8/3/2019 Ladies of Harley

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Maria

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worldwidewomen

you hear the roarof the engineS froM a

diStance and you know

they have arrived Maria,

Margarita, and dinky

Sitting SMart and proud on

their beautiful beaStS, the

harley-davidSon MotorcycleS.

the trio Share with Cassey

Oliveira their love for bikeS

and their paSSion for riding.

LadiesofHarLey

NomoreapillioNrider

Margarita ZunigaThe three bikes that Margarita owns a 120 Suzuki, a 2009Sportster XL Low and a 2011 Deluxe Classic only prove herpassion for riding. A single mother of four, Margarita is an ad-

ministrator at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is also the

Alliance Leader for the Qatar Professional Women Network.

Ladies, why do you love your bikes?

"Bikes are more reliable than men," says Din-ky, and the others snigger in agreement. Jokes

apart, she continues: "My best time to com-

mune with God is on the motorcycle, as you

can't hear anybody else. It's only Him that I

talk to on a long road trip."

For Margarita, the Harley helps her connect

with the elements of the universe. "Feeling the

wind hit my face and sing to me; riding in the

rain with its wet kisses dropping all over me;

stopping on the side of the road to light a bon-

re in the winter; seeing the shiny stars while

riding in the evenings it's amazing!"

Maria says it's the smell of freedom that

she loves and that the bike bestows upon her.

"It's just you controlling the horsepower; you

feel stronger." Initially, Maria was a nervous

wreck when it came to bike-riding. "I always

wanted to ride a bike, but felt it was danger-

ous, especially with the trafc in Doha. It was

only when my friend got a bike that I felt like

getting one too. After much practice my fear

was defeated."

Margarita too overcame her fear of bike-riding when she learnt that her younger sis-

ter was riding as well. "I realised that if my

younger sister could ride, so could I.

"It's easy now. I determine the speed and

the right gear, plan the line through the corner

and keep looking ahead as much as possible."

"Riding a bike also depends on a person's at-

titude," adds Dinky. "There is something about

a person's character that tells you if he/she can

ride a motorbike." And she notes the same in

Margarita and Maria the attitude of believ-

ing in oneself. "We all are strong women. To

survive a motorbike you must be strong."

Not just a bike; a lifestyle

When the Harley owners group popularly

termed H.O.G was rst created in Qatar,

it comprised merely 30 members, most of

whom were expats. The family has now grown

to nearly 150 members with many nationals

joining in too. Since most live with their fami-

ride SafethingS to reMeMber

on the roadWear your protective gear boots,

helmet, leather jacket and gloves.

Don't underestimate the trafc. Alwaysbe alert, as most drivers don't realise

the speed of the bike.

When you are unsure of what theperson ahead of you is doing on the

road, go past him.

Always carry water and aSwiss army knife with you.

tiMain

Check

Make sure you h

Reg

When cleaning, dowater here is a

Start your enginoil and grunge

and pass thryou start

8/3/2019 Ladies of Harley

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Summer201132

lies, the H.O.G. meets early Friday mornings

for a group ride so that by 10 am everyone gets

home.

It's not just the Qatar Chapter; H.O.G mem-

bers share a strong bond with their counter-

parts from every other country. Members

meet up during international rallies just to

ride together. The H.O.G. is also commit-

ted to spreading awareness through rallies

for several causes Say No To Drugs, breast

cancer awareness, autism, blood donations

and fund-raising. Last year the group raised

approximately $75,000 (QR273,000) from

the region to support cancer awareness. Ma-

ria was always aware of the H.O.G. family, but

never guessed its size. "I didn't know the fam-

ily would be large, friendly and helpful. I am

happy to be a part of this huge network, being

together and doing things together."

"It's the only organisation that I know of

where people of all ages, classes and commu-

nities are treated equally. The person next to

me could be a millionaire and I would never

even know it," adds Margarita.

"It also doesn't matter which bike you own;

anyone with a two-wheeler will start a con-

versation with you," says Dinky. "You would

never see people in cars doing that."

On bikes the trio have explored the many

treasures of the country little towns on the

outskirts of the city, military camps, a beauti-

ful beach off Abu Samra road with no sand,

but only shells and herds of camels walking

towards them. (Camels are frightened by the

exhaust sound, they warn.)

"Nothing can beat a really fast ride to set

right a day that has gone completely wrong,"

says Dinky. Though most bikers like her are

crazy for speed, Margarita and Maria share

other preferences. For them it's about the at-

titude, the chrome, the metal, the sound and

a connection with the universe's elements

that their respective Harleys provide. The

chat ends, helmets on, the engines roar and

the trio are back to riding again, each content

with her own Harley. It's hard to say, though,

whether they chose their bikes or their bikes

chose them!

dinky willoughbyDinky doesn't own a car; she has been riding for 36 yearsand has never been without a bike. Working for Road &Dust Solutions, she has been educating people about pro-tecting the environment and reducing dust when buildingroads. She calls herself a rebel.

biking terMS

Sweeper:The most experienced motorcyclist, who ridesat the back of the group to oversee any danger.

road captain or lead bike:A motorcyclist who rides at the front and re-lays information to the group via hand sig-nals. He/she determines the group's direction,speed, choice of lane and formation.

grab a handful:Speed up.

parade forMation:A formation in which all the motorcyclists in agroup ride two abreast.

Staggered forMation:A formation in which the lead bike rides on theleft side of the track, the next bike on the rightside of the track, the next bike in the left sideof the track, and so on.

Single file:A formation in which all the bikers ride on oneside of a track.

handSignalS

StopPoint to the

tank.

SlowdownLeft arm

straight out,move uP and

down.

ready-to-ride

thumbs uP.

u-turnLeft hand

circLes in air above heLmet.

Single fileforMation

finger above theheLmet, Pointing

to the sky.

StaggeredforMationindex and LittLe

finger above theheLmet, Pointing tothe sky. aLso known

as "hook 'em,horns" sign.

To be a H.O.G. membervisit the Ladies of

Harley (LOH) Qatar pageonFacebookor walk in to

the Harley-Davidsonshowroom in Wakrah.