20 LIFESTYLE lite MARCH 2011

Banker Dennis Quah looks like your average corporate suit holding a top position in fi nancial investments. But come the weekend and he rides the wild side on a Harley-Davidson. Is the tough biker guy image a myth wonders WONG MUN WAI.

Hot WHEELSThink banker and weekend shopping, dining or even golfi ng comes to mind. Not for Dennis though. Most weekends he trades his briefcase and necktie for the roar of that distinctive black and silver motorbike many associate with the leather-clad, bearded and tattooed Hells Angels.

BIG FAMILYDennis is one of about 300 members of the Harley Owners Group in Singapore. A number that has grown over the years to include mainly expatriates but also an increasing number of Singaporeans getting to grips with a Harley-Davidson.

For Dennis, membership in this select group began six years ago. The anticipation ahead of owning his fi rst Harley-Davidson was overwhelming. Nights were diffi cult as sleep evaded him. “Buying my fi rst

Distractions:motorbikes

and subsequent Harleys were very special experiences,” he says.

Finally, he got his hands on a Sportster 1200 Custom. “I wanted something within the Harley family but youthful and well, sporty,” said the 34-year-old. The Sportster served him faithfully on a road trip to Chiang Mai. Eventually he traded it in for a bigger, more tour-friendly 2001 Harley-Davidson FHLR Road King. After customising the bike “to the max”, he bought the newer 2008 model with better ABS brakes.

TOUGH ON THE OUTSIDEBirds of a feather fl ock together as the saying goes and to that end, Dennis is now the Assistant Director of the Harley Davidson owners group. But how does he reconcile being a heavy duty biker and banker at the same time?

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LIFESTYLE lite MARCH 2011 21

Dennis dismisses any Hells Angels gang-type associations, but his 1.77m tall, 84kg leather-clad frame does little to dispel the tough guy image. The only giveaway is his beaming, youthful face.

“I have helped organise all kinds of activities including rides into Malaysia, charity events, casual get-togethers and even last year’s annual dinner and dance,” he says. The bike tours include a 7,500km ride up through Malaysia into Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Song and around Thailand.

HARLEY HIGHTo gain a deeper insight into Harley buffs, I visited Daman Choy, Commercial Manager of Harley-Davidson in Singapore. He is also the Chairman of the Harley-Davidson Owners Group. If you want to know what a Harley fan looks like, Daman is your stereotypical big, burly rider. But he was also a gracious, friendly host.

He pointed out statistics from the Land Transport Authority showing the rising number Harley’s sold here over the years albeit at a modest pace. The number of

Harley’s sold in 2010 was 1,372 or 0.93% of the total motorcycle and scooter population, up from 766 or 0.6% in 2000.

There seems little risk of a Harley invasion just yet as the motorbikes are a “niche” market. Nevertheless, the Harley is an iconic motorbike. To place the machine, think 70s Hollywood fi lms, endless highways and the American dream.

“For me, it was the Easy Rider type of look that I was sold on. The days of rock and roll and this Easy Rider vibe,” he says with a melancholic nostalgia.

Easy Rider was the iconic, counterculture fi lm of 1969 starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Jack Nicholson, The movie depicted an angry, commercialised America amidst

RENT A HARLEY Rates are as follows (for more details: www.harleysingapore.com)

Touring Deposit Softail Deposit Dyna DepositDaily 239 $500 $229 $500 $199 $500

CONTACTHarley-Davidson of Singapore, 253 Alexandra Road, #01-04Tel: 6475 0123 lite

social upheavals and the build-up to the Vietnam War. The Harley-Davidson was the rough anti-hero’s statement - the ultimate freedom machine, you could say.

Ironically, Harley’s “brand community” includes having its name on merchandise from baby clothes to t-shirts. Possibly a sign of the times we live in. Nevertheless, it is an awe-inducing vehicle, and who can ignore its tough rebel air?

TIPS FOR RIDING A HARLEY-DAVIDSON• The motorbike is not a racing

bike but for long road cruising• Switches can be different from

Japanese or European bikes • Be careful when turning the

bike because of its weight• Be prepared to sit in a cruising

position

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