HOBBY HORSE BIKERSWhen you purchase a Harley-Davidson motorbike, you are buying into a family of fellow travellers
THE DIRECTOR of the Waterford Harley-Davidson Owner's Group, Michael Thompson, probably won't mind me saying that he's not your typical biker. The 39-year-old is an undertaker and embalmer by trade and also moonlights as a male model with Assets Model Agency (you might even recognise his face from ads on the telly). Challenging the stereotype of the hairy biker, he tells me, is what the Waterford Harley Owner's Group (Hog) is all about. "We have 165 members - all Harley owners - and they are literally from every walk of life and from every age group," he says.
Thompson got into bikes when he was in his teens and his first biking love affair was with the humble, though iconic scooter, Vespa. "My brother had an accident off a bike, so motorbikes were a dirty word in our house for a long time and I got out of it in my 20s. But the love was always there and I had been talking about getting back to it for years. I thought about getting another Vespa but my wife said, 'look at the height of you, you'll look ridiculous driving around on one of those'." He's now on his third Harley but the current model is his first brand new one. How much is that worth, I ask innocently? "If I tell you that, the wife will kill me," he laughs.
The Waterford Hogs meet regularly for social outings, barbecues and "ride-outs" locally and around Ireland. They also take an annual trip abroad - in the past they've toured St Tropez, Scotland and Fuengirola and this year they're heading for Lake Garda. Lines of raging Harleys are a much sought-after feature on the charity circuit and Thompson reckons the Waterford Hogs raised €40,000 for charities such as Temple Street Children's Hospital and the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind last year.
So what makes the club tick? Is it a boys-with-their-toys kind of thing? "It's a combination of everything. I've made really good friends from the club and it's just a fantastic feeling riding out on a Harley, especially when there is a gang of us.
"It's not a power bike, so the riding position is very different. You don't have the head down. You're sitting back relaxed, taking in the view. I love going away for a night with them. You get out in the fresh air and the fun is in getting to your destination - it's not often you can say that about a journey. They are very loud machines, so people always stop to have a look."
We adjourn to the Waterford Harley- Davidson store in the city, run by Lennie Burns, who has been selling and maintaining Harleys since 1987. All the Harley accessories are here - biker jackets, helmets, boots, collectibles, shot glasses - and of course the bikes themselves. Burns talks me through some highlights: an entry-level XL883 Sportster which will set you back €9,700. A Touring Electra Glide model complete with sat nav, stereo system and cruise control for €29,900 and a customised Screamin' Eagle Dyna valued at €31,000. A recent customer, he tells me, shelled out almost €100,000 for a customised Harley. "We are fulfilling people's dreams," he says. "When you buy a Harley, you are buying a lifestyle. The Harley experience doesn't end when you go out the door with your bike. That's what the owner's group is all about." It seemed only fitting that I should try a half-hour "ride-out", all in the cause of research.
Thompson looks the part in a leather jacket, shades, cool helmet and biker boots. I'm wearing a hiking jacket and a helmet that's too big for me. The Harley we use is a touring model with no back-rest, so I'm told to hang on tight. I feel terribly self-conscious with my arms around another man's waist - for about 10 seconds that is, until the first burst of acceleration and then I'm clinging on for dear life, terrified that I'm going to fall off the back, but it's all incredibly exhilarating.
People do stop and stare as we pass, presumably because of that trade-mark Harley engine roar. You have a great view of things from the back of a bike - after five or 10 scary minutes, I start to relax a bit and enjoy the ride. It's early spring so things get pretty cold but I can easily imagine what a buzz it would be to transfer the action to Lake Garda or Route 101 in the US and have 30 or 40 other bikes around me. Yep, life could be pretty sweet as a biker. www.celticthunderhog.com