I joined a HOG chapter for a ride-out and here's why all H-D owners should consider joining

No Harley-Davidson test would be complete without experiencing the social side of ownership, which is accessible through H-D’s in-house riding club, the Harley Owners Group (HOG). A year’s free membership comes with every bike purchase (after which it’s £57 per year), so to learn more about it I met up with some Pan America owning members from the Watford-based III Rivers Chapter on a rideout to Rutland.

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Graham Cross and Martyn Coote turned up on CVO Pan Ams and were keen to extol the virtues of HOG. “If you buy a Harley and don’t join a chapter, it’s like buying half a bike,” said Martyn. “The social aspect is incredible, we have rideouts, weekends away, trips abroad and a massive annual fundraising event. I’ve made so many friends that I can’t imagine my life without it.”

Don’t let the patches and pins on HOG members’ vests fool you into thinking it’s all about the badges – these guys are serious about riding – and ride they do, clocking up thousands of miles on solo and well-organised group rides. It’s a unique feature of life with a Harley that’s well worth exploring. Oh, and the vest is optional.

HOG chapter members meet up

It’s not been all plain sailing though, as despite the Pan’s flawless reliability record it was sidelined due to a rather unpleasant deer strike. I was riding just a few miles from home in the darkness of a Fenland night, when the LED Daymaker headlights suddenly illuminated a female roe deer standing on the crown of the road.

I squeezed the brake as hard as I dared, feeling the meaty front Brembos clamp onto their discs and the Continental Trail Attack 3 tyres grabbing for grip on the damp tarmac. The rapid deceleration was almost enough to detach my retinas, and I’d all but stopped when the deer suddenly darted left, sending a sickening thud through the bars as we made contact. 

Thankfully, the bike stayed straight and level, and in the aftermath the deer was nowhere to be seen, so I can only hope it re-joined the herd in one piece. Damage on my part was limited to a shattered mudguard and broken left handguard, but H-D wanted to take the bike in for an inspection, just to be sure.

Harley-Davidson CVO Pan America after a deer strike

It was returned with a clean bill of health. If you’re going to hit a deer, it’s probably the right bike to be on – but I still wouldn’t advise it.