The Dream is to share an experience which will change the way people see Melbourne, and perhaps their life, differently after experiencing a Harley Ride - Taking people out of their comfort zones - making them realize that all they know about mototcycles are but Myths!
Showing posts with label Tours and Activities in Melbourne. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tours and Activities in Melbourne. Show all posts
Only when people have been out for a Harley Ride with us, do they realise why they needed to do it. But, many of our booking are made not be the ones going for the ride, but by their friends who have organised a ride for them. Our greatest challenge is to convince people that everyone needs to do this - even if they have no interest in motorcycles.
Over the last few months our passengers have ranged from corporate groups in Melbourne for an Incentive/Reward conference, A Listers from Brazil here to produce TV shows, for Tourism Victoria, to Grandmothers and none of them have ever been near a motorcycle in their lives. But, now they understand.
Our customers come from all over the world to take a Harley Ride Experience with us. It constantly amazes us how diverse that group can become. Last month we were fortunate to have been chosen by a corporate group from Shanghai China, here for an Incentive/Reward trip to take their staff out for a group ride.
As you can see from the reactions captured in the video, they had a great time. That's pretty standard fare whenever we take anyone out for a Harley Ride.
The rides took place over two days, on each day we pick a group of 20 up from the Langham Hotel in Southbank and took them out for a one hour ride across the Westgate Bridge to Williamstown. Interestingly, language wasn't a problem, and it signs and gestures took over.
Not all Harley Ride operators in Melbourne are the same and we take pride in being the trend setter in the industry. It may surprise people to know that our industry is very small, and that we all tend to work together. But, there is one the operator in the Melbourne Harley Ride Industry who has been used by us on one of our group rides in the past. BUT, that was in the past, I now no longer use him because he doesn't come up to the high standard my company has become known for. Only this past week he was involved in an accident that appears to have led to his motorcycle being written off. On a job he attended in December 2014 he was seen arriving with two dogs in his sidecar, which then remained in the sidecar while his passenger sat on the back of his bike for a group ride out to a local Yarra Valley winery. Recently one of our customers, who had been out on a ride with this other operator told us about a frightening experience they had with him, when the axle nut on his bikes rear wheel fell off, and they almost had a serious accident. Shen chose not to come out with him for her next ride. We were not surprised....... There are a number of Internet Agents Sites for whom this other operator is a supplier. These site supply a wide range of adventure activities. It may interest anyone reading this to know that none of these agents do quality or safety checks on their product suppliers. Our business is about "making people happy". If I was in it for the money, then I certainly wouldn't be doing it. Motorcycles are my passion and sharing that experience with our customers is why I am in business. All the riders I use service and maintain their machines to the highest standards. Safety is the priority. Examples of the type of Internet Agent sites are Red Balloon, Adrenalin and Experience Oz (this last company were the ones who used my Harley Ride images without my permission last year). Here are some images from some of our recent rides, where we put a huge smile on their faces.
The standard that we apply is that all the bikes we use are regularly maintained and serviced by Authorised Harley Davidson mechanics. The individual in question services his bike by himself and he is not a Harley Davidson qualified mechanic. Next time you are comparing products on the internet, ask yourself, "Does the low price equal quality?" You get what you pay for - if it is cheap then there is normally a very good reason why.
