Czech it Out: Harley-Davidson 115th Anniversary Party Takes Over Prague
With huge crowds and a remarkable rally, Harley-Davidson threw a raging party in Prague.
Harley-Davidson fans from all over the world gathered in the Czech Republic July 5 through 8 to celebrate Harley’s 115th Anniversary in Prague. And like any good Harley event, it was a crazy, four-day party that will no doubt leave the city a little hung over. The huge anniversary rally and parade drew impressive crowds, and even more impressive bikes.
“Seeing all these bikes and the whole biker community like this is fantastic,” Karl DeGiovanni, from Malta, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. During the rally on July 7, thousands and thousands of motorcycles roared through the city to the delight of the crowds, estimated to be in the tens of thousands. Bikes and bikers from every end of the spectrum were represented.
“In France, people who ride Harleys are just like me,” said Alain Gealli, an engineer from Paris. “During the week, we are doctors, lawyers, engineers. On the weekend, we wear leather.”
Myrtha Smoorenburg, from the Netherlands, rode her limited-edition denim-blue 2018 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special. “It’s not just the bike. I love the scene around it. You make so many friends,” Smoorenburg said. And if anyone questions her place on a bike, she wears a leather vest that does all the speaking for her. It reads on the back, “You’ve just been passed by a girl.”
The Davidson family was represented at the event by Bill and Karen Davidson, the great-grandson and great-granddaughter of Harley co-founder William A. Davidson. It was clear that the love of motorcycles and its lifestyle is a strong unifying force.
“This (Harley-Davidson) brand is so strong for so many people across the entire globe.” Karen Davidson told Reuters.
Piotr Sobczik of Poland nicely summed up why people are so drawn to the experience of riding a Harley. “It is freedom, it is a lifestyle. It is a way of spending our free time–a passion,” he said.
While people from all all over the globe know all about Milwaukee, they might not be as comfortable with some nearby Wisconsin towns. Check out this funny video from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel where European attendees are asked to pronounce the name of Harley’s tongue-tying neighboring towns.
Images: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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