LoH Story

LADIES OF HARLEY
Harley-Davidson has a long and proud tradition of supporting, and catering for, female riders. Now women riders and pillions around the world can get more out of the Harley-Davidson experience by joining LOH – the Ladies of Harley.

Harley-Davidson has traditionally welcomed female riders to its global family from its earliest days and there's no better way for women to get involved in the Harley lifestyle than joining the Ladies of Harley programme.
Sponsored by the Harley Owners Group (HOG), Ladies of Harley caters for female Harley-Davidson enthusiasts and worldwide membership currently stands at over 30,000.
You don't have to be a Harley rider to join up, as the programme also caters for female pillion passengers, all Ladies are to the LOH activities.
All women who are HOG members can join Ladies of Harley, whether they are currently associate members, full members, or lifetime members of the organisation. There is no additional charge and, upon joining, new members will receive a LOH badge and pin. But membership is not automatic – prospective members must apply to have their membership upgraded. Visit www.hog.com and follow the simple procedure.
Women form an important part of the Harley family and there are hundreds of events arranged annually to bring them all together, to have fun. In May 2010, thousands of female Harley enthusiasts around the world enjoyed Women Riders' Month. Events were staged in countries as far apart as Australia, Korea and Brazil. Plans are underway to arrange similar events in 2011 and you can help shape those plans by suggesting ideas on the official Harley-Davidson website at www.harley-davidson.com
There are literally hundreds of Women's Activities and Garage Parties held around the world specifically aimed at helping women to get more out of motorcycling and the Harley-Davidson experience. Usually held at Harley dealers after hours, the parties are a great excuse for a get-together and a chance to meet like-minded women. They're also educational, with demonstrations and classes on everything from choosing the correct riding apparel to learning how to pick up a fallen motorcycle. Karen Davidson - daughter of legendary Harley designer Willie G Davidson - is creative director of general merchandising and is an avid rider. She says 'Our women's outreach program has so many initiatives like garage parties which are similar to Tupperware parties. It's women only and there are stations set up so you can learn about the clothes, learn about the parts. It's not intimidating, and it has worked really well.'
Women have played a hugely important part in the Harley-Davidson story and the brand attracts more female riders than any other. For example, 20% of HOG members are female whereas surveys have shown that motorcycle groups usually attract a female membership of around 8%.
The bond between female riders and Harley-Davidson can be traced right back to the factory's pioneering days but it was in the late 1930s that one of the most famous female Harley riders of all time really came to the fore. Dot Robinson had ridden Harley-Davidsons since her youth and had long promoted the virtues of 'lady-like motorcycling, to the point of fitting a customised lipstick holder to her motorcycle!
In 1940, she co-founded 'The Motor Maids' - an organisation for female motorcyclists - and remained president of the club for 25 years. In 1991, at the age of 79, she rode her Full Dresser to all Motor Maids events across America and secured her reputation as the 'first lady of motorcycling.' Robinson estimated she clocked up a total of 2.5 million kilometres on no less than 35 different Harleys over her lifetime. She died in 99 aged 87.
To celebrate the spirit of ladies like Dot Robinson, the official Harley-Davidson website now has an entire section dedicated to female riders with everything from clothing collections designed just for women, to downloadable magazines that cover every aspect of being a female motorcyclist. You can also follow a link on the site to join the Ladies of Harley.
And if you're still not convinced that riding a Harley-Davidson is the correct lady-like thing to do, Karen Davidson has some words of encouragement. “I think the time and place we are in, women are encouraged to do anything. The time is now for women to step up and do whatever they want. Motorcycling is a sport that is so diverse. It really is for anybody and it is so much fun. Once you take the throttle and start powering up the bike it's just a blast.”