Harley 100th

[Tommo]

In a previous post I revealed that a group of Kiwi Harley enthusiasts were riding from Vancouver B.C. to Milwaukee for the Harley 100th celebrations.
Initially we had just over 60 vintage bike owners pay their $300 registration fee but when the final flag dropped recently and the bull**** stopped we were left with 12 pre 1947 Harleys and a tour group of 144 people. About half the group are going in via L.A. on moderns while the old bikes and 22 moderns are coming in via Vancouver B.C.
In the old bike group there are 3 AMCA members, the rest being members of the N.Z. Vintage Car Club. It goes without saying that we are all HOG members and below is a list of the old bikes that are coming.
1923 1000cc J & sidecar
1924 1000cc J & sidecar
1926 1000cc J & sidecar
1927 1000cc J & sidecar x 2
1928 1200cc JD
1930 1200cc VL & sidecar
1937 1200cc U
1944 750cc WLC & sidecar
1946 Knuckle
1947 Knuckle
1947 1200cc U & sidecar

I have attached a copy of our itinerary so any AMCA members that may wish to hook up with us for a day or so will know where we will be on a day to day basis. Someone may even care to ride the road all the way to Milwaukee with us but anyone doing so will have to organise their own accommodation as ours is already prebooked.
Hey! I'm sure Kiwis and Americans riding across the U.S. together will have a lot of fun and you Americans can show us those hidden delights an overseas visitor doesn't usually find.
Think about it and anyone wanting more details of our plans should e-mail me on p.j.thomson@actrix.co.nz
The group would really welcome anyone who wanted to ride along with us but would also welcome any help what-so-ever that may be offered along the way.
See you all in 2003, Tommo

[Tommo]

After many attempts to attach a copy of our itinerary and failing I have sat down to type it in manually. so here goes.

Wed 30th July Vancouver - Everett, Washington
Thurs 31st July Everett - Wenatchee, Washington
Fri 1st August Wenatchee - Coulee Dam, Washington
Sat 2nd Coulee Dam - Wallace, Idaho
Sun 3rd Wallace - Missoula, Montana
Mon 4th Missoula - Butte
Tues 5th Butte - Columbus
Wed 6th Columbus - Sheridan, Wyoming
Thurs 7th Sheridan - Gillette
Fri 8th Gillette - Rapid City, South Dakota
Sat 9th - Mon 11th Rapid City
Tues 12th Rapid City - Murdo
Wed 13th Murdo - Chamberlain
Thurs 14th Chamberlain - Sioux Falls
Fri 15th Sioux Falls - New Ulm, Minnesota
Sat 16th New Ulm - Minneapolis
Sun 17th & Mon 18th Minneapolis
Tues 19th Minneapolis - La Crosse, Wisconson
Wed 20th La Crosse - Decorah, Iowa
Thurs 21st Decorah - Prairie du Chien, Wisconson
Fri 22nd Prairie du Chien - Madison
Sat 23rd Madison - Milwaukee
Hopefully we all make it and most of us depart Milwaukee Tuesday 2nd September.
For those that may wish to look us up in Milwaukee we are staying at the Manchester East hotel.
Ride those old girls there.
Jennifer and I saw none on the road in 1998 when we went to the 95th.
Tommo

[Tommo]

Harley 100th

I'm disappointed.
Of the 7 N.Z. A.M.C.A. members 4 of us are coming to America with our Vintage Harleys and bringing another 7 Kiwis on Vintage Harleys with us and we don't even warrent a reply.

[AdminGuy]

I'll roust some of the local hoard to greet and escort you from Vancouver to Everett.

Come on Folks! Others must be able to join in.

