HD Turns 105

Woulda loved to have gone, even if I'm not a diehard fan....



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Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers, serves as a backdrop for the Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) 25th Anniversary celebration.

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2009 Harley-Davidsons - First Ride 2009 Harley-Davidson CVO - First Rides

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The Wall of Ink had pictures of people's tattoos that attendees got to check out and vote for their favorites.

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Somebody forgot to tell Bubba Blackwell that you're not supposed to pop wheelies like that on a big bagger.

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It wouldn't be a Harley party without the iconic Willie G.

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Billy Bob Thornton may be better known for roles like 'Slingblade', but his primary passion now is music.

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Can you spot the Foo Fighter in this picture?

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Harley-Davidson's 105th Anniversary
8/29/2008
By Bryan Harley

Banners and billboards proclaim 'Welcome Bikers.' Streets have been cordoned off as yellow 'Motorcycle Parking Only' signs surround businesses and hotels. A vibrato of V-Twins conduct an impromptu symphony of cylinders and pistons that resonate throughout the city day and night. The red carpet has been rolled out in Milwaukee as thousands of motorcyclists have made the pilgrimage home to visit the likes of Juneau Avenue and Pilgrim Rd., bringing their bikes back to where many of them were born as Harley-Davidson

's 105th Anniversary Party kicks it in high gear. My day started with a trip over to the place where it all started, the red brick building that is Harley-Davidson's headquarters at Juneau Ave. A black banner on the side of the University Building said it all - 'Juneau Avenue Welcomes You Home.' I did my best to not act like a tourist, but couldn't resist having my picture taken in front of the steps to the Office and Visitors entrance. I was not alone. Two couples speaking in Scandinavian rolled their bike up right behind me for a quick photo op. Another group waved their orange banner overhead, proudly representing the Beijing chapter of H.O.G. owners. What a thrill it must have been for them. Forget the Olympics, they were at the birthplace of Harley-Davidson and looked damned proud to be there. I picked up the keys to a beautiful black and pewter 2009 Electra Glide Classic from Harley's L.A. Fleet Manager, Alan Barsi, and loaded up my camera equipment. He chided me about putting the keys in my pocket with a wry smile. Seems like Alan's got a good memory. (I lost the keys to the 2008 Ultra Classic on the first day when I was testing it and had to punch in the security code to manually override the theft prevention system until the test was finished.) Keys secured, I set out for Miller Park, where the Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) was having its 25th Anniversary party. There is definitely a brotherhood that comes with owning a Harley-Davidson that is unmatched by any other manufacturer. Worn leather vests with patches and pins were the proper attire of the day. Winged H.O.G. patches in the middle of the vests were global in origin, and I saw riders who had traveled from as far away as South Africa and Belgium to be a part of the celebration. Harley-Davidson is indeed a universal language. Unlike other rallies, there was a spirit of camaraderie that filled the air. A good time was the bottom line, and the love of Harley-Davidson motorcycles was the common bond. It was an almost carnival-like atmosphere. A woman in an orange H-D t-shirt and brown leather vest hovered above the crowd on stilts, stopping here and there to entertain the crowd with her juggling skills. A pair of brave women climbed on the mechanical bull and wagered who could ride longer. Blue ribbons hung off handlebars from winners in the Ride In show. Harley-Davidson riders of tomorrow took turns spinning laps around a makeshift track, banging into hay bales and crashing into one another and laughing as they rode miniature motorized bikes. The sound of chainsaws drew a crowd that watched as the ECHO National Carving Team chiseled and carved wonderful pieces of art out of their wooden canvases. I followed my ears to the sound of an engine revving and caught the tail end of Bubba Blackwell's stunt riding show. The Buell American Devil was working the crowd by ripping off standing wheelies on a V-Rod before hopping aboard a big Dyna and slinging it around the course, backing it in like he was on a supermoto bike. After plenty of tire-smokin' action, the real crowd-pleaser was when Blackwell mounted a big bagger