Author Archives: Chad Picha

Welcome to 2024! I hope you and your families had a joyful and relaxing holiday season.

As I write this, winter has arrived here in Milwaukee with a vengeance and the first Regional Officer Connection training sessions of the new year are underway. The other Regional Managers and I are excited to again be working face-to-face with so many of you in these highly engaging and productive sessions over the next few months. I can tell you from experience that most of the frequently asked questions I receive from H.O.G. officers throughout the year involve topics we cover in detail at ROC. If you have never attended a ROC session or haven’t signed up for one yet, you’ll do yourself a great service by attending one this year. There are still spots open (see the link below to register).

I am also eagerly anticipating the start of the 2024 riding season, which for the H.O.G. team begins shortly ahead of Daytona Bike Week with the first of several H.O.G Touring Rallies, the Run to Daytona H.O.G. Touring Rally. Bike Week will also be the first chance for H.O.G. members and the public to test ride the exciting new 2024 Harley-Davidson models, which will debut on January 24 in an exclusive online reveal. Sign up to watch it at h-d.com. You won’t want to miss the big news!

The Run to Daytona H.O.G. Touring Rally is the first of many exciting H.O.G. events in 2024 that offer the chance to explore all four corners of these great United States. H.O.G.’s Ride 365 program adds even more great destinations to visit with the 10 for ’24 challenge, including one in Alaska, where we are also conveniently hosting The Last Frontier H.O.G. Rally in June.

I encourage you and your chapter members to take full advantage of these events and everything else H.O.G. offers to help you enjoy all the thrills and experiences that are best appreciated from the seat of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. I hope to see many of you on the road over the next 12 months.

As always, thanks for everything you do to help make the Harley Owners Group the world’s biggest and best riding club.

CHRIS HARRISON
H.O.G. Regional Manager – Western
253-230-4047 | EMAIL

Recently a member shared the password for the “Members Only” section of the Chapter website on a social media site.  As a result we have had to change the password.

I’m sure that this was an honest mistake.  If I see a similar post from a fellow member asking for information like that, I’m willing to help them out.  But, in doing so I need to make certain that I share the information in a private message, not in a social media post that is visible by people outside of our Chapter.

I look at it this way.  Say I’m with a friend on a crowded elevator with a bunch of strangers.  My friend may ask me a private question, and I may answer him/her directly, but everyone else will hear my response.  What I need to do is wait until I know that there’s no one else to overhear our private conversation.

The “Members Only” section of Chapter website contains information that should not be available outside of our Chapter.  Take a minute and think about our “Event Signups” page.  That contains a list of Chapter events, the dates and times, and the members who have signed up for it.  So, if I’m a bad actor looking to break into homes, I will have a handy list of who will be gone on all day or overnight events. (This is also why we encourage members to only use their last name initial when registering.)

Social media security should not be limited to just passwords.  Member’s first and last names, telephone numbers, and other personal identifying information should not be shared in Facebook posts, Messenger groups, and other tools that may be viewed by the public at large.  Share that type of information only via direct communications with others, ensuring that your responses are not visible to anyone else. 

Our Chapter uses a number of different tools to communicate news and events to our members. I’ve put together a video summary of the different options you may use to keep up to date on what’s happening. Click on the following like to watch the video: Chapter Communication Tools

Guests are welcome for most Chapter events. However, it is important to ensure that your guests have signed appropriate waiver forms. The 4 most important waiver forms that members may need to ask their guests to sign are now available on our Chapter website. To access these forms you can click on this link or look for the page with the forms under the Members Only | Waiver Forms for Chapter Events menu option.

Dixie recently found a business that can sew all of your patches onto your vests and jackets. Check out:

Leather and Lace
3415 6th Ave
Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501

Dee Brinson
(712) 325-8530

Free Estimates

Defiance Harley Davidson already carries a lot of great riding gear and logo’d merchandise.  However, if you can’t find what you are looking for, you may want to check out Norscot, which is an official  Harley Owners Group vendor of H.O.G. merchandise.  A new link has been added to the Chapter’s website for Norscot.  You can find it by clicking on the CHAPTER INFO menu item and then clicking on the Norscot H.O.G. Store link.   

The Motorcycle Legal Foundation has published a number of tips for proper etiquette when riding in a group.  Click on the following link to review: Group Riding Tips: Formation and Etiquette.

And one more thing with group riding: be polite with other members of the group!  If you have a concern with the way that the Road Captain or other members in the ride are riding, address it with them the way that you would like to be addressed.  With courtesy and respect.  

Angry exchanges of words take the fun out of what this Chapter is all about: Ride and Have Fun. 

How well do you know the common hand signals used when on a group ride?  Here is a refresher for all riders.

I was just reading a Facebook post where someone had reminded other riders to change the batteries in their key fobs at least once a year.  I’ve never changed mine, so it was a good reminder for me. 

That got me thinking about other checks that riders should do before they take their first ride of the season.  Do you remember the T-CLOCK pre-ride checklist?  Now is the time to do a thorough check of your bike to ensure it’s ready to ride when you are.  My insurance company also published a good reminder of what to check as you are getting ready for the riding season.  Check out this Spring Checklist article.  (No, I’m not endorsing this insurance company.  But, a good idea is a good idea regardless of the source.)

Who else has some good tips for getting ready for the new riding season?  Leave your comments here, or share them at our next Chapter meeting. 

 It doesn’t matter how long you have been riding.  There is always something new to learn when it comes to safely riding your motorcycle.  

Check out the new safety question on the Safety Information page to see if you can answer the question at the next Chapter meeting.  Also, if you have safety tips or questions to raise with your fellow Chapter members feel free to leave a comment on this post.  Or, email your tip to roadcapt@dhdhog.com.