Its a question people often ask. The answer is."Well we could always be a lot busier." The reality is that we are nowhere near as busy as you would think, in fact it seems like many people are too scared to come out with us given all the Outlaw Bikie crime which is being reported in the media of late. The truth is that all of the riders we use don't know any of these so call Outlaw Bikies and we only know as much as is reported in the press. To even be allowed to operate as a Harley Ride Tour operator requires that we be given approval, and the appropriate accredited registration for our bikes by the Victorian Taxi Commissioner. That means that each bike is issue with a special number plate (just like a Taxi) which means that that bike and its owner are allowed to transport a paying passenger. Its imperative that when booking a Harley Ride that you ensure they they only employ riders with bikes which carry what we call the S Plate (each plate has an S on it followed by a three digit number - mine is S 393). This ensures that the rider has no criminal record and that their bike meets all the strict requirements aimed at your safety. Its Valentine's Day soon and as at 2nd Feb 2014, we don't have any bookings in the diary yet. In the past this has been a massive day for us and before the GFC we were exceptionally busy. But, it seems that those days are long gone. But, at the end of the day, as I always say, "If I was in this for the money, then I wouldn't be doing it." Read the reviews we get on Trip Advisor. It seems that all of the people who came out for a Harley Ride with us thoroughly enjoy the experience. 99% have never been on the back of a motorcycle before, few are Harley Davidson enthusiasts, and for the majority its a new experience. So if you want to really see and experience Melbourne, then why not try a Harley Ride? Or help us to get a lot busier sharing this amazing experience that we believe should be on everyone's Bucket List.
We frequently meet people who are visiting Melbourne, who choose to come out for a Harley Ride with us who after their ride realise that they made the right decision to come out for an hour or more with us. They come to the realisation that "its not about the motorcycle" - its about how much more they see, how much better it is compared to sitting in a tour bus, the freedom and un-restricted views. Then the added bonus - the joy and thrill of the experience of being on a motorcycle. They suddenly realise that its nothing like they expected it to be. The suddenly realise that its very safe - yes very safe! Why? Because their rider is very experienced and takes motorcycle safety very seriously. Enough said.
Just watch these videos and you will get some idea of what we mean. Just last week we took a girl out for a ride, whose friend, visiting Melbourne with her, didn't come for a Harley Ride giving the excuse that "she didn't like motorcycles". Most of the people who we take out have never been near a motorcycle in their lives. Most hold those prejudices and its only when they spend an hour or more with us, that those prejudices quickly disappear. We tend to convert those people. Our biggest challenge is getting them to take the Harley Ride Experience in the first place. Our biggest enemy is the prevailing myths that surround the Motorcycle. So, if you are reading this article, do us a big favour and spread the news. We would be a lot busier if only people understood that this is the Best Way to Experience Melbourne and all the areas in the near vicinity like the Dandenong Ranges, that Yarra Valley and the Great Ocean Road.
If I had one choice to nominate my favourite ride, that choice would have to be the Great Ocean Road Tour Harley Ride. Its very difficult to explain if one hasn't taken the experience, but that is the one of my choice. Watch this and you may begin to understand what I mean:
Would it surprise you that many of the product images you see on the internet are not actually truly representative of the product being sold? That many of the Affiliate Marketing web sites, which accept your money for a Hotel or Tour booking don't have anything but a passing and informal relationship with the product or service in question? Many of these Affilate sites don't even have a quality process in place, to guarantee that what you are paying for is of the highest quality, or that the Tour you have booked maintains the highest safety standards and holds the appropriate accreditations etc. To our horror, we stumbled on one such fraudulent web site last week. One displaying images that we know were not theirs and not representative of the product or service they were selling. How can we prove this "outrageous" claim, you might ask? Well, as it turns out they were using an image captured by HD Chauffeur Ride Pty Ltd Director - John Karmouche, an image captured by John himself using a GoPro camera mounted on the handlebars of his 2012 Heritage Softail Harley Davidson. The problem? This web site was not selling Harley Rides on behalf of HD Chauffeur Ride Pty Ltd. We know the company who supplies their product. We also know that their quality standards have never been checked by the Affiliate Booking site in question. If they had done so, we feel things may have been different. Below is the offending image:
John's Photo
And here is the offending web site page:
Offending Website Using John's Image
We have contacted the management of this site and alerted them to their copyright infringement, and they have since removed John's photo from their site. John is considering what further action he will take in regard to this blatant copyright infringement.
