My local chapter is very active and has some good members. they do a lot of charity runs and get togethers, so for me it's worthwhile.

 

Ok, like most I got my National Membership when I bought my new bike. I was pretty excited when that Patch and Membership Packet came, you get reading material for the thinking room every once in a while and they make it look like fun while they are doing their sales pitch. I bought into it, checked my dealership for times and dates for the local meetings.

I am 40, but a kid at heart and was still buzzin' from the excitement of owning my dream bike so I must'a missed it my first meeting...still a kid in a candy shop, I don't think I heard one word after the Pledge of Allegience 'cause I was lookin at all the bikes and stuff at the dealership. At my second meeting I brought my wife to share in the experience, she noticed it right off. Everyone seemed older than us. We did one of the meet and greets/grip n grins, it was a trivia contest at a local bar. It was ok, not the rowdy good time I imagined with my Harley buds. I was looking for the after party but most of the group was on the other side of the hill, shall we say, and heading for home. Sort'a lame. On the way home my wife pointed out the obvious. Kind'a boring. It just wasn't what we were looking for.

I ride alot on my own, and was looking for other people that shared that euphoria of the road, I found out its not about patches, pins and schwag for me. Just give me the open road, shut up and ride. Don't need a destination, don't need a knitting club, or Scout meeting...

So if you're old, and act it, inclined to rather low key, mundane evenings, or really into patches, buttons and pins, and enjoy Harley Davidson advertising on a regular basis then I would highly recomend it...otherwise, not so much.

 

My wife and I joined a local HOG chapter a couple years ago. We have a great chapter with fun members. We don't have the drama some groups do, as a matter of fact, no one has ever asked about my work, and I don't ask them. No politics, who makes how much, etc. The ladys of Harley go to movies, shows. We both enjoy it, i'm going on a breakfast run tomorrow mourning!

 

I stayed with the national HOG just out of "support for the MoCo" (for lack of a better term). The local chapter earns you a 20% discount on parts & accessories. I'm not exactly an active member, I'm not a big group-rider, but they're great people and I hit the meetings when I can. I've been helping out with some web-dev for the local chapter... Gives me a reason to live.

Easily worth it if for no other reason than the discount... Otherwise, I could take it or leave it. In the long run, I'd rather take it than leave it. Makes for a nice list of riding buddies.