How Busy are you?

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.

What Women Want

Being a Harley Rides operator has helped me to understand human nature, and in particular it has given me an insight into the "female mind".

The reality struck me during a telephone conversation with a female customer, who wanted to organise a Harley Ride as a Valentine's Day gift for her boyfriend. She was interested in  what she described as a "chopper style" Harley Davidson. She wanted something with a "look". It was at this point that I began to realise the difference between men and women.

Women want to be seen. They are fashion oriented. As one girl said to me a few years ago, "I really am not interested in being the rider, but I do enjoy sitting on the back of a Harley at a 'fashion accessory'."

From the conversation which I have had with the thousands of women (of all ages) over the last ten years I have learned the following:

• They love the feel of being on the back of the bike doing something that that their parents would never approve of.
• They love to talk - and I have had some amazing discussions (all in confidence and which I would never repeat - and always on the understanding that I had no interest in taking anything beyond the end of the ride...).
• Being seen is paramount. The attention and looks people give them is important in their enjoyment of the Harley Ride.
• Strangely, they don't go for the best looking bike - they go for the one that looks like it will be the most comfortable for them.
• Whenever I take a couple of girls out in a sidecar on a Hens Night ride, they want to wave at everyone. Its the attention thing.

One the other side of the coin, men differ. They are more interested in the size of the bike - its engine and the technical aspects, performance etc.

In the end, men and women are very different.

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.