and got the bike almost vertical, ripping off the best wheelies I've seen on a bike that is not built for such hooliganism. Not a bad way to demonstrate what the TC 96 is capable of. It was hot and humid, so I headed over to the Harley-Davidson Media tent to grab a drink and some shade. Famed motorcycling photographer Michael Lichter was there downloading pics to his laptop. I talked with Paul James about the James Gang Racing/Hoban Brothers team and the Moto-ST series. Paul can ride the hell out of a Buell, and his team sits in second place in their division with two races left, so I wished him luck. While I was there, who shows up but the venerable Willie G. himself. He had just gotten off the Harley Stage after presenting an award bearing his name and was gearing up for a police-escorted ride to his next gig. He runs a frenetic schedule for a man in his 70s, and does so with great aplomb. Karen Davidson, great-granddaughter of William A. Davidson was there too, looking good as ever, and joined Willie G. for the ride. I felt a little foolish standing next to Lichter clicking off pictures with my point-and-shoot, auto-focus photography skills. I still managed to get a decent shot of Willie G. and his procession as they rode off, though. Refreshed and ready for more, I headed over to the stage under the tent at the Beer Garden. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts were rockin' it. Even though she's been on the music scene since I was in high school (I won't tell you how long ago that was), she still looks like she can kick some serious ass. She looked great in her black leather pants and bikini top. But even more impressive was here musical abilities. She was shredding on guitar, and her vocals were studio-quality. Not many people sound as good in person as they do on the radio, but Joan and the Blackhearts had heads bobbing, hands clapping, and was definitely a crowd-pleaser. When she struck the first chords of 'I love Rock and Roll', a rousing ovation rose from the audience. As I left Miller Park, Billy Bob Thornton was entertaining the audience on the Harley Stage with his band. Not bad for an actor, but I still like him better as 'Slingblade.' Gotta give him props though. He did, after all, hook up with Angelina Jolie before Brad Pitt. The crowd was in to it though. As I got back to the parking lot, I was totally lost. I've never seen so many Harleys in one spot in my life. Even though I made note of the section I parked in, I had ridden straight from Juneau to Miller Park and couldn't remember exactly what the graphics and colors the Electra Glide were. After about twenty minutes of wandering aimlessly and trying my key in the ignition of two of the wrong motorcycles, I finally found the right one. With so many bikes in town, parking is cutthroat, so instead of heading back to Miller Park to see Kid Rock I opted to walk to a street party that was close to the Hyatt Regency downtown where I am staying. They had closed down a city block and threw up a stage in the middle of the street and I wanted to check out the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Amongst the cigar smoke and the smell of spilled beer, the group Tea Leaf Green finished off their set. In between bands, I talked to a father and son who were there, the dad wearing a Milwaukee chapter H.O.G. vest while the son's patch declared that he was a member from Hawaii. On their upper left shoulder they wore the same patch that said 'Harley-Davidson Baghdad , Since 2003.' His son had just gotten back from a tour in Iraq and had flown to Milwaukee to celebrate with his father. At that moment, the significance of the event going on around me was put into perspective. The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, dressed in black from head to toe and smoking cigarettes while they played, put on an energetic set. I'm sure that some of the older generation of attendees were unfamiliar with their music, but they still seemed to dig it. I was near the left side of the stage watching the show when I see this guy with scruffy, long dark hair walk up to the amps and place his ear against the speaker. I'm thinking to myself 'That dude's messed up' and then get a look at the guy's face. It was David Grohl, lead singer of the Foo Fighters. Grohl mingled into the crowd near the front of the stage and banged his head and swigged his Miller Genuine Draft as the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club laid down a groove. I tried to get close for a picture, but Grohl's bodyguard was giving me the evil eye like I was a member of the Stalkerazzi. After a few songs they cut out, and I followed suit. It was late and I was tired. Besides, I needed to rest because I'm headed to see the Foo Fighters tonight. If I see Grohl's bodyguard again, he's for sure going to think I'm a stalker. I'll let you know how it goes in tomorrow's report.