Our Customers Speak about their Harley Ride Experience

It never ceases to amaze us to see the reaction we get from people as we take them out for a Harley Davidson Ride experience. All that most people know about motorcycles are the horror stories portrayed to them by the media, and Road Safety agencies like the TAC. But, the reality is far from the myths espoused by these sources. And we frequently change people's perceptions about the Motorcycle Experience and Motorcycle safety.

Take this customer, when we took her and her partner on a 5 hour winery tour to the Yarra Valley:

Or these two girls, who had no idea that Lane Splitting isn't actually dangerous and that motorcycles are designed to fit into the gaps between stationary traffic:

We have nothing but the highest reviews from all our customers who have posted Trip Advisor Reviews.

Perception vs Reality

Its the constant challenge we face. Its the one thing which stops many people choosing to take the Harley Davidson Ride Experience.

The Harley Ride Experience is an Orientation Activity - that  enables anyone to see more in a very short period of time. During this orientation passengers seated on a Harley Davidson will be shown places to which they would not have otherwise ventured - like Williamstown, St Kilda, the F1 GP track, or if they chose one of the longer options - the Dandenong Ranges, and places like Rickett's Point and the beach front along Beach Road....all places you can't easily get to in anything other than a hire car, expensive taxi trip or on time wasing public transport.....other than by on a Harley Ride - as the method of transport!

The greatest challenge we face in attracting Harley Ride Bookings is to make people understand what the experience is really all about and why it is something that everyone visiting Melbourne should do. It is NOT just for Harley Davidson enthusiasts. Weather is NOT a factor - we provide all the warm and protective clothing. Safety - something which stops many people because of the "motorcycle reputation" is also NOT a factor because we have a perfect safety record and are very qualified etc.

All we hope is that others will share this article with anyone planning a trip to Melbourne, anyone who has never had a motorcycle experience. We know that even when our customers tell their friends what a great experience they had, that their friends still don't believe them......

Motorcycle Converts on Youtube

Most people have a negative attitude to motorcycles. Many think that as soon as you get on one that they will fall off, and that they need to cling on tight. Many are surprised to discover that their perceptions are 100% wrong after going for a Harley Ride as a pillion passenger. Yes, if you want to convert that someone you love to your way of thinking about motorcycles then give them an hour with us and we guarantee that we will change their minds, and that they will want you to get one - very soon!

The best way to do it is to organise a surprise Harley Ride, that way they won't have to think about it. If they have to think about it, then they will come up with 1000 excuses to get out of going. If its a surprise, then we don't give them time to think about it, and before they know it we rid them of their negative perceptions as we demonstrate why they can't fall off a moving motorbike, why there is nothing dangerous about an "inanimate piece of metal" and that staying out of the way of cars is easier on a motorcycle, that compared to driving a car (where the driver is actually almost blind to what is around them - i.e. they have many blind spots, on a motorcycle you have none).

Out with Caroline Wozniacki at the Australian Open

From time to time we get requests to take various sporting professionals out for a Harley Ride. Today the request came from the promotions staff at the Australian Open Tennis. Evidently one of the players, in the case 12th Seed Caroline Wozniacki, had shown an interest in going for a Harley Ride.

It was interesting to talk to Caroline. She expressed a desire to get her own motorcycle one day, and consequently I was able to give her some advice.

The purpose of the activity was to allow several film crews to photograph and video the entire event. The last time I did the same thing it involved Rafael Nadal. I did remind Caroline that every professional tennis player that I have ever taken out for a Harley Ride has end up being ranked Number One in the world!

Needless to say I will be keeping a close eye on Caroline's progress over the next few years. When I took Rafael Nadal out for a ride - he couldn't speak a word of english.

And you can view the video clip of the Harley Ride Here

Tourism Australia Winners - Harley Ride

Tourism Australia ran a competition in the USA last year and the winners came to Melbourne and we took them out for a Harley Ride.

They were each given a video camera and told to film their trip. Here are the results:

Harley Rides - More or Our Customers

Here is another Animoto video clip where I have put together another sequence of photo's taken from many of the various jobs that we have completed for Corporate Groups, Birthday rides for mothers and even a wedding - I'm having a lot of fun with Animoto.

You Tube Harley Ride Video Clips

In Australia a Harley Ride means taking someone, os a pillion passenger, for a joyride on a Harley Davidson motorcycle. In Australia, we don't refer to our machines as "our ride". We go for a ride with friends, and we take people for a ride on our bikes....

