Harley-Davidson Looks to Make One Whole Town Into Riders (photos)
The good folks of a little town in North Dakota are in for quite the motoring treat when Harley-Davidson sets out to transform how people get around.
1. Just like the tower in Milwaukee
Harley-Davidson is setting out to do something that no other motorcycle brand has done before... give a whole town the opportunity to become licensed riders. The population of the town, Ryder, North Dakota is only about 85 individuals but still, the feat is impressive. Pictured above are some aspiring riders gathered in front of the newly refurbished and custom painted water tower that has become something of a must-see for motorcycle riders going through the Dakotas.
2. Motorcycles everywhere!
Harley-Davidson will roll into town June 3rd with a plethora of bikes with the goal of making Ryder the first fully licensed motorcycle town. Grandparents to grandchildren will have a chance to get up close and personal with bikes and gain valuable lessons from the instructors on hand, in order to see how awesome it can be to ride.
"In Ryder, and across the country, Harley-Davidson is passionate about creating opportunities for new riders to experience and enjoy the sport of motorcycling,” said Anoop Prakash, Director, U.S. Marketing and Market Development, Harley-Davidson. “With summer quickly approaching, there's never been a better time to learn how to ride a motorcycle,"
3. Even the Mayor is in on it
Ryder, established just three years after Harley-Davidson started in 1906, will have its name slightly altered to "Riders" this riding season to commemorate this historic occasion.
"The town of Ryder welcomes the roar of Harley-Davidson motorcycles down Main Street," said Mayor of Ryder (pictured above), Jody Reinisch. "We're excited to see several generations of Ryder residents on motorcycles learning together, trying new life experiences and enjoying the beauty of our town and surrounding area like never before."
4. Two million strong
The grand scheme behind teaching a whole town to ride is that Harley-Davidson has a decade-long goal of encouraging two-million new riders in the United States as well as encouraging current riders to become more active.
“I think what tipped us over the edge [in choosing Ryder] is that they have a beautiful water tower that is the spitting image of our water tower,” Marketing and Market Development Director Anoop Prakash told RideApart. “It seemed like it was meant to be.”
5. Good food and good times
Local dealership, Magic City Harley-Davidson of Minot, North Dakota will be the ones providing the bikes but not the gear. Prakash notes, “that’s the nice thing about [the course] being connected with a Harley dealership, if you don’t have that gear, or are not familiar with that gear, you can meet with the experts in the store.” The employees remark that they are looking forward to getting their hands on some BBQ as well as signing up residents for beginner courses. The courses will run for two days and are pretty much the same as a Motorcycle Safety Foundation beginner course. Ryder resident and businesswoman Charlotte Smette (above), says she is looking forward to learning the ropes on how to ride.
6. What if I don't live in Ryder?
If you happen to know someone who wants to get into riding, Harley-Davidson has beginner courses set up and ready to teach them. The course price ranges from $300 to $500 depending on the dealership so make sure to shop around, but if you are a current, reserve, retired military personnel, a first responder (police, fire, EMT, etc.) or the spouse of one of those then you can do the same course for $99. To find out more about the locations of Harley-Davidson courses click here for the Riding Academy page.
Good luck to all the people of Ryder who sign up for this historic lesson learning experience. The party's not over 'til you smile for the mug shot.
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