CAIRO: My colleagues tell me I'm not exactly what you'd call a biker babe. I don't wear leather, I don't like loud noise and I can be a bit of a wimp. Until recently, I was far too petrified to even attempt getting on a motorcycle. Cairo isn't exactly what I'd characterize as ideal for riders given you spend more time in traffic jams or trying to avoid getting squashed under microbuses than you do actually riding. Still, in the name of journalism, I found myself careening through the streets of Cairo on the back of a Harley Davidson; the rock star of motorcycles. Suddenly, my apprehensions and stereotypes were lost in the wind, so to speak. I learned that Harleys don't make noise, their roars are almost symphonious; I learned that cruising on a bike as ruggedly luxurious as a Harley Davidson is addictive. I discovered that a day on the road with a pack of local riders from the Harley Owner's Group (HOG) is like spending a day with family. "The good thing about HOG is that they have the same interests, explains Engy Ghattas, operational manager for Harley-Davidson Egypt. "They spend hours talking about their bikes: what he fixed on his bike, how he fixed it, what he's thinking about adding onto his bike. They all have the same interests and never get bored. Harley Davidson first debuted in Egypt in the late 1990s when Engineering Automotive Company, the very one that supplies Egyptian motorists with Mercedes Benz and Porsche, decided to add the granddad of bad-boy motorcycles to its showroom floor. Six years later, there are nearly 100 Harleys on the road in Egypt and the brand has two showrooms in Zamalek and Mohandiseen. "Not every man has the guts for it, jokes Ghattas. "The bike weighs 320 kilograms, so it's quite heavy. We have one of our employees train the guys in the beginning and we ride with them, behind them and give them lessons on how to ride the bike. Harley Davidson established its HOG members group in 1983 in response to the growing demand by riders to create an official community. By 1985, 49 chapters operated in the United States with some 60,000 members. In 1991, HOG went international, creating its first overseas chapter in England. Today, 685 chapters exist with more than 800,000 members worldwide. To this day, HOG Egypt is a boys-only club, simply because the Egyptian government forbids women to have motorcycle licenses. However the group, which prides itself as being member of a worldwide community, often turns excursions into a family affair, where wives and girlfriends go along for the ride. "We started [three] years ago having gatherings every Saturday in our showroom, Ghattas recalls. "We should set a destination. At first we didn't send them far because we weren't sure how far they could ride together. Now, we go to Ain El-Sokhna, Sharm El-Sheikh and Alexandria. "The culture is all about riding in a group, adds Ayten Swelim, one of the founders of HOG Egypt. "It's nothing more than a big family; something you would really love to join. You get a free membership in HOG on the day you purchase a bike. This is the only free year, then after that, every year you have to renew your membership for 60 euros. There's no arguing that Harleys are an expensive hobby. The bikes range in price with the average model costing around $24,000. Ghattas insists, however, that even if someone were to buy a bike for less from outside of Egypt and have it shipped here, it would end up costing far more than it would, had they just purchased it from here. More importantly for Harley owners, riding becomes an escape. "It's freedom, says Olivier Masson, general manger of the Four Seasons Nile Plaza hotel and a Harley owner. "On my day off I get to dress like a gangster. It's freedom on the road, a beautiful machine, powerful machine, and the goal is to make your bike different from everybody else's.
