HOG Membership
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 387
Likes: 173
From: Big Lake in the Middle
HOG membership has its advantages. If you like people, if you like to socialize, if you like to ride, if you like getting discounts on parts and services, if you like the breakdown protection, then maybe HOG membership is for you.
Our sponsoring dealership has free hot dogs/hamburgers on Saturday and gives us points towards parts/service when we participate in dealership functions. Our chapter has socials, short rides, day rides, weekend rides, and long weekend rides. If you go to a meeting and don't know anyone, take a friend to the next meeting. Stop by the dealership, and talk with the customers. Sit down in the lounge and say something to the other people there. HOG membership is what you make of it. We have about 400 members in our HOG chapter, and about 25% of them are the working body of our chapter. We know each other, we ride with each other, we eat with each other, we share stories with each other.
Our sponsoring dealership has free hot dogs/hamburgers on Saturday and gives us points towards parts/service when we participate in dealership functions. Our chapter has socials, short rides, day rides, weekend rides, and long weekend rides. If you go to a meeting and don't know anyone, take a friend to the next meeting. Stop by the dealership, and talk with the customers. Sit down in the lounge and say something to the other people there. HOG membership is what you make of it. We have about 400 members in our HOG chapter, and about 25% of them are the working body of our chapter. We know each other, we ride with each other, we eat with each other, we share stories with each other.
The chapter I just joined has about 300 paid members. They average 120 members at a meeting. Last meeting was 144.
40% active participation is a pretty good number IME with any voluntary group.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 5,815
Likes: 2,555
From: UK
I think there is a lot of confusion between inter/national HOG and local chapters.
My local chapter is excellent, but I meet people who have recently bought a bike who think they are automatically members of the local chapter. That's not how it works here - you have to be a member of both, which is tough if nobody explains it to you.
I met a new rider/owner the other day who had "signed up" to a chapter ride from the UK to the South of France international HOG rally this year. He had basically bought a HOG rally ticket, but still thought he would go from the UK to southern France, AND have a 3 day rally thrown in. All in 3 days.
When I told him he was looking at a 2-3 day trip each way, plus the rally itself he was gobsmacked.
Anyway - that's my $0.02 - make sure people who want to join the chapter understand the difference between national and local....
My local chapter is excellent, but I meet people who have recently bought a bike who think they are automatically members of the local chapter. That's not how it works here - you have to be a member of both, which is tough if nobody explains it to you.
I met a new rider/owner the other day who had "signed up" to a chapter ride from the UK to the South of France international HOG rally this year. He had basically bought a HOG rally ticket, but still thought he would go from the UK to southern France, AND have a 3 day rally thrown in. All in 3 days.
When I told him he was looking at a 2-3 day trip each way, plus the rally itself he was gobsmacked.
Anyway - that's my $0.02 - make sure people who want to join the chapter understand the difference between national and local....
Our chapter does the same as others, hot dogs on Saturdays, monthly meetings, weekend rides, a Facebook chatter page. The best way to get new members is all of those things and talk to new riders at the dealership. Have the salesmen introduce HOG members to new owners, have a presence at your dealership events and talk to riders waiting for their bikes to be serviced.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,956
Likes: 75
From: CA
We received our memberships when my wife and I got our bikes. Never went to a single meeting. We weren't fond of the dealer and their poor buying experience. The last thing we had in mind was to be hanging around any more than we needed.
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 849
Likes: 130
From: Inside of a house
A few cons for me are that I can't stand group rides, I have no need for a bunch of patches and to be honest most people on Harleys are about 15-25 years older than I am so I have no real desire to hang around all day with people that were driving before I was even born as other than owning an HD we would have very little in common. Oh and the closest H.O.G branch to me is a long ways away
That being said I do like how you can get discounts at best western hotels the route maps are cool and the towing is nice if it was ever needed. But that stuff is not really enough.
That being said I do like how you can get discounts at best western hotels the route maps are cool and the towing is nice if it was ever needed. But that stuff is not really enough.
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