Harley riders born to be wild... but not always violent

Harley riders born to be wild... but not always violent

By T. Sima Gunawan

JAKARTA (JP): The name Harley-Davidson is often associated with roughness, long hair, black leather jackets and violence. Well, that is quite understandable since those things are usually associated with the motorbikes in the movies.

And, undeniably, some Harley riders really are ferocious. A turf war between rival Hell's Angels gangs in Montreal, Canada, has claimed 25 lives in the past year as the two groups battle for control of Quebec's multi-billion-dollar trade in illicit drugs.

But not all Harley riders are bad. Many of them are good citizens, like those in Indonesia.

"We want to change the negative image of the Harley-Davidson," Indro Joyo, a big Harley fan, told The Jakarta Post.

Indro, a popular comedian with the Warkop group, was the secretary-general of the Indonesian Harley-Davidson Club from 1991 to June 1995. From 1982 to 1994 he was an executive of the Jakarta Harley-Davidson Club.

A few years ago the club dismissed one of its members for vandalism. The unruly Harley rider, who was involved in a traffic accident, became so violent that he smashed in a car's windows. The car's owner reported the case to the club.

"When the other members heard about the incident, they became very upset and we decided to dismiss the delinquent member from the club," Indro said.

As a matter of fact, the club has both written and unwritten codes of ethics.

The Harley-Davidson Club of Indonesia has branches in 14 cities in Java, Bali and Sumatra, with a total membership of about 1,500. Most members live in Jakarta.

The Harley-Davidson company was started by William Harley and the Davidson brothers in Milwaukee, U.S.A., in 1903. Its motorcycles were widely used by the American army during World War II.

The company now turns out about 100,000 motorbikes a year, each one already on order from a customer before it leaves the factory, at prices that range from US$5,000 to $18,000, Reuters reported early this month.

According to Indro, Harley riders are just like boy scouts: independent, helpful and fond of peace and togetherness. Indro said that a Western man once approached him when he was standing beside his motorcycle, parked on the roadside.

"This man, who was also a Harley rider, offered to help -- he thought I was having trouble with my motorcycle," Indro said.

Indro says he is "born to be wild," as one of Harley's mottos goes. But he denies that the word "wild" means wild in the negative sense. Indro loves adventures in nature, and that is how he interprets the word "wild."

The symbol of Harley-Davidson is an eagle, which has much to do with the motto.

Riding a Harley-Davidson or other big motorcycle has become a lifestyle for certain people, including artists, top officials and businessmen.

Whoever they are, Harley riders look alike when they are on the road: they have the same style. They wear leather jackets, vests, T-shirts, socks, boots and other accessories which are specially designed for Harley-Davidson lovers.

There are some Harley shops in Jakarta, including one on Jl. Kalibata, one on Jl. Arteri and another in Pondok Indah in South Jakarta.

"If you want to go shopping there, you have to take along a lot of money. Rp 1 million might not be enough," noted Yusuf Chandra, another Harley-Davidson fan.

A leather belt can cost more than Rp 300,000, while the jackets cost up to Rp 2 million.

Indro prefers to mail-order the items from Harley-Davidson shops in the U.S. because, he says, they offer a wider selection at lower prices.

For example, he was able to buy a long-rider leather jacket for about Rp 1.75 million, including transport costs, by mail- order. Such a jacket is sold for Rp 2 million in local shops.

The jacket, which is made in Indonesia under license from Harley-Davidson, is expensive, not only because it protects the rider from the sun and wind, but because it can reduce the injuries sustained in an accident.

Indro's wife and three children are also crazy about Harley- Davidson. All of them collect Harley-Davidson accessories, ranging from pins and buttons to leather gloves and jackets.

"I have never calculated how much money we have spent on all this," Indro said.