No matter how we get there, here we are, each of us riding our dream motorcycle and enjoying that special Harley-Davidson hum. A group of riders hearing those soulful V-twins purring down the highway—“Cages” passing by looking envious as they snap iPhone video of our happy pack, sending it to an unknown number of want-to-be-riders around the globe (maybe even Copenhagen). It’s that rocker on your vest that says you belong, that wind in your face and that perfect, Harley hum that makes you feel there is something special about this steel beneath you, something really soulful and unique.
When you find that, you feel so much closer to those who ride that same steel and feel that same vibe. Joined together by a magical, mechanical V-twin harmony of passion and metal that speaks to each of us, individually and uniquely, in a language that only we can understand. No matter where you live in the world, it is that Harley-Davidson motorcycle that is as dressed-up to your taste and as individual as your own face that makes you feel alive. It makes you feel like you are a part of something few humans understand, something secretive and unknown to those Cagers and import “bikers” we pass by every day–those zombies, those dull grey drive-to-workers. We are a like-minded few, a community of riders who “get it” and respond in kind. It’s how each of us feels every time we climb on that motorcycle, that Harley-Davidson heritage that only belongs to those who understand and respect its unique, American metal.
This is a motorcycle brand and culture that like so many of us, having had its ups and downs, has endeavored and persevered despite the challenges placed in front of it. It has struggled, lost its way, was even left behind by its very founders and was lovingly re-embraced by them just as quickly. Don’t we all share this uniquely American trait, this determination and the forever-struggle to choose our own roads, our own destiny and to stay free?
We are Harley-Davidson riders: let us not forget who we are, despite the dissent and the constant barrage on our ways of life or the attacks on our heritage. Let us support each other, our country, and those who fought for it. Let us, those two-wheeled adventurers, those endless asphalt eaters, those road warriors, remind everyone that we are individuals, we are Americans and we are free!