See my friends
The Harley Owners Group turns 35 years old
- Willie G. and Nancy Davidson are members #1 and #2
- In 1991 the HOG took off in Europe
- With 873,000 members, it is the largest manufacturer-supported motorcycle club in the world
(Neu-Isenburg, May 8, 2018) “We thought we would reach around 25,000 people nationwide, sell a few patches and pins and have fun.” Clyde Fessler was wrong – very much so. In 1983, the long-time Harley-Davidson manager put his idea into practice to found a community for Harley riders: the Harley Owners Group, or HOG for short
Willie G. and Nancy Davidson apply for membership cards number 1 and 2. Tens of thousands follow them. In 1984, the HOG held its first rallies in the USA, and the first chapters were founded in 1985 after the number of members grew to 60,000. Six years later, the Harley Owners Group also took off in Europe with a rally in Cheltenham, Great Britain. 3,500 V-Twin fans celebrate the Harley lifestyle – including Willie G. Davidson and Harley-Davidson boss Richard Teerlink.
Around 873,000 Harley-Davidson friends worldwide are now members of this world's largest motorcycle club supported by a manufacturer - there are over 24,000 members in Germany and more than 2,700 members in Austria. Around twelve percent of them are Ladies of Harley. Around 1,300 HOG chapters have now been established around the globe.
You automatically become a HOG member when you purchase a new Harley-Davidson. After one year, membership can be extended – for one year or even for life. The philosophy of the Harley Owners Group has not changed since 1983: it is still primarily about riding motorcycles and having fun on the bike. The HOG promotes contact between Harley riders and ensures even closer contact between the company and the customers - in keeping with the “Close to the Customer” philosophy that Harley-Davidson has cultivated for decades. Being a HOG member means meeting like-minded people, driving, traveling, talking with them - in other words: cultivating your shared passion. HOG members are also involved in events and charity campaigns - in the USA, especially in support of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). And in Europe, the Harley Owners Group is also committed to the fight against muscular dystrophy, a fatal disease popularly known as muscle wasting: Since 1996, the charity fund for the Austrian Harley-Davidson Charity Tour alone has received around 2.8 million euros in donations collected, which, among other people in need, particularly benefited children and young people suffering from muscular dystrophy.
Lisa Wacha, newly appointed Regional HOG and Customer Experience Manager for Germany, is quite sure that the future of this “somewhat different” motorcycle club looks bright: “Despite all of our offers on Facebook, Instagram and Co., in the end it will always be about that for us "Go, get on the motorbike together and just have a good time." What else is there to add - apart from the reference to the website www.hog.com.
