dictating the pace of the ride. (correct me if im wrong please) I have seen you guys in action at the recent car/bike show , i found it hard not to laugh as some hobbit like character strutted into the bar wearing a leather vest covered in badges, im not sure why SOME HOG members feel it nesecary to adopt such an attitude. Im glad you guys are all still riding as for me thats what its all about.
Barney.
I doubt that it's reasonable to blame the local HOG committee for the weather but I wasn't there so I won't make judgements. As far as the rest of the comments, it's just the same old same old............... heard it all before........ everybody quick to criticise but slow to put their hand up and get involved in helping to organise anything more difficult than finding their next beer.
Having just done my first HOG State Rally in WA I can say that it was brilliantly organised, excellent route, top quality company, superb food and luckily supported by 3 days of 35 degrees. Lots of genuine support and great humour from the Albany HOG guys and a lot of excellent visitors from interstate. It was a blast, best long weekend I've had for years. Haven't heard the slightest criticism from anyone yet.
Don't let me spoil this post though.....................
I'm VERY surprised to hear a bad comment about the Tassy Rally as everyone I know who went said it was fantastic! That's with the exception of 50 plus degrees on the Nullarbor riding home! I really think that some people need to be a little more open-minded in their comments. Bucket already
hates my guts because I'm a HOG member yet he's never met me. I won't lose a lot of sleep over it though!!! )
Being a member of HOG doesn't imply anything about a person and nor does it EXCLUDE every other way of riding! I enjoy riding with mates with any brand of bike and I like riding alone too. All folk on 2 wheels have a love of riding so I won't be putting shit on any of them. I WILL put shit on
people with tunnel vision though!!!
I really don't know where you guys are coming from!!! We have NOTHING like this behaviour in Perth! The Road Captains DO NOT big-note themselves. There are virtually NO rules except the staggered riding formation. Not ALL of us have badges and pins. I have none. We all have a lot of fun and I have never yet seen any agro. I just don't understand all this crap!!! Maybe we're just a bit retarded in the West!!! I respect the comments of you all but please don't make assumptions that the whole HOG world is like the experience you had. It's not.
I agree sincerely with the last few comments. I have the utmost appreciation for the guys and gals that spend a heap of their own private time to organise events but I have a stack of other things that take up my own personal time. In 7 years of HOG I have never been to a chapter meeting but have been on a shitload of rides. Nobody has yet complained about that and I know that they never will! My life is all the better for the good company and good experiences and I don't give a shit what anyone else thinks.
Sitting on the fence , this thread is great ..
I am a HOG member and have been since July last year. I specifically joined to go to the Tassie Rally and I have been grinning from ear to ear ever since. I’ve been to all the meetings and I try and get on all the rides when family and time permits. Everyone I have met through HOG have been great and I have made numerous new friends because of it. I have never met any of these posers and or show ponies and as for the politics well there is politics in everything and as I don’t get involved it doesn’t concern me. oh I have a vest with badges on it, some from my former military unit, rank and insignia and others associated with HOG and I wear it almost every time I’m on the bike. Its great conversation piece where ever I stop even at the traffic lights. But why would it bother you, I wear brown boots instead of black, who gives a shit. Yes I understand why HOG was started but really I’m part of a group of more than a million members world wide. That’s pretty amazing in its self and to think that I can meet new people from all over the world with the same interests as me, Harley Davidson’s and riding them. thats cool! Gruvy
HOG ralley NSW, only once - on my Buell; they didn't like it
HOG rides - two, spent most of my time lifting bikes off the road when the riders fell off
Getting a chance to look at old farts Dressing up as the Pirates of Millwalkee - Priceless
This picture at a Hog ride so as Sister Mary said "Pray for the Knobheads" cuz they all need it LOL
Don't know much about HOG or even want to. Quite happy doing my own thing but there was an article or two in the latest HD that made my eyebrows head skyward.
One even had a moan about there being no "parade of flags"......wtf????
Crackers..... I read that too and had to wonder........!!!!
Getting a chance to look at old farts Dressing up as the Pirates of Millwalkee Pisser...
Look, I live in the Isa and I can tell yer that all the statements made here about "beauty challenged" women are.......CORRECT !!!!
Glass or shiney objects will not even throw a reflection here, for fear of burnin a blokes retina's.
Specially trained teams deputized by the local council are employed to patrol the streets to round up "fuglies" in an attempt to beautify the town.
The original purpose of the famous smokestack was a recepticle to incinerate said fuglies (back in DLux's grandaddy's day). However they dicontinued this practice when they realised the
ash fallout was causing severe health issues to the local townfolk and the beautiful people from surrounding areas (like Julia Creek).
People think Mount Isa has a lead health issue, well I'm here to tell you its residual fall out from those early burnin's all those years ago!!
HOGgies be warned, August is the anniversary of those first burnin's, thats why the rodeo is in August (what better way to celebrate a sacrifice than by ropin sum cattle and ridn a bull) and always
around August there is a decline in the health of people in the town. Some say it is the old fugly curse come back to haunt us, others say its just influenza caused by the early onset of Winter.
Either way hoggies beware!!!
Or you could just head out and find that is generally a boring place to ride a bike, shockin roads and potholes you could lose a 21inch wheel in.......