Make something of it, it's worth it...
You're on Harleysite.de, so I can assume you have at least one motorcycle in your garage? And what are you doing with it? Are you one of those people who drive to the next meeting point on Saturday afternoon for a bratwurst?
The art of this motorcycle business is not just selling a motorcycle. It is much more difficult, but also more worthwhile, to get the customer to drive.
Do something with your toy, otherwise the manufacturer will lose a customer who might have had one or two goals over the course of his motorcycle career. Harley-Davidson was the first motorcycle manufacturer to recognize this and has consistently implemented it since the 1980s at the latest.
The HOG is just one example, the numerous Harley-Davidson events at home and abroad also serve to retain customers, but above all to offer them experiences on the bike.
Owning a motorcycle only makes you happy for a very short time and this feeling of happiness subsides at least as quickly as it came.
What comes after the purchase is much more important. I can hardly remember how many and which bikes I have ridden, which is hardly surprising given my job as a motorcycle journalist... but I could fill entire books just about my experiences on two wheels.
I always knew that I wanted and had to ride a motorcycle. Long before I had the coveted rag, it was clear to me where I wanted to go. Mind you, not with what, but that I wanted to drive.
And that's exactly what I love to do most to this day, ride a motorcycle... Does that sound logical to you? So why the hell do so few of you do that? Saturday for a bratwurst and in September to Faak... that's it?
Did you know that in Carinthia, including neighboring Tyrol, Italy and so on, you are in one of the most beautiful motorcycle areas in Europe?
So if I didn't have to go to Bike Week every year for work, you'd probably meet me at the lake for a nightcap beer. And once you are infected, there will soon be no stopping you.
In my opinion, by far the most beautiful motorcycle region in Europe can be found in the Pyrenees. Sparsely populated, perfect asphalt strips, fantastic mountain landscapes that extend into the Mediterranean and an increased guarantee of good weather.
As a novice driver, one of my first motorcycle tours took me across France to the Pyrenees. Since then I've been there at least once a year. And since then I have hardly driven a road or a pass twice.
At first with two friends who were just as crazy as me. Since the two of them have mutated into professional family men, I mostly drive alone. There is now hardly a continent that I have not explored, at least to some extent.
It's not about breaking any kilometer records or boasting about where I've been. On the contrary, I have even stopped talking about it, especially to motorcyclists. Why? If you only do “Bratwurst Tours” then no one will believe you anyway… really.
For me, riding a motorcycle is not a way of life or anything like that.
Riding a motorcycle makes me happy, feeling the wind, the acceleration forces, centrifugal forces... But also the experiences, the people I meet, the friends I make. There are so many memories and impressions that no one can take away from me. I realize that very few of you can spend 6 months of the year on two wheels.
But honestly, how many days do you have? No matter what's lurking in your garage, you'll definitely have one of the hottest toys you can ever imagine.
And if you're just going to the Black Forest, the Odenwald or an area that's within your reach over the weekend. It doesn't matter whether you sleep in a tent, in a guesthouse or book a fancy hotel.
The only important thing is that you find the beginning and you will see how quickly it can become an addiction. The fun actually starts right in front of the garage door, you just have to dare...
And if you don't want to start on your own, you can always choose one of the numerous travel providers that specialize in motorcycle tours. I warmly recommend the SKS trips to you, which I also travel with from time to time.
your Peter, somewhere out there on some street
Text & photos: Peter Schulz
Column: Guest author Peter Schulz / motorcycle editor, book author, photo and filmmaker