The final stop on Harley-Davidson’s 110th Anniversary tour back home in Milwaukee was truly a city-wide affair with the constant rumble of motorcycles echoing day and night across the city.
While the officially sponsored events during the five day rally consumed much of downtown Milwaukee, its Summerfest festival grounds, the Harley-Davidson Museum, the Juneau Avenue Corporate Headquarters and the Pilgrim Road Factory, dealership’s in the city’s outlying neighborhoods threw huge parties of their won to join in the HD110 spirit.
Milwaukee hosts a big Labor Day rally every year, but the global celebration of the 110th meant the local joints had to go all out to keep up with the all-day event schedule hosted by H-D proper. Milwaukee Harley-Davidson on the city’s far northwest side threw a 24/7 bash built on food, drink, live music and plenty of biker chicks. It was a celebration of the arts with Female Mud Wrestling, The World’s Largest Beer Bong, Wisconsin’s Largest Wet T-Shirt Contest, Burnout Pit Contests and constant performances by the area’s top tribute bands.
Over on the city’s southwest side, the House of Harley-Davidson served a little more official role in the H-D festivities. The event shut down a multi-block stretch of the area’s major throughway and acted as host for special theme days honoring the Military, Law Enforcement, Firefighters, Latino Riders, Women Riders and the Milwaukee Brewers (who rose to the occasion by getting swept in a weekend series).
The Latino event – Harlista Day – played out with Harley-Davidson’s blessing as part of the brand’s ongoing effort to attract a wider ethnic range of riders.
As the list of events indicates, the atmospheres were wildly different at the two dealer events. But, when blended together, the dual parties only served to demonstrate how varied the motorcycle experience and the riders’ identities can be. You can roll with the “Born to Be Wild” stereotype with the leathers, biker chicks and tattoos, or you can rev up the patriotism, freedom honoring…and tattoos.
No matter what ink or diversion riders favored, it was all in Milwaukee as HD110 wound down.
Special thanks to the following sponsors and benefactors for making the HD110 World Tour possible: Harley-Davidson, Crave Online, IndieGoGo, Meguiar’s Car Care Products, The Iron Horse Hotel – Milwaukee, The Langham Hotel Auckland, Auckland Motorcycles and Power Sports, Hilton Daytona Beach, Hotel Casa Camper – Berlin, South African Airways, Margate Hotel, Protea Hotel President – Cape Town, Mexico City Marriott, Harley-Davidson Latin America, Samsung Galaxy, Harley-Davidson Europe, Sheridan Golf Parco de’Medici, Hilton Milwaukee City Center, Milwaukee Harley-Davidson, Todd Hall, Steve Harpst, Burbank Boxing Club, Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, Carla Gehrig, Eric Rogell, Traycee King, Joy Sapieka and Nicholas Kearney.
