Low-slung with high handlebars and loads of chrome. Oh, and a distinctive rumble.
Yep, there is nothing like a Harley-Davidson. It has always been the king of chopper bikes, but muscleman actor Arnold Schwarzenegger lifted it to iconic status when he rode a "Fatboy" model in the hit movie Terminator.
However, despite the Harley's "bad boy" image, riders here are far from that and do good works such as raising money for the underprivileged.
The Singapore chapter of the Harley Owners Group (HOG) has more than 300 members from different occupations and backgrounds.
Far from being young male hell-riders, the average age of members is the mid-40s, and membership includes both sexes.
Expats from over 30 different nationalities make up 65 per cent of the membership, although Singaporeans are the largest group by nationality.
Their "hogs" are choppers, which are low-riding bikes that usually have a longer wheel base than most others.
These sleek machines are perfect bikes for customisation, such as having airbrush drawings done on the body or extending the handlebars to sometimes reach as far as the rider's head.
HOG committee member Dennis Quah, 31, says: "Harleys are probably the most customised bikes among all the marques.
Custom jobs can range from a $5 chromed nut to a customised airbrush paint job that can cost well over $10,000."
Harleys are easy to spot because of their distinctive look. Usually the riders like to wear leather jackets and sunglasses and roar along in groups for that "brotherhood" look, like the "chain" gangs in Hollywood movies.
Those leather jackets have deep pockets: a Harley can cost from $20,000 to $70,000. There are cheaper choppers from Japanese makers such as Suzuki and Yamaha, costing between $7,000 and $8,000, but bikers will not get the stares that the famous American-made machines do. Quah says: "Harleys are awesome, awe-inspiring machines. They are objects of beauty that never fail to turn heads. But I ride Harleys also for the community. Being a HOG member is a great way to enjoy riding in a group of like-minded bikers."
This article was first published in The Straits Times on Nov 2, 2008.
