The Ladies of Harley (LOH) is a women-only group of Harley-Davidson aficionados in India. At the moment, seven of the members are riding their machines across the Golden Quadrilateral. We catch up with the group as they take a halt in Delhi.
It’s a known fact Harley-Davidson Owners Group (H.O.G) is one of the most popular motorcycling groups across the world, including India. According to the company, there are over 1 million members worldwide and the network continues to grow. In India, it’s no different. HOG has been around for quite a while and it’d be fair to say that its members are present across the length and breadth of the country. However, did you know that Harley has a special women’s riding group in India? Well, if you don’t, then here’s something that you ought to know…
Called Ladies of Harley (LOH), it’s an exclusive riding group for women who’re associated with the brand in one way or the other. Apparently, there are over 200 active members at present. 30 or so of these are prime members, meaning they’re owners of Harley motorcycles. The remaining are enthusiasts or wives and spouses of Harley-Davidson motorcycle owners in the country. But, the common factor among all is the passion for motorcycling and the Harley brand.
Now while the members of LOH go on long rides often, they’ve some special chapters as well (read: long trips). For instance, currently, the group is in the middle of their official ride across the Golden Quadrilateral. This is the second edition of the ride that includes seven members of LOH. Over a span of 14 days, they’ll be covering 6,000 kilometres covering places including Udaipur, Delhi, Kanpur, Aurangabad, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Vijayawada, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolhapur and Mumbai, before concluding the ride on April 21 in Daman, which's where the adventure was flagged off from on April 7. And it was when they reached Delhi that we got a chance to interact with some of the members.
One of the most experienced riders of the group is Shirley George. An architect by profession, Shirley, 48, says that she’s been riding motorcycles since the age of 15. That means she has over 33 years of experience! And it’s not that she’s been casually riding motorcycles around town – she’s virtually covered the length and breadth of the country on two-wheels, she claims. Shirley has been associated with HOG since 2011 and owns two Harleys – a 2013 Fat Bob and a Softail Heritage, which she recently acquired. In fact, she’s doing the Golden Quadrilateral, riding her brand new Harley. She told us that the first service was done during this journey itself!
Another interesting, or rather surprising, thing to note here is that these ladies do not have any support vehicle on this journey. The reason, as per Harley, is that their bikes are quite reliable, but more importantly, they've got a strong and dedicated service network every 250-300km. So, in case there’s a mechanical failure, it takes the roadside assistance team virtually no time to reach the riders. As for the safety, the women are mostly escorted in and out of the cities by regional HOG members, so it’s only a couple of hours highway ride until they're welcomed by a new group in a new location. The impressive thing is – thus far – it’s all gone to plan.
Commenting on their adventurous ride across the country, Sunita Kunjeer, Chapter Director, Ladies of Harley, said, “Ladies of Harley has seen a strong surge over the last few years with more and more women joining the world of H.O.G. This ride will mark the beginning of many more such endeavors and all seven of us are excited to embark on this never done before adventure.”
It may only be the beginning, but the ladies of Harleys are planning to embark on more of these expeditions. As for what we think? Well, maybe it’s time to drop the notion that Harley-Davidson is all about masculinity and big beards, for the Ladies of Harley are no less!
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