Hi everyone, I'm new to site from St. Petersburg Fl.
I'm the Associate Director for local HOG and I'm trying to come up with some ideas for getting more riders to join HOG.
We do rides but it just doesn't seem to be enough. What are some of your pro/cons of HOG?
Ride Safe

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

As a new rider I want meet more riders and get involved with HOG. I have not been to a meeting or get together yet as time has not allowed it. But I have been to some of the events at the dealership. Here are a couple of ideas. Get out going members to be a little outgoing and encourage them to talk to new faces. Don't miss these opportunities to attract new members by just hanging out and talking to them current members. I would also get a rep to stop by the BRC and ARC etc to talk to potential new members. I don't want to show up at a meeting and be ostracized because I don't know anyone or feel like I am not wanted there because I am a noob.

 

Some local HOG chapters are a clique, if you do not know anyone, your shunned.

Some local HOG chapters think they are 1%'s.

Local HOG is not for me as I prefer to ride by myself.
Perhaps you can get your sponsoring dealership to give out information about local HOG chapters.

 

No offense but the one con that I have is I rarely ride with a group but when I do, I know each and every one of them and what their riding style is like. I rode Once with a group of people that I didn't know and being mostly strangers, they didn't know how to ride together in a group and it caused some issues with safety, so I decided, out of self preservation, to ride alone unless I know my fellow riders.

One of the pros that I see is that if people have a problem riding by themselves, it gives them an opportunity to ride with other people and maybe learn a few things, make new friends and possibly have fun in the process.

 

I think HOG itself is the best resource for members and activities.
I didn't renew the membership I received from my new bike because I got nothing out of it.
I don't like group rides with strangers due to the unknown skill levels.
Group and club apathy is common.

 

HOG membership has its advantages. If you like people, if you like to socialize, if you like to ride, if you like getting discounts on parts and services, if you like the breakdown protection, then maybe HOG membership is for you.

Our sponsoring dealership has free hot dogs/hamburgers on Saturday and gives us points towards parts/service when we participate in dealership functions. Our chapter has socials, short rides, day rides, weekend rides, and long weekend rides. If you go to a meeting and don't know anyone, take a friend to the next meeting. Stop by the dealership, and talk with the customers. Sit down in the lounge and say something to the other people there. HOG membership is what you make of it. We have about 400 members in our HOG chapter, and about 25% of them are the working body of our chapter. We know each other, we ride with each other, we eat with each other, we share stories with each other.

 

This has been an issue in every HOG chapter forever.
I am a 25 year member of HOG. We have tried making a fold out brochure explaining what the HOG chapter is and what we do. The dealer puts that in with the paper work of each new bike. We have gotten a few people from that. We tried having a TV with short clips of our rides and parties on a loop running in the waiting area of the dealer that we got a couple people. We try to reach out to new people at dealer events. We have a chapter Facebook page and our own Web site. Honestly there is no one thing that has really worked. Once people do join they tend to stay if they participate in the activities.

 

Mine is pretty active. We do a monthly meeting, with breakfast, raffles, etc. We do Tuesday Night Rides every week we can, for a dinner ride. We participate in local charity rides, which, in this area anyway, there are quite a few. I will admit, at 46, I am one of the younger riders, but, hey, it is what it is.
We average about 40 people each meeting. I really do enjoy the rides with people I know. A lot of harley owners look down on the whole HOG membership thing, but I enjoy it. And, to each their own.

 

I usually show up when there's ******* 'n beer.