Mike’s Typo

I told you the 105th was gonna rock.  Springsteen rocked Milwaukee, but there were lots of great, great - great events.  Day and night.  A family commitment kept me home.  So, Jimmy (always self-less) volunteered to take my place and immerse himself and his wonderful woman in the depths of the 105th party.  Off to Milwaukee we sent M & M Jimmy.  Armed him with a front and center wrist band for the Springsteen concert.  Told him to soak it all in.

And, all I got was a lousy t-shirt….

No. Really.  Here is a few thoughts - straight from the Jimmy on his and Marianne’s Milwaukee experience.  When you’re done with the read - check out Harley’s videos.  Not as good as being there - but, puts a smile on your face none-the-less.

From Jimmy:

“As a Harley-Davidson enthusiast (at least that’s what Bruce Springsteen called us), there are several events that you have to attend …Sturgis, Daytona, Laconia, Hollister, and Reno. Well, add one more to the list of must-dos if you ride a Harley: a Milwaukee anniversary party. After a whirlwind 4-day trip back to where it all began, all I can say is: WOW. So many events to choose from. Where do I start?

‘My first stop was Club HOG’s 25th Anniversary at Miller Park (where the Milwaukee Brewers play). My first reaction was the incredible number of bikes in the parking lot and riding around the area. Inside it was wall to wall people trying to get a spot to see the musical acts that ended with the headliner Kid Rock.

‘The next day was spent checking out all the things going on at the Summerfest grounds (home of the world’s largest musical festival, Summerfest), ending with seeing ZZ Top (well, actually listening and trying to see over what seemed to be a wall of 6 foot 5 inch guys in front of me) perform. Billy Gibbons, lead singer and guitarist, said: ” I was in California this morning and figured I better get on the road to make this show in front of thousands of Harley-Davidson owners tonight”. Their show was 2 hrs of Texas-style Rock N’ Roll.

‘Saturday was the highlight as I spent 2.5 hours living, breathing, and experiencing 105 years of the greatest motorcycle company in the world. The Harley-Davidson Museum has so many things that make you stand in awe. Like one model from every year of production, including Serial Number One. This trip through history made me appreciate Harley-Davidson and makes me proud to own a Harley and work for a company that stands for everything that makes the good ‘ol USA a damn good place to call home. Lastly, The Boss (not my boss Mike James) put on a marathon 3.5 hour 31 song concert that will rank up there for me as one of the best concerts that I’ve ever seen. (and I’ve seen over 100 concerts with everyone from the Godfather of Soul James Brown to Willie Nelson to Rob Zombie). All in all, I came back truly appreciating Harley-Davidson and everything it stands for. The next time you’re riding in the wind, think about the 105 years of history you’re riding and the many thousands of people that are just like you.”

The sin-ical might say, following Elton John as the headliner for the 100th wouldn’t be that difficult.  But, as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article points out - Harley’s 105th was the most anticipated event of the year.  And, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band closing the party down - was the most anticipated concert of the year.  Did it live up to expectation?  70,000+ concert goers said the 3 1/2 hour non-stop rock-a-thon kicked ass.  Springsteen had the Harley faithful rockin’ in Milwaukee.  Here is a nice article recaping the evening - along with a set list for those of you who want to build an iPod playlist.  Oh.  And, how about almost 12 minutes of Bruce rockin’ for the Harley crowd.

More to follow.  We’ll have a first-hand account comin’ at you tomorrow.

I think I mentioned previously, that I signed up to be a Charter Member of the Harley-Davidson Museum.  (I’m too young to have made the charter member status of the Mikey Mouse Club.)  So.  They’ve been sending me all sorts of stuff.  More swag than I know what to do with.  Cool stuff.  Not sure what I’ll do with it stuff.  But, cool stuff.

I get back from the family vac.  Here is a envelop from the Museum.  I skip the bills.  Pass right over my copy of Wired mag and rip open that really cool envelop.  Opps.  Shoulda saved the envelop.  What was I tinkin’?

Low and behold (where’d that expression come from; better yet - what does it mean?) here is The Backroad Chronicles.  It’s a neat little book that they describe as the inside scoop on the stories that pay tribute to Harley-Davidson.  I love this piece.  Cover to cover - really cool.

So, here is one little tid-bit.  You know I often appear sexist with my beach volleyball, etc.  It’s true - I like lookin’ women a whole lot more than men.  But all that aside, I have a healthy respect for what a woman can do when she sets a mind to it.  Always have.  Here is an example - from 1915 mind you.

“It’s a misconception that women only recently took an interest in motorcycling.  Nothing could be further from the truth.’

‘With only 10 days of riding experience, Della Crewe of Waco, Texas and her dog, Trouble, racked up huge miles together during the spring of 1915.  With 125 lbs. of gear stuffed in the sidecar, Della and Trouble headed to the races in Dodge City, Kansas.  After discovering how much fun that road trip was, they continued on to New York, often on dirt roads that were rutted by buggies, cars, excessive rain, and severe erosion.  But that didn’t stop them….”

That was in 1915.  Tough lady that Della.  Hats off to you!

Join up.  Get the swag.  It’s cool.

It’s official. The date - mark your calendars - is July 12. Just about 105 years after the founding of Harley-Davidson, a pretty bitchin’ museum will open along Milwaukee’s Riverwalk to honor the amazing machines and the rich culture. Wanna know more, tune into the Museum site. There’s a great opportunity to become a “Museum Member” and get invited to special member-only events - including a pre-party before the Museum opens. The museum site boasts a virtual tour of the campus and facilities - 130,000 square feet of historical Harley-Davidson experience. Kinda weak virtual tour - I’m sure it will improve. But, it’s worth a few minutes because it gives a reasonable overview of what’s on the Museum site. Just checked, the Museum voyeur cam is still live - 50º and cloudy at the time of this post.

