yes

 

Got a free membership in National last year when I bought the bike. I joined a Local, mostly because the freebies and discounts from the local MORE than offset the additional cost. I renewed the National earlier this year. I plan to attend the State Rally, since it's in my hometown. And I'm going to the National Rally in Knoxville. My experience at those rally's will dictate if I renew my membership again next year.

I did enjoy participating in the ABC's of touring activity. But, that's nothing you couldn't just do on your own. You get a few little trinckets depending on how many points you collect, but mostly it was just fun. Took me to some places I would have never gone, that are now on my list of regular ride routes.

 

Mines bout to expire they gave mea free year when i got my cycle. I never used it though. Should renew it never know what can happen can be stranded several hundred miles from home.

 

Yeah- I like to read the mags and surf the HOG Members web site. The HOG tent at Bike Week, etc can get ya from free stuff.

 

HOG , that's like a dude ranch , right ?

 

I feel bad for you Sportster owners who catch flak in HOG chapters for riding a Sportster. But I feel worse for the poor saps that give you the hard time. I imagine it sucks enough to feel so inadequate about your manhood such that you need to buy the biggest HD bike or most expensive RUB chopper, shiniest sports car, etc to feel better about yourself. Therefore it must be another level of phallic insecurity entirely to be the guy who is so concerned about it that the bike you ride affects him as much as the one he rides himself. Next time they give you crap, give them a hug and tell them it will be ok. They need your support.

Ahh but I digress…is HOG a good thing? I say yes. I think the idea of HOG and what it does to bring riders together is great. Fortunately both local chapters I have spent time with were great. PS: I have two Sportsters and have never been ribbed or spoken down to. On the contrary, I’ve only received positive feedback.

Admittedly I don’t take advantage of many of the benefits of the national chapter sans its role as a prerequisite for joining a local chapter. That said, I do like the idea that there is another aspect of the company reaching out to its customer base in another facet beyond sales, service, and accessories. Perhaps I am a minority but I do believe Harley cares about us. HOG to me represents a significant demonstration of that caring.

I particularly appreciate the local groups. I have met some really nice people. I’ve ridden places and seen things I would not have otherwise. I have made contributions to services and organizations where I know the bulk of the financial support makes it to the end user and isn’t sucked up by the organizers. Riding is a great experience on its own. Being able to share that experience with others makes it that much better.

If you don’t like the patches you can skip them too. Some members in my local chapter do just that. We have a very diverse group and few, if any, are patch monger, gang look-a-likes. Among us are active and retired military, male and female riders, a local police chief, multiple nationalities, an amputee (leg), an iron worker, and a banker just to name a few. These individuals represent the largest concentration good people I have encountered since crossing the Mississippi.

Although I get the impression many of you prefer to ride on your own or only with a select few. For you, HOG might not necessarily be of any benefit. Maybe you will feel restricted by mapped rides. Or there is some aversion to being part of a group (that beat of your own drum thing…).

Is it for everyone? Maybe not. But just like the people who can’t understand why someone rides a Sportster or why they ride a motorcycle at all, sometimes it is hard to convey something to them in words. They just need to experience it for themselves and then make up their own mind.

I appreciate HOG and think it is a positive influence on the Harley community. On the down side though, never been part of a group that offered a parts discount to members.

 

member, yes
active, no
rides are too short

 

I asked about the parts discount for HOG members recently. I had asked before but got a flat no without any explanation. Dealership just went through owner change so asked again. Answer was still no but this time I got an explanation why.

Experiences were that when offered, people would join HOG for the discount but never participate in any events. From replies here and in other threads in the forum I gather this is a contributing factor for a great many individuals joining up. From the dealer perspective I understand their apprehension. It’s like having a COSTCO card that works at Harley. The result would likely be a lackluster HOG chapter and lost revenue; the latter being a helpful means of running a business…..you need money. My recommendation was to provide the discount but only on certain days or coupled with certain events (i.e. Discounts available monthly after the Sunday After Meeting (SAM) rides which take place once a month following that month’s HOG meeting). That way you can offer the discount promoting more sales and also promote HOG event participation. We’ll see.

 

Not me.

 

I mentioned the discounts as a reason to join a local. I tried to participate. I found the events to be very boring and over priced. I will keep my membership with that local, for the discounts, but I plan to join another local that is about 35 miles away. I know some folks in that chapter, and it sounds like they have fun. One problem with the local I'm currently in, I'd say the average age of the membership is about 90. Now I'm no spring chicken, but going to dinner with these folks is like visiting a retirement home. They don't talk about their bikes, just all of their health issues.