Why book via one of these affiliates, when you can quite easily go direct to the supplier. Maybe that's because the Harley Ride company in question here doesn't have Credit Card booking available on their site, or is doing things on the cheap by not maintaining that facility. HD Chauffeur Ride Pty Ltd, does maintain and operate a Merchant Facility. Maintaining this facility is not cheap. It also leaves one to ask what other cost shortcuts is the Harley Ride company in question taking (who this Affiliate Site is taking your money)? What is the quality of the motorcycle they utilise? How often are they serviced? Is the bike repaired by a qualified mechanic? What safety standards are being bypassed? The list of questions left unanswered is long.
Why doesn't HD Chauffeur Ride Pty Ltd use Affiliate sites? Quite simply - its because they charge a 25% booking fee, that we don't add if you book directly via us. Compare the rates charged by this Affiliate to us - the rates are identical. Ever wonder where these rates originate - from us as it turns out. Here in Melbourne, HD Chauffeur Ride Pty Ltd sets the standard, behind which everyone else follows. They can't offer a cheaper rate - so one is left to ask why use them at all?
HD Chauffeur Ride Pty Ltd takes pride in maintaining exceptionally high standards. All of the bikes we use to take our customers for Harley Rides are up to date models, serviced only by qualified Harley Davidson mechanics. No safety corners are taken. Safety and quality is expensive - but its an expense we are proud to say that we are prepared to wear - even if it means losing business to cheap and nasty alternatives that utilise Affiliate web sites to save costs.
The Harley Davidson story is a marketing legend. Long known for giving its customers what they want, and understanding the people who ride their machines Harley Davidson have survived against all odds by leading the field with "Iconic branding". If it were not for the iconic nature of the Harley Davidson motorcycle, and the throb of the Harley Sound emitted by their "head turning" machines, I doubt that the Harley Rides Industry would have evolved in Australia, as in did in the early '90s. Since 1993 when HD Chauffeur Ride Pty Ltd was founded literally hundreds of thousands of people have been introduced to the Harley Davidson Brand on individual Harley Rides given to them as a gift by a family member or friend as a birthday gift, Hens and Bucks Day rides, wedding anniversary surprise etc. In addition there have been many thousands of tourists visiting Australia (and in our case Melbourne) who have recognised that taking a ride on the back of a Harley Davidson motorcycle is the best form of transport that guarantees that they will see more of Melbourne, the nearby hills and the Great Ocean Road. Its simply because the view one gets seated on the back of a motorbike, while someone else does the riding just can't be matched by any other mode of transport which sets the Harley Ride Experience apart. But, by far the largest group, outnumbering all others are the children and their parents with whom we come into contact at school fetes and fairs. It is at the fundraising events, that over just a few hours we expose up to 100 or more people to the Harley Ride Experience. At these events we bring people into contact wit the Harley Davidson Brand for the first time. Most have never possessed an inclination or any interest in motorcycles, and many have never even heard or been aware of the Harley Davidson marque. What occurs at this time quite often results in a transformation, creation of desire, and a marked reversal in attitude towards the Motorcycle. For many, it marks the day when they decided to get a motorcycle of their own. I well recall meeting a guy, several years ago, who came up to me one day and told me how after his Harley Ride he went on to obtain his motorcycle licence, purchase of harley Davidson and then go on to become the President of his local HOG (Harley Owners Group) Chapter!
We have no formal connection with Harley Davidson, and our services carry no endorsement from them, despite the fact that we can claim a role in the sale of many of their machines over the years. Perhaps, one day they may give us some formal recognition, but we don't expect it. In the meantime we will continue to share the Harley Davidson motorcycle with their potential customers. Times are becoming highly competitive and many Harley Davidson clones have emerged emulating the Harley Iconic V-Twin design. Whenever, we take anyone out for a Harley Ride Experience, our focus is on explaining to them why we have chosen a Harley Davidson over the others. Its the Icon, H-D set the standard and the height of the bar. Its up to the others to reach the level of Iconic Status held by the Harley Davidson. Its not until one has owned a Harley Davidson of their own that they are able to recognise why Harley Davidson has become the world's greatest Marketing and Branding success, a story which is studied by every aspiring entrepreneur.
