Harley passion: 'If I have to explain it, you wouldn't understand'

Motorcycle enthusiasts thunder into Cape for HOG rally.

The familiar bass thunder of thousands of Harleys returned Friday to Cape Girardeau.

There are vintage Harleys, chopped Harleys and newer models bought by people seeking to recapture a bit of their youth. They may sound and look like bikers from the classic 1950s movie "The Wild One," but they aren't here to take over the town.

They're here to have a little fun and show off, said Paul Rapp, regional manager of the Harley Owners Group, or HOG.

The state rally returned to Cape Girardeau for the first time since 2001.

The familiar "potato" sound comes from the design of the engine, a V-twin first introduced in 1912, Rapp said. Other manufacturers may try to imitate it, and Harley-Davidson even tried to trademark it, but nothing will shake a Harley lover from their brand loyalty, he said.

"If I have to explain it, you wouldn't understand it," Rapp said. "When you have a passion for something, it gets into your lifestyle."

For some Harley owners, the image of the tinkerer who rebuilds an engine during the winter in the living room fits nicely, Rapp said. "A lot of our owners are mechanically oriented, who work with their motors to get it just the way they like it."

For others, the motorcycle figures as part of their numerous motorized recreations.

"Like any family, we run the gamut of individuals, from some for whom the Harley is their pride and joy to others who are corporate CEOs who put two or three Harleys in next to the boat," he said.

Newer Harleys still have the old familiar sound despite being saddled with many of the same systems designed to keep cars compliant with environmental rules, Rapp said. Instead of carburetors, they have fuel injection. And like most cars, Harleys have sensors on their exhaust emissions.

But they are still Harleys, he said.

By late Friday afternoon, as the owners were preparing for judges to look over their rides, nearly 1,600 owners, some from as far away as England, had arrived for the rally, said Craig Mathis, registration director. In all, he said he expects 2,000 to 2,200 owners to come into town.

The crowd will be smaller than expected because many participants, who were coming from Louisiana and Mississippi, will miss the rally because they are recovering from Hurricane Katrina, he said.

From 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. today, many of the bikers will be taking a "Cape Girardeau Journey Ride," visiting historic sites such as Bollinger Mill. The ride will take them on a 100-mile trek around the area.

rkeller@semissourian.com

335-6611, ext. 126