Rolling Stone Travel: Ride Rock en Harley Davidson - Rolling Stone

It is therefore in a rock-biker journey on the handlebars the Touring range of Harley Davidson that Rolling Stone embarked in a crossing of the Pyrenees, from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, through the passes and in 3 days.Road 66 ?No, the 66 here is the number of the departure department."Get Your Motor Runnin"/Head Out on Highway! "Narrative

The story between Rolling Stone magazine and Harley Davidson dates back several decades.In the mid -1960s, journalist Hunter S.Thompson, who will invent the “Gonzo” style-articles where the journalist himself is one of the protagonists of the report-spent almost a year with the most famous biker "club" in the world to write the very realisticand original Hell's Angels, published in 1967.Admittedly, he described the rather rock’n’roll life, even badly punk before the letter, of these unconditional groups of the American motorcycle brand Harley Davidson, who at the time were at the center of many controversies.

As early as 1968, the year of major changes, the image of the famous Milwaukee brand in Wisconsin gained its general stripes thanks to Easy Rider, narrating the adventures and the crazy and idealized life led by Wyatt - Captain America - and its famous ChopperIn the tank painted in the colors of the American flag, and Billy, his acolyte, embodied by Dennis Hopper, also director of this film now cult in Bikers, but not only.A wind of freedom then breathed on the big screen and has inspired very many generations since.

Better yet and the link is done effortlessly because the soundtrack of this atypical, even experimental feature film-in every sense of the word given the filming conditions like the change of society which took place at the end ofSixties - will also become famous and that the film and will also generate the unstoppable anthem of the amateurs of the most famous V Twin in history: the essential "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf.The other songs of the film are not outdone and from The Band to The Byrds via Little Eva, The Electric Prunes and of course Jimi Hendrix, the rock will encorb the world of two-wheelers from this moment… motorized!

More a single gathering of bikers will not be without a large mounted scene and without rock groups: thus meetings of Morzine and Port Grimaud, the American Tours or the pilgrimage of Sturgis in the Dakota, Mecca of Biker and Biker and Biker and Biker and Biker and Biker andbigger rasso in the world with its 500,000 participants.A world alone.The only HOG, the brand owners' club has more than a million members.A real universe with its codes which are now far from the images of the distant years sixty, these shots with "buzz" as we could qualify them today.

Le goût de la route

The earth has been filmed since certainly, but the bikers have kept the taste of the road, the fraternity and welcome with kindness the regulars of the brand as the director Olivier Marchal, usually on a vintage model, but which for the occasion andThe search for new piloting sensations, which was convoy.Was also from the game the brand's ambassador to France, the musician Manu Lanvin, whose last albums we had already chroniced and who, before leaving this summer on tour, made here, his father's first album,actor Gérard Lanvin.Better still, Manu will offer us an aperitif rock, acoustic guitar in hand, during the evening in the second stage.On the program: cover rock, soul and rhythm’n’blues.But newcomers are not outdone!

Manu Lanvin and Olivier Marchal were ride, with the boss of the Hog, Stéphane Sahakian

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This was the case of the author of these lines, fraternally received by the boss of Harley Davidson France, Christophe Couet, who, although climbed by the imminent launch of a brand new model, came accompanied by this "wrinkle";But also by the Boss of the HOG (Harley Owner Club), Stéphane Sahakian, a crazy rock in charge of the organization of the next Morzine-Avoriaz Harley Days festival in the summer of 2022, and finally, the earthy president of Perpignan 66 Chapter, Salvador Verdu, which rides one of the brand's “three-wheeler” models and which has concocted with the members of its club the Road Book of the Pyrenean trip.And what a trip!About twenty passes, dozens of pin turns, cows and sheep on the road and all spread over almost 750 kilometers, from the HD dealership of Perpignan to that of Bayonne, with stops at the stand for the night in-Romeu and loudenvielle.And all this, in Touring, this range of road motorcycles, born in the hearts of the 1950s, with the very first Hydra Glide, so characteristic with its very American Way of Life look, its leather bags and its handlebars in horns.