A little recap of what I learned trolling around the site:

• This Museum is full of exhibits that tell the stories of the extraordinary people, products, history and culture of H-D - afterall this is what we want to see, right?
• Peek into the Archives where they are curating and restoring - before your very eyes (Caution: Please Don’t Feed the Animals)
• Visit the Living the Legend rivets - just try to find yours….
• The whole thing should make you hungry, so it’s time to visit the on-site H-D Cafe.

I for one, can’t wait.

Those museum folks even have their own Blog. It needs a little help - but, it’ll make you appreciate this one!

Details from the 10.5th are starting to leak out. I noted two events of interest for the big Milwaukee 10.5th celebration. HOG is sponsoring the Wall of Ink. You complete a registration form and provide an 8×10 of your tat and you are entered in the Wall of Ink. The photos will be displayed Thursday, August 28, at Miller Park. Another new event to this year’s 10.5th parte is the Ride-in Bike Show. With 18 categories, your bike should fit somewhere. This might change what I ride east. The show is also Thursday, August 28. Staging is 8:30-10am; judging is from 10-10:30a. Seems pretty painless. This is also a HOG deal sponsored by Dunlop tires.

Login to the HOG Members-Only to see more info.

That’s the weather in Milwaukee as I write this post to the blob. Yep, you guessed it, I checked in with the web voyeurs watching the H-D Museum build. Doesn’t look like much is happening. My guess is they moved inside. Walls, electrical, flooring. So, where’s the indoor cams. Come on H-D, get with it. Anticipate the desires of your constituents! It’s still fun to hop over and check out what the new Milwaukee skyline looks like. I’m getting pretty excited about the party in Milwaukee in August. Celebrating the big 10.5. Springsteen is the headliner. And, the who’s who of rock ‘n roll B players are on the list. The ride to, the week of celebrating, the concerts, the 15 mile long parade of bikes - it’s all going to be a blast. Think about it.

So, for you folks who’ve been checking out the voyeur cam regularly, doesn’t it bug you that the horizon is running down on the right. I’m sure hoping that’s the way the river flows. But, really, I just want to crawl up on that tower (even though I’ve got a bad thing for heights) and twist that camera level. One good reason it can’t be done is the Time Lapse button. Check that out. It’s like watching re-runs of I Love Lucy (sort of).

1.05% APR. Wow. That is an incredibly low rate. Let’s see - you can finance that new Harley and put your cash in a bank CD and make money! Let’s thank Harley. This financing offer that we announced earlier this month is a Harley deal. And, when it’s done, it’s done. This is the last weekend to take advantage of 1.05% APR financing on select new 2008 Harleys. Don’t let this pass you by. You’ll kick yourself. Or, you should.

Here’s the high points of the deal. 1.05% APR for 36 months (in some cases up to 60 months) with 10% down payment. The financing offer is through Eaglemark Savings Bank on approved credit as a the lawyers make us say, some applicants may not qualify.

Are you more of a visual person? Then check out our commercial here.

Last weekend, so come on down. ‘Cause when it’s gone, it’s gone!

I’ve been talking about the 10.5 anniversary a lot lately. Well, to anyone who will listen. So, my secret mole inside tells me: book your room, pick your bike, route your ride, because you aren’t going to want to miss the headliner. I’m like, “I’ve seen enough of Kid Rock to last me through my kid’s college.” They’re like, “Trust me, we ain’t stoppin’ with Kid Rock here.” (Lingo courtesy of high-school-lingo-for-dummies.com.) So, I do it. He was right. I’m stoked. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will headline the celebration week festivities. Best of all - only for 10.5 anniversary ticket holders. That’s right, an exclusive concert for us. So, if you don’t have your tickets, now is the time to pony up and make the commitment.

Some of the other bands for the weekend: Kid Rock (of course), ZZ Top, The Black Crowes (white ones were booked), Los Lonely Boys, Blue Oyster Cult, Joan Jett, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and the list goes on.

Check out this link to the Celebration Weekend Entertainment.

This 2008 Anniversary FXSTC Softail Custom is nearly bone stock. I had to throw it in here because we just uncrated it… and, it’s available with the 1.05% APR financing offer. It’s a clean canvas for you to customize. Of course our guys are ready to help. They’ve got lots of ideas for this one. But, I told them to leave it stock; let’s work with the new owner on their vision. I love this bike. The Softail Custom just has that look. The wide, raked front end. The retro pillow seat that wraps up the sissy bar. The factory apes and that big 200/17 rear tire. The Anniversary paint adds to the classic look. Bedroll on the bars, lady on the back–this bikes goin’ somewhere. Disclaimer: We recognize that it could be bedroll on the bars, guy on the back. Actually, we’ve thought of all sorts of combinations. The common theme remains that bedroll. You fill in the rest of the picture to suit your dream!

No typo here. To celebrate the new year, we’re offering 1.05% APR for 36 months with a 10% down payment on select new 2008 Harleys. In some cases, an extended term of 60 months may be available. This financing offer is through Eaglemark Savings Bank on approved credit and as the lawyers insist on us saying, some applicants may not qualify. The offer expires at the end of the month. So, come in to Santa Cruz or Green Valley Harley today to find out more. With 1.05% APR - it’s going to be a happy new year!