In Australia, we have a Harley Rides Industry - yes, people who have never been near a motorcycle in their lives, or have never thought of owning a bike, actually pay to be given a motorcycle experience. You would be amazed at who and what we have done with our H-Ds over the years.

A complete set of Harley Ride video clips, taken over the last few years are now on You Tube. Or you can view the best of them here (please rate them for me and let me know what you think):

Here is the first video clip I produced several years ago, on a Yarra Valley Wineries Tour:




This clip was one of the first ones I did with WIN TV about our Introduction to Melbourne Tour :




You can view all the other clips Here

People
The guy sitting on the bike in this photo is a big TV Star in Malaysia

Possibly one of the best things about introducing someone to the joy of riding as a pillion on the back of a Harley Davidson is the people you meet. Most are quite often amazed to find out how easy it is to talk with each other as we cruise around Melbourne.
I have met some very interesting people over the years. Its fascinating to get to know people and find out about what they do for a living and a little about where they live. If you are a "people
person" then, as the rider/chauffeur, taking someone for a Harley Ride becomes a very rewarding experience - and it adds to the level of enjoyment gained by one's passenger.
Occassionally a booking may lead to something quite unexpected. This was what happened to me only a week or so ago. A family visiting from Northern Ireland booked me to take their oldest son out for a one hour tour. It turnes out that Drew, who made the booking, shares my love of photography. After the ride we talked at length, and have since been exchanged many photograhy tips.
I have lost count of the number of celebrities I have had on the back of my bike. Many have been from overseas, organized by Tourism Victoria for whom I do a considerable amount of Familiarizion Rides, and sometimes I am quite oblivious to their fame "back home" until after I have asked a few subtle questions.
Possibly, one of the most interesting jobs I do each year is for a local television network at their annual Family Christmas Day. Its here that one sees television personalities in a different light. One well known celebrity, who shall remain nameless, runs around with a video camera. Last year I asked is he ever watch the footage he was taking. He replied, "Not really, but it will be good for a laugh at his 21st." All are very approachable and very friendly - certainly not anything like they appear in the press.

SEEing Life Differently



Our customers are a pretty diverse bunch. Whenever I tell people about what we do, they immediately assume that only motorcycle enthusiasts would want to go for a Harley Ride. The truth is - anyone who has a motorcycle licence isn't actually in our "target market".

Take a look at this accompanying photo. Notice the number of people wearing "suits"? Would you believe that most of the people in this photo (not the tough looking ones in leather) have actually never even thought about riding or even owning a motorcycle before this photo was taken.

What we did here was to take these people outside their comfort zone. We showed them that everything they thought they knew about motorcycles up until now was wrong.

The company for who we did this job (actually for who we do many jobs) is called SEE Life Differently .

I'm constantly amazed by what People say before we take them out on one of our Harley Rides. Here are just a few classic lines (guaranteed to offend guys who have more kms and experience that you can imagine):

1. "Do I need to hang on? I think I'm going to fall off. I'm scared." Lesson one - it is impossible to fall off a motorcycle when it is in motion. The bike leans over to counteract the effect of gravity and centrifugal force.
2. "Are you going to kill me?" Somehow people have a strong association between motorcycles and imminent death. My answer is that I care more about scratching my bike and I don't plan to do anything that will bring me anywhere near such an experience.
3. "How fast have you ridden this?" Actually, Harleys are designed to be ridden at legal speeds. Riding too fast means you get less attention. Personally, speed isn't something that interest me, but I can make them think I am going fast by accelerationg hard at the lights and then when I reach 60 kph I turn to them and say is that fast enough. They usually get the point by then. I really don't know how fast my bike can go - because I have never tried to push it outside what I consider to be the safe limit.
4. "Cars must be a real problem." Well, no really. the cars are a threat that I can see - beacuase I don't have any "blindspots". I can see more than them - so I can see the danger long before its going to cause me a problem.
5. Friends of people about to go for a ride often tell me "I know someone who died/was injured in a bike accident. I would never get on a bike." I ask them if they know someone who has had a serious car accident and ask them if they apply the same rule to car driving.

Yes, we try our hardest to make people See their lives differently. They certainly understand the significance of going for a Harley Ride, by the time we have finished with them.

You can go for a tour in a car or a bus. But you have to get out of the car or bus to see the sights. But, on a Harley Ride you don't need to stop - you can see everything. Think about it!