Sites to See: Harley-Davidson
By: Joan E. Lisante Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2003-05-28 08:54:00-04:00
By Joan E. Lisante, July-August 2003
Bikers Rights
Peter Fonda said it back in 1966 in The Wild Angels: "We want to be free to ride our machines without being hassled by the man." He had it just about right, both then and now. Freedom tops the biker's wish list, and any laws, regulations, or attitudes that seek to rein it in are about as popular as Ralph Nader at an NRA convention. Helmet laws are a main topic here, and links to all state legislatures are included. Bikersrights.com is chock full of enough facts, suppositions, and opinions to energize and enrage any activist.
Sturgis Swap Meet
Based not in rally-town Sturgis, South Dakota, but in Daytona, Florida, this site's an extravagant online bazaar for buying or selling anything you can hang on a cycle. Maltese Cross mirrors? Vintage floorboards? They're all available. The biggest feature is a huge online parts catalog, handily separated into 15 categories (electrical, handle bars, lighting and instruments, etc.). There are also four "specialty shops," hawking goods from Condor hardware, Crashin Sucks clothing, Hurricane Custom Wheels, and Strata Versacare detailing products.
Aid to Injured Motorcyclists
This site is a double billing—home of both Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (AIM) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM). AIM describes itself as a "nationwide legal services program with affiliated law offices in every state and the Canadian Province to serve the legal needs of the motorcycling community." Membership offers consumer protection and education along with an emergency accident notification system, accident investigation, and 24/7 free legal consultation for accident-related problems.
Bike Week Report
Professional jeweler, cyclist, and party animal Henry Jordan, who appears on Daytona Motorcycle Madness on The Learning Channel (TLC), put together this site. BikeWeekReport fills you in on two annual events: Bike Week, which usually happens in late February-early March, and a fall event called Biketoberfest. Thousands of bikers zip into town for these parties, and Henry comes through with facts on motels and campgrounds, maps of party sites, weather reports, vendor information, and more. "Henry's Roving Webcam" also brings you shots of fun you might have missed.
Harley-Davidson Forum
When you're through riding like the wind and just want to shoot the breeze, wheel into harleydavidsonforum.com's main hangout: the "general talk" room. Anything unconnected to Harley-Davidson cycles goes into the second-most-popular forum: off-topic discussions. The site also offers many specialized chat opportunities, such as "My story, the beginning" in which bikers are invited to introduce themselves and share their first cycling experience, and the HOG forum, in which members discuss benefits of their group. There are also "specific interest forums" on engine modifications, wheels and tires, motorcycle care products, exhaust options, ever-popular seats and saddles, and the like.
Ride Free
Haven't yet invested in an iron horse? Los Angeles-based Ride Free offers hassle-free motorcycle tours: you get the bike, insurance, food, lodging, and customer support. And you can bring a rider, for an extra fee. The "Hollister 4th-of-July Ride" revisits Hollister, California, scene of the July 4, 1947, riot memorialized by Marlon Brando in The Wild One. You also ride through San Francisco and Los Angeles, taking in the Santa Monica Mountains, Big Sur, Santa Cruz, Malibu, and other attractions. Other tours include the Sturgis (South Dakota) Ride, the Christian Spirit (nonalcoholic) Ride, and the Sunset-to-Las Vegas Ride.
Harley Pics
Want to get your bike featured on the Web? Just send a shot in jpeg format to harleypics.com, where it will join other outstanding images. Professional photographer and cyclist Garry Stuart has been shooting Harleys since 1988, and his work is featured in the Harley Café, New York. His site highlights photos of Custom VRODs, Exile Cycles, Super-Bikes, and Darkstars, among others. Other fun features: You can send free virtual postcards of Harleys to your friends, or download some cool wallpaper or a screensaver.
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