[Lonnie]

Tommo, it is great that you guys would bring such a collection of fine old machinery to America to see the old home place. However, do not be disappointed with the lack of response to your post. To be honest, from my perspective I do not see a lot of respect given to these old bike owners by the great mass of new harley (Evo and TC88) owners. We are just a curiosity to them for the most part. Most of those guys do not want to motor down the highways and backroads at the pace most of us do. And they cannot understand the amount of time we must spend on our bikes on a daily basis on an extended road trip.
For most of those guys, maintenance consists of filling up the gas tank. Starting is "Stab the button and go". the difference in "style" can be seen by the motorcycle shops that cater to the vast majority of people that ride these newer bikes. I do not know of a single new H-D dealer that would promote the repair an old panhead or knuckle broken down on the roadside (though I am sure some of their mechanics would love to do so). Heck, they do not even stock the older Evo parts! The dealers cnd shops cater to those new bike riders, since there are guys riding out there who cannot even change their own taillight bulb!! For the most part, these shops (dealerships and aftermarket shops) are kept in business by these chrome addicts. But hey, that is okay - it is the American way at it's finest!!
The old bikes are catered to by an elite group of shops staffed by people who truly love and can appreciate these mechanical dinosaurs. And speaking for myself, I find myself exceeding bored by the game of one-upmanship in the chrome and paint department practiced by the new bike riders. Though each tries to be distinctive, they are all just variations on a theme.

Result? not much social interaction. But in any event, your itinerary looks to be magnificent. There are a lot of beautiful places to see and wonderful people to meet. Enjoy your visit.

[Kirk Perry]

Harley 100th

Well spoken.

[Tommo]

Thanks for the input but what I had really hoped for was for some of the AMCA members joining us for a day or even two or more on their old bike, Harley/ Indian or whatever,and having some fun together. Not to worry, I'm sure we'll have a good time exploring America together and we are going to try and hire a minibus in Milwaukee and come down to Davenport for the day on Friday 29th August 2003.
Ride 'em don't hide 'em.
Tommo

[Tommo]

After venting my spleen in my first reply to Lonnies and Kirk Perrys posts I sat down and reread the replys thinking that somewhere along the way I was seriously missing the point and really only came to the conclusion that the H.D. dealers over there were getting the wrong end of the stick. Why do I say this? Well every H.D. dealer I have been in touch with has bent over backwards to help us and have gone out of their way to have facilities and spares available for both the vintage and modern bikes. They have said if any of those on old bikes get into trouble we should phone ahead and they would do everything in their power to have replacement parts at the shop when we arrived. What more can they do? Three dealers in particular are really going that extra mile to make us welcome. They are "Trev Deeley M/Cs" in Vancouver, B.C. "Wenatchee Cycle Centre" Wenatchee, Washington and "Twin Cities H.D." Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are really rolling out the red carpet for us and we thank them for all the trouble they are going to in an effort to make our trip over there a memorable one. Everyone wants Press Releases so they can get articles in their local papers etc, it's just been the lack of response from the American vintage bike owners that's been disappointing.
Never mind. See you in Milwaukee maybe.
Regards Tommo.

[Kirk Perry]

I was standing in Kennedy's shop, in the early 90's, when a rider (with his wife) who were from out of state, asked Mike (behind the counter),"Why doesn't anyone ride their motorcycles out here? Why do people keep them at home? We can't figure it out! Back home everybody rides their machines all the time. What's wrong with all you people?!!" Mike looked over at me, and I looked back at him and neither one of us had an answer, but we knew that we all had machines. I think the most fun I have while driving my antique through it's workout, is the effect it has on anyone with an ounce of "motorcycle" left in him or her...(once a British lady in her 80's, [she and her husband had raced a James side-hack with a Villers motor] struck up a conversation with me in the parking lot; and declared her preference for the "mechanical look" of my old Sportster, which was parked along-side a newer disc-braked Sportster.) And some people, I've noticed, will affect a baby's stance and start wobbling, hands outstretched, toward the machine, eyes brimming with nostalgia...and that's always fun!

[HJahn]

Factory Visit

When you guys with your old Harleys are in Milwaukee for the 100th, please make it a point to bring your bikes to the old red brick factory on Juneau Avenue. It is a great old historic spot and drips with nostalgia -- plus the fact that all your old bikes were built there.

I'm planning on strolling around the street outside the old factory trying to figure out what was what and when. Up the block is where the old original shed stood. I'll have my camera and will shoot every old bike I see there.

That's really the homecoming if you ask me....