Motorcyclists are a much misunderstood segment of our society. They are portrayed in movies and TV shows as thugs and barbarians. A small percentage of riders reinforce this image. The vast majority of bikers, though, are safety-minded and socially responsible. They also share the thrill of being one with nature as they glide down country roads.
One doesn’t normally associate motorcycles with Oak Park but the Oak Park HOG (Harley Owners Group) has been around since 1986. The director is Robert Baren, who lives and works in the village (he’s district director for state Sen. Don Harmon, D-39th).
“I got involved with the Harley chapter because I didn’t have anyone to ride with,” Baren said. “It was one of the best decisions I ever made.” Baren enjoys the camaraderie of the Harley-Davidson culture. The local chapter not only provides safety in numbers on the road. It also holds social events and unites the riders in support of charities.
Oak Park HOG, with 110 members, is one of the smallest chapters in Illinois. Though their numbers are few, the participation level is high, as the cyclists ride to benefit veterans, breast cancer research, and Toys for Tots. Belonging to the group also promotes safety and has helped Baren become a better rider.
“You’re entrusting your life to other people,” Baren said. “You look to senior riders for guidance. They know how to avoid storms and rough roads.”
Jimmy Dyers is one of the chapter’s senior riders. He’s been riding since the ’60s and bought his first Harley-Davidson in 1971. “Riding a motorcycle is almost a religious experience,” Dyers said. “I’ve woken up and watched the sunrise in the Smokies. I’ve seen the sunset in the Rockies and ridden through the Shenandoah Valley on a crisp morning.”
Dyers and his wife Pat have covered 40 states and 2,000 counties on their Harleys. “It’s living life to its fullest,” Dyers said. “We smell, see, hear everything, because we’re in it. We’re the last cowboys.”
Joining the Oak Park HOG in August 1996, Dyers is now the assistant director, as well as the unofficial photographer. The HOG program, he said, started in 1985. “When Harley-Davidson was bought back from AMF, the Baby Boomers got interested and doctors, lawyers and bricklayers became ‘weekend warriors.’ We all share something in common: like getting caught under a bridge in a hailstorm.”
They also share a passion for supporting causes. “Someone’s got to step up for charities,” Dyers declared. “We’ve packed boxes for soldiers in Afghanistan. A thousand bikes ride to Manteno to cheer up the vets at the V.A. Our ride for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome started with 35 bikes. We now have 543. We show what a small group can do.”
Since their inception in 1986, the local chapter has been based at the Illinois Harley-Davidson dealership, formerly located at 1301 S. Harlem in Berwyn. The dealership opened its spacious new showroom in Countryside on May 5. The move also necessitates a name change for the chapter from Oak Park to Illinois HOG.
Salesman Kenn Heartmann said Harleys were first manufactured in Milwaukee in 1903. In 1914, the Illinois dealership opened. He said supporting charities has been part of motorcycle culture from the beginning.
Heartmann had an unusual introduction to that culture. “My mother drove a 1930s police motorcycle. She met my dad on a bike on Lawrence Avenue. My mom was the biker in the family.” That made her a forerunner, as females are now the fastest-growing segment of motorcycle enthusiasts.
The same perks that attract men to riding, also attract women: independence, freedom and camaraderie. “There’s a huge social aspect to motorcycling,” Heartmann said. “You can’t help but meet people.” The Oak Park chapter held over a hundred events at the Berwyn dealership last year. “They cook for parties, support non-profits and hope to someday have 300 members.”
Riding gear is dear to H-D enthusiasts. “It’s important to have sturdy shoes, a jacket that doesn’t flap and a helmet,” Heartmann said, noting that they sell the signature clothes to riders and non-riders alike. “Harley-Davidson is a personal statement. Owning a Harley is a lifelong dream for some people.”
Jim Brooks’ dream came true early in life, when he bought a 1971 Harley Sportster. “I started riding a motorcycle in 1969,” he recalled. “My best friend had a bike and I liked the feeling of freedom.”
Brooks became a member of the chapter in 2008. “I joined because these are selfless, phenomenal people. I thought I could mentor some of the younger riders.” For Brooks, riding is “really like therapy. It frees up the mind to become meditative. On a bike you have to focus on riding. You can’t worry about the mortgage and kids. It’s a brief respite from problems.”
“When you stay off the interstate, you see more,” Brooks continued. “All your senses are heightened. You notice the weather more. Smells are intense.”
Brooks tries to ride year-round. He made a 200-mile roundtrip in January. “I put on about 6,000-7,000 miles a year,” he said. “Some are doing 20,000. I went out to Sturgis [South Dakota] three years ago and I made a thousand-mile trip to Grand Junction, Colo.” Last summer, he and his wife, Brigid, circled Lake Michigan.
Brigid Brooks works at Molly Malone’s, where the Oak Park HOG holds its monthly meeting. At a typical gathering, the board members, dressed in H-D regalia, plan their upcoming rides to destinations like Starved Rock, Mt. Carroll and Kankakee State Park. They also discuss trips to more distant locations, like the “Wounded Heroes” ride to Bethseda, Md. There’s even a “Ladies Only” ride on Mother’s Day.
A great deal of preparation goes into these rides. Road captains survey the route, checking the signage, spotting construction and sweeping debris off the road. Several chapter members ride to Sturgis to attend the nation’s largest rally. The Oak Park HOG holds a picnic for those who can’t make the pilgrimage.
Pre-ride checks and inspections are important before these long trips. “We learn self-maintenance and to check our wheels, tires and brakes. A blown tire can be deadly,” said Baren, who has buried two friends from the road. He, too, has had several mishaps and close calls. In rural areas, the hazard is collisions with four-legged creatures. In the city, it’s left-turners, lane-changers and door-openers.
To learn safe riding and how to deal with dangers, the Harley dealerships offer classes. Baren encourages riders, especially new ones, to take the instruction. “We want new riders to succeed and to enjoy riding,” he says. Baren also recommends that bikers wear protective clothing: boots, jeans and eye protection for starters.
Of course, no amount of protection will keep a cyclist safe in a collision with a car. So the riders are continuing to campaign for the public to “Start Seeing Motorcycles.”
People should also start, they say, seeing motorcyclists for who they really are.