Joining A Local Harley Owners Group

Part of the fun of owning a Harley Davidson is riding with other Harley owners. One of the easiest ways to do that is by joining your local Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.). Harley Owner Groups are dealer sponsored chapters located all around the world. According to the Harley Davidson website there are over one million members world wide.

I decided to join the Blackstone Valley chapter sponsored by Precision Harley Davidson. The Blacksone Valley H.O.G. chapter currently has close to 200 members, so there's always plenty of fine folks to ride with.

The local chapters have the usual board members found with most organizations, as well as various other officers to handle things like membership, event hospitality, merchandise, website upkeep etc. Annual membership to a local H.O.G. chapter is minimal ($20.00 for Blackstone Valley) and worth it to be part of an organization of Harley enthusiast that are very active.

Shortly after attending my first monthly meeting, I joined the Blackstone Valley H.O.G. chapter for a new member orientation ride. The purpose of the ride was to get new members up to speed on safe group riding procedures, hand signals, and intersection safety. Even though only five of the riders were new members, over thirty riders showed up to join the 70 mile trip through the country.

From the opening roar of 30+ Harley Davidson motorcycles firing up in the sponsoring dealers parking lot, to the staggered formation that snaked along scenic country roads, my first H.O.G. chapter event was a memorable one. I was impressed with how well organized a formation ride of that size was, and by the emphasis on rider safety.

By the end of the ride I had a much better grasp on the intricacies of safe group riding, met a half dozen new people, and got a good start on my tan :)

If you bought your Harley Davidson new, you got a free membership to the national H.O.G. - I recommend that you take it a step further and check out your local Harley Owners Group chapter to add to your overall Harley experience.