July 2013 Hogwash

 

I’m fortunate to be able to attend the 110^th anniversary of Harley-Davidson in August. Every five years since the 95^th in 1998 I’ve made the pilgrimage to Milwaukee. It’s not for everyone that’s for sure, but if you’re a Harley-Davidson enthusiast you owe it to yourself to attend at least once. It’s not the decadence and debauchery that is Daytona, Laconia or Sturgis. It’s not meant to be.  I’ve been to all of the “Big 3,” but always particularly look forward to Milwaukee. The city of Milwaukee and the Company pull out all the stops. I was there first in 1998 when the Doobies rocked the house at the Summerfest Grounds... Steppenwolf was there, as well as ZZ Top that you couldn’t get close to if you tried.

In 2003 at the 100^th, I had just left Milwaukee as the mystery musical guest came out on the stage after months of buildup and speculation (the Stones for one) of who was going to close the 100 year anniversary celebration. One of the last performers most of the bikers would expect to see on stage in front of thousands of leather clad Harley folk was Elton John, but that’s who showed up. My friend who was in the audience called and said that there was a collective moan from the thousands of biker types who (many hundreds) simply got up and left.  I like Elton John, heck I have an album called 11-17-70 when he was just becoming famous. But hey, to the biker crowd, it was kind of a letdown. Molly Hatchet, Doobies, Motorhead, anyone but Elton singing “Saturday Nights Alright for Fighting!” There were even rumors of a possible Led Zeppelin reunion happening in Milwaukee that weekend. The marketing person who set this up might have been looking for another job on Monday morning.  You will sometimes still find writers slamming the Company for this decision. This concert is still infamous in the history of Harley-Davidson Motor Company.

I was at the 105^th, and the Company redeemed itself when The Boss, Bruce Springsteen was the headliner. It was a memorable evening under the stars.   You know I don’t remember that much about the 105^th, only the concert and that guy at my hotel who was on a Road King and had a Kevlar drive belt that snapped. I had never seen this before or since on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. He told me later that day that the dealership in Milwaukee replaced it for free. There had been a recall of bikes between such and such VIN number and that they knew the belt could possibly do this.   

I always stay at the same place in South Milwaukee except in 1998. A bunch of us rode in torrential rain to the 95th; including retired DPD motorcycle sergeant Ben Caperton, PCH’s first Safety Officer, who is now living the good life on a mountain in Colorado. He and his wife Jamie have a wine bar in Woodland Park. We rented a house from a single guy who moved out when we moved in. The first night I received several calls (well many) from what I guess could be described as this guys ex girlfriends. We finally turned off the phones since apparently they thought it was a party that they were not invited to! Well I guess they weren’t since he had a bunch of friends that did come over, and probably some of the ex’s too but it was a blast and I still wonder whatever happened to the guy.

Once I was outside the old and historic Juneau plant. It’s the birthplace of Harley-Davidson. This is something that you have to see if you go to Milwaukee. Heck, every time I’ve been to this building, there are people lined up and down Juneau Avenue in all sorts of biker wedding gear and yes regular wedding dresses and tuxedoes.  Anyway I was standing next to an exit door when a bunch of H-D accountant types came out on a smoke break. Suddenly all these people, including a bunch of people from Mexico City, surrounded these pencil pushers and wanted their picture taken with them. Later after the throng departed, they told me it happened all the time.

Last time that I was there in 2008 the Harley-Davidson museum had just opened. I was lucky enough to get tickets to get in the day before it officially opened. It took 3.5 hours to tour this really high tech homage to the all American motorcycle.  This year, I’m sure it will be even better. I’m really looking forward to it.

One thing that I always look forward to is the Saturday morning parade through downtown Milwaukee.  My first, at the 95^th I was on my bad boy days raised and lowered Wide Glide. I remember forming up with a thousand other bikes it seemed on a new freeway that hadn’t opened yet about 5:00am. We had left the much too in demand single guy’s house and headed out into the Milwaukee darkness. In those days anyone could show up to ride. It was a blast and I was hooked. Thousands of Milwaukee citizens line the streets and this is the closest you might ever feel to being a celebrity!

At the 100^th, one had to have an invitation to ride in the parade that could only be won through a type of lottery. Luckily, my friend Tim Bradley had won an invitation but he couldn’t go. I rode the parade route with the PCH flag. It was great! A couple of years before, in 2001 I had gone to a HOG National Rally that was held in Milwaukee. Since my flight attendant wife at the time had to leave early to go to work in DFW, PCH member Shirley Fowler rode on the back of my 2001 Electra Glide holding which, at the time, was the brand new PCH flag including a “streamer” from the rally. This was the first “honor” in the form of a streamer that was attached to the flag pole that was awarded to PCH, or any chapter that participated in the parade.   

It’s getting pretty late to find a hotel in Milwaukee for the 110^th, but you might be able to try and swing something. The ultra chic Iron Horse Hotel across from the museum might have rooms (probably not actually) but going for big bucks even on a regular day. My buddy in South Milwaukee and the girlfriends, if I really look I might be able to find his number and you could hang at his place. Who knows?