Harley-Davidson - The American

HARLEY-DAVIDSON HARLEY-DAVIDSON

THE AMERICAN DREAM

You’ve probably heard of the motorbike Harley-Davidson. The bike has appeared in lots of films, including Terminator III, Easy Rider, The Wild One and Tomb Raider. And there are Harley clubs all over the world. For many people the Harley-Davidson symbolizes the freespirited rebel who lives life on the open road. But what is the truth? And who rides these

bikes? By Laura Warrell (American English spelling)

Easy Riders

When most people think of Harley-Davidson riders, they imagine a big guy with long hair, a beard and a leather jacket and pants. However, the truth is that Harleys are so ridiculously expensive that only rich playboys or elderly executives can afford them. In fact, the bike company recently did a survey and found that the average rider was a 50-year-old professional earning more than $100,000 a year. Of course, there are some riders who fit the traditional image, but they are definitely in the minority. So when did it all start?

The Birth Of A Bike

The first Harley-Davidsons appeared at the turn of the century. Four young American friends were experimenting with engines in a wooden shed. They managed to burn the shed, but they also managed to build a motorcycle that ran over 100,000 miles. In 1903, William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson sold the first line of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Six years afterwards, they introduced the V-twin engine. Eleven years later, HarleyDavidson was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world, and their bikes were the favorites of American police officers and soldiers. Since then, they’ve dominated the world of custom motorcycles, particularly through the network of clubs. However, they aren’t necessarily the best bikes in the world in terms of technology, and Japanese bikes are way ahead now. This probably explains why most Harley riders spend so much of their time tinkering with the machines on a Sunday afternoon.

WILLIAM S. HARLEY

ARTHUR DAVIDSON

Big Clubs

The Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) started in 1983, and now it has more than 500,000 members. They are united by a common passion: to make the Harley-Davidson dream a way of life, to admire one another’s machines and to get drunk on cheap beer. H.O.G. plans events, traveling museums and riders’ courses for beginners or pros. They like to think of themselves, “from the top corporate officer to the newest Harley owner and rider”, as one big happy family. Every year, club members meet for “Bike Week”. One of the biggest Bike Weeks takes place in Laconia, New Hampshire. During this

week, riders participate in activities like “the Hill Climb,” where they try to ride their bikes up steep hills, the “Ride to the Sky,” where they ride to the top of the region’s highest mountain, or “Flat Track Races,” where they… race. A proposal to include a “Jane Austen Discussion Hour” was rejected the previous year. One of the most popular activities during Bike Week is to whistle at every woman who passes by. These days there are female bike riders too. They often look like their male counterparts

The Future

Hardcore Harley riders fear that the brand is getting too trendy. And all the marketing is driving them mad. These days, anyone can buy Harley shirts, jackets, guitars, lighters and hats online or in stores. There’s even a Harley-Davidson Eau de Toilette spray, and Harley-Davidson cafés in Las Vegas and New York. The Harley restaurant has bike memorabilia all over the walls, including photos of Hollywood legends Rita Hayworth and Clark Gable (on Harleys). The menu includes lots of beer and typical American food, like potato skins stuffed with melted cheese, sour cream and chilli. Drinks have names like the Flat Trucker, Spark Plug, and of course, the V-Twin. In many ways, the Harley is a typical example of the power of marketing. And of course, not everybody likes it. “When I saw all that crap on the wall, I just wanted to trash the place,” said veteran Harley rider, Billy Bog.

G L O S S A R Y

leather n skin from animals such as cows that is used to make clothing pants n US clothing you wear to cover your legs (trousers in British English) to afford vb to have enough money to buy something a survey n questions asked in order to receive information about a product, etc a shed n a wooden house with just one room that is in the garden and that is used for keeping plants, tools, etc a line n a type of specific product that a company makes and sells way ahead exp superior to tinker with phr vb to make small changes to something in an attempt to improve it a hog n literally, a large pig a steep hill n a small mountain that increases in height very quickly to whistle vb to produce a high note by blowing air out of your mouth hardcore adj dedicated and enthusiastic trendy adj fashionable to drive someone mad exp to make someone really angry a lighter vb a small object that makes fire for lighting cigarettes potato skin n the outside part of a potato stuffed adj filled with crap n inform this word is used to refer to something you consider to be bad and of poor quality to trash a place exp to completely destroy a building or other place

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