Hungary. Budapest. 120 years of Harley Davidson
Can you imagine 70,000 motorcycles in one place? How much space do you think they will cover? Stadium? 10 stadiums? No! They evenly occupy the area of one small but very beautiful capital, namely, Budapest. The largest gathering of bikers was held in this wonderful city at the end of June. The event is dedicated to the 120th anniversary of Harley Davidson, which culminated in a grandiose parade through the city and a show of bikes at the Puskas Arena.
Even for a person far from motorcycles, it was not difficult to notice how Budapest has changed. For one week it was filled with the noise of engines (by the way, the rhythmic rumbling of a Harley engine is unique and protected by a patent), all the hotels were filled with cheerful groups of men and women in leather jackets and with a lot of stripes about belonging to one or another bike club. The streets turned into long museum galleries, completely filled with Harleys of all brands, years, and colorings.
The rhythmic purr of the Harley engine is unique and patented.
I have never been a fan of motorcycles, although, I confess, my interest in these two-wheeled “horses” is growing (hello to the impending midlife crisis! :) ). But I was very interested in this event, and the timely acquaintance with two great guys, Harley fans only fueled this curiosity. Remaining indifferent to what was happening became simply impossible after that.
The central event of the rally (at least for an outside observer) was certainly the Harley parade on Saturday, June 24th. I don’t know how many of the 70,000 bikers who came to the city took part in it, but by the middle of the parade, which, by the way, covered the entire city center, it seemed that it was closed, and the motorcyclists merged into a single endless circle.
There were so many Harleys that at some point the parade closed and merged into a single endless circle.
Taking their start from the Puskas Arena, the bikers rode past the key historical and scenic sites of Budapest and, of course, drove over the Independence Bridge. There were a cheerful mood, total internationalism, and full age diversity in those Harley columns. The number of country’s flags was also impressive — Estonia, Switzerland, Hungary, Ukraine, France … yes, perhaps the whole of Europe! There were flags of the USA and even Australia! I don’t know if these guys really performed such a heroic feat, transporting their bikes across the continents. The elderly and the young, men, and women, one by one, two and even three (on 3-wheeled bikes) rode in endless rows and joyfully greeted the people filming them, even trying to shake hands with them.
The atmosphere of the holiday was complemented by the music that the bikers turned on to their own taste, however, even such a cacophony sounded very appropriate in this moving snake of steel and people. It seemed that even the motorcycle police, pushing the most active fans away from the Harley lanes, felt like bikers, and happily talked to passers-by, who applauded in response and actively encouraged them on their way through the bridge.
Having seen enough of the parade (which, by the way, looked to be endless), I decided that it was time to meet with my new friends — bike fans and move to the main location of all the arriving “Harleyists” — Puskas Arena. This is where a natural problem arose — since the city was partially blocked and partially occupied by motorcycles, it was far from possible to get to the arena by all means of transport. Here, the compactness of Budapest came in handy, and a 40-minute walk through the beautiful summer city did not become burdensome.
Having reached the arena, the first thing that caught my eye was the abundance of Harleys of unprecedented forms, tunings, and configurations. I must pay tribute to the fact that their owners looked to match their iron friends!
Having met with friends, and exchanged tickets for access bracelets, we went deep into the Arena, and it seems that we appeared in paradise for motorcycles and their owners. The concentration of Sports, Cruisers, Tourings, Choppers, and their inconceivable modifications beat all records here. But besides this (as well as numerous merchandise shops and beer establishments, where would we be without them :) ) Puskas Arena is pleased with the presence of specialized exhibition centers where you could see and test the most advanced and “space” samples of Harley Davidson’s thought. You will hardly see such motorcycles on the street (unless you are super lucky) and therefore it was doubly pleasant to enjoy these examples of style and design.
Many manufacturers of accessories, tunings, and various devices for Harleys did not miss their chance to show their products at the Arena. Being an expert or fan in this field, it was absolutely possible to establish new useful contacts.
In order to diversify the abundance of two-wheeled beauties, the Arena also featured shops with traditional Harley Davidson merchandise, various food courts, a variety of craft beer, and non-standard installations. Classic American rare pickups and trucks, along with driving music, diversified the event even more. Concert venues with various performers complemented the picture. The atmosphere was exceptionally relaxed and pleasant, as were the attendees of the event. The only thing that darkened the picture a little — is the flaw of the organizers with the anniversary merch. There was only one store in the entire Puskas Arena where you could buy T-shirts, hoodies, and other merchandise dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the brand. A huge queue lined up in it and, which is absolutely natural, all T-shirts were swept away during the first hours of work. Men’s T-shirts… Women’s T-shirts hung in a fair amount :) I understand — justice and equality, but still, it seems to me, you need to focus on the target audience of such events and distribute the ratio of the merchandise sold accordingly. Nevertheless, I somehow managed to pick up the last anniversary hoodie in my size, which, of course, made me very happy. By the way, we actively discussed whether Rammstein would perform that evening :) This discussion turned out to be prophetic, but for that time I didn’t know that I would soon get to the same Arena for a concert of the legendary rock band. But this will be a separate story.
There was only one store in the entire Puskas Arena where you could buy T-shirts, hoodies, and other merchandise dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the brand. A huge queue lined up and, which is absolutely natural, all T-shirts were swept away during the first hours of work.
After walking around the Puskas Arena, having seen enough of the steel beauties and their owners, we began to get ready to leave and continue sharing our impressions over glasses of craft beer in another beautiful place in Budapest. Leaving, I began to think that the success of any event, company, or brand largely depends on its loyal fans, followers who “live” the object of their adoration, invest money and time in it, popularize, and are ready not only to enjoy the ups but also to forgive falls. Such people are always visible on any show. They’re bright, they stand out — whether it’s the music, the color of the clothes, or a lovingly cherished object of adoration. And such people were at the 120th anniversary of the Harleys.
Here are some of these great guys and their bikes:
And, of course, the oldest and most loyal fans of the brand deserve special respect! Just look at these rare steel stallions with mechanical transmission and an indescribable rumbling of engines! The sight is simply mesmerizing! You can see how much owners are in love with Harley Davidson and how interesting people they are even by their gestures. It is simply impossible not to