Harley-Davidson established the Harley Owners Group in 1983 in response to a
growing desire by Harley riders for an organized way to share their passion
and show their pride. By 1985, 49 local chapters had sprouted around the
country, with a total membership of 60,000.
Rapid growth continued into the 1990s, and in 1991 H.O.G. officially went
international, with the first official European H.O.G. Rally in Cheltenham,
England. Worldwide membership numbered 151,600, with 685 local chapters.
As the ’90s continued, H.O.G.
hysteria spread into Asia, including new chapters in Singapore and Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia. By 1999, worldwide membership had hit the half-million
mark, and the number of local chapters totaled 1,480. Today, more than
900,000 members make H.O.G. the largest factory-sponsored motorcycle
organization in the world, and it shows absolutely no signs of slowing down.
In 2003 H.O.G. reached the
750,000-member milestone. Hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts from around
the globe converged on Milwaukee to celebrate the highly anticipated 100th
Anniversary of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company.
In 2006 The Motor Company’s first authorized dealership in China, Beijing
Harley-Davidson, opens in April. The Moscow H.O.G. Chapter is founded in
spring of 2006 and H.O.G. reached the one-million-member milestone.
For your interest, H.O.G member are
an average age of 47, 81% Male.
What does the future hold? No one can
say for sure, but from here the road ahead looks long, wide open, winding,
and scenic
