China's "Sturgis" Motorcycle Rally: 600 Harley-Davidsons Roll into Hangzhou

China's "Sturgis" Motorcycle Rally: 600 Harley-Davidsons Roll into Hangzhou
May 14, 2013 By eChinacities.com

If you'd stumbled upon Hangzhou's Qiandao Lake during the weekend of May 11, you could be forgiven for mistaking it for Sturgis, South Dakota, as countless Chinese motorcycling enthusiasts all gathered there for a noisy, leather-clad bike rally, complete with more than 600 shiny new Harley-Davidson bikes. While roaring engines were none too popular with the quiet locals, sheer curiosity of the unusual Western biking culture as well as a parade down the main street eventually won them over.

The three-day motorcycle rally was held in Hangzhou as part of an ongoing worldwide celebration of the 110th anniversary of the Harley-Davidson brand. The festivities kicked off that morning at 09:30 sharp when the 600 motorcycles set off from Qiandao Lake's Xiushui Square and paraded all around the city for locals and visitors alike to observe.

There was one custom detailed hog at the rally that apparently cost its owner a cool 400,000 RMB (~65,000 USD), though when asked about how much it cost him, the owner vaguely replied only that it was "priceless" and "one of a kind".

According to Mr Sha, a young buisinessman from Wenzhou, his city has about 30 people who ride Harely-Davidson bikes, a dozen or so of which came to Hangzhou for the rally. Another event participant, a 40-year-old self-employed man from Shanghai, told reporters that he'd just spent the past four months riding around the country on his bike. Apparently there were more than 60 other riders from Shanghai at the event as well.

The event also drew in a number of foreign riders from Canada and the United States. Meanwhile, a one hundred strong group of riders from Beijing called the "Bull Village Motorcade" (牛村车队) showed up to the rally sporting gnarly horned biker helmets. Unsurprisingly, the Bull Village Motorcade took top honors at the rally for their general badassery. And though most of those taking part in the rally were men, there were 14 female riders there too, who immediately became the center of attention for the many eager photographers.

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Keywords: Hangzhou Harley Davidson Rally

3 Comments

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easyrider

Damn...Did I miss this?!

May 16, 2013 15:22 Report Abuse

cooter

How do these Harley owners get plates? My understanding of Chinese rules and regulations is that any motorcycle in excess of 250cc is not allowed to register for a license plate. Last I checked, the smallest motor on offer from H-D is 883cc....

May 15, 2013 09:50 Report Abuse

DaqingDevil

Yeah, there's nothing like a chick in leathers riding a motorbike to make owning a Harley that bit more attractive. Just hope that China doesn't allow the bikie gangs prevalent in western countries.

May 15, 2013 07:58 Report Abuse