It is this same motorcycle that Elvis Presley will enhance ... and much later, another enthusiastic of the brand, a certain Bruce Springsteen, who has several models.It was therefore at the handlebars of a Touring Heritage Classic Vivid Black that your servant, who for the occasion had emerged from the naphthaine his old Chippewa and his vanson biker stored with cars, aligned himself on the starting line.In an attempt to do things well, a background had proven to be essential a few days earlier on the track of the Easymonneret motorcycle school located in Meudon.An intensive internship day to try to relearn the forgotten reflexes for more than a decade of 4-wheele-Boitototo: slow and fast routes, traffic, in short, find the fundamentals of the piloting of a two wheels.It is 11 a.m. on Monday, June 28, under a bright sun shining the chrome, when the convoy of about fifteen bikes representing the entire Touring range of the American manufacturer's range - or eight models., with evocative names of large spaces and infinite roads: from stripped heritage classic to the elegant road king, passing by the sophisticated street glide and the over -equipped Road Glide Special and Ultra Limited or the Amazing Tri Glide.

Departing from the Harley-Davidson dealership in Perpignan

D’est en ouest

The caravan is accompanied by the assistance truck with John behind the wheel.John is the guy who takes care of the Freedom Tour, a tour of the France dealerships in particular where everyone can try the entire range.But for this "wrinkle" of the Mediterranean at the Atlantic, it will help, guide and explain the functioning of these surprising sound machines so characteristic.If the driving of a machine of more than 300 kg can surprise, it is no less easy to apprehend once launched than requiring during low -speed maneuvers.But once on the road, the truck couple of the new V Twin Milwaukee Eight 107 and 114 (respectively 1745 cm3 and 1868 cm3), the most powerful engines ever mounted on this range, and the relaxed driving position, curious atDeparture, incredibly amazing at the finish - Advanced controls, wide handlebars, low seat -, allow you to focus on the trajectories all in full and unhappy.Thanks to its dizzying couple, the large curves are taken with enthusiasm, without having to force.

Devant le four solaire d’Odeillo, à côté de Font Romeu

Pause devant les muraille de Villefranche de Conflent

Despite its dimensions, the Touring coat with ease, and if the characteristic sound exhausts are heard, the embedded and pilotable audio systems from its laptop all the valley and take advantage of the resonance box of the surrounding hills.And at fifteen bikes, discretion is no longer.Better the tempo given by the machine at 90 km/h on nationals naturally stalls on "La Grange" by Zz Top, "How, How How, How, Rumour Spreadin’ ‘Round".

Dans les lacets ariégeois

Ascension du Col du Tourmalet

The eight members of Perpignan 66 Chapter, who also organizes his own meeting from September 24 to 26 in the Pyrenees Orientales, directs the "wrinkle" to the first foothills of the mountain range separating the Spain from France.At the top of the convoy, the road manager, Olivier Comandré, from Avignon on the handlebars of his HD -measured HD or almost.The particularity of these motorcycles is that each model, by its options, is unique.Although in groups, we like to distinguish ourselves by preparing its machine.This is also the philosophy of the brand founded in 1903 by William Harley and Arthur Davidson.The members of the Perpignan biker club, individuals far from being individualistic, therefore assured the right tempo of the motorcycle train, which was sometimes spread over more than 300 m in Indian line in the very tight passes, going up or descending the caravanTo verify the smooth running of the stage, just like the two photographers, self-surnamed looping and smart-and even missed and blurred-which sometimes at the back of a motorcycle, sometimes by car, immortalized thetrip.Thus, Jean-Luc, Christophe and Philippe were inserted between the guests and Alain with "Salva" on his tri-glide ensured the closure of the walk, thus allowing a "wrinkle" as warm as kilometrics.

Admittedly, due to covid and closed borders, the transatlantic roads are still prohibited, so as much to take advantage of it to rediscover the grandiose landscapes which open at each turn on the road to Pyrenean passes.Especially the most famous of them, the famous Tourmalet, place of so many victories, which we reached shortly before 10 am during the last stage.The point of view is breathtaking, and in addition to saluting the performance of amateur cyclists crossed in the laces and suffering a thousand martyrs on slopes sometimes exceeding 10 % and which made a point of honor "Arriving ", on our side, these Touring has shown that thanks to their performances that can be described as invigorating, climbing passes and" chaining virolos "is also within the reach of these incredible machines.

Belkacem Bahlouli

Photos de Looping & Futé,Damien Lorrai et Lionel Beylot

Plus d’infos sur le site de Harley Davidson

Thanks to Perpignan 66 Chapter for the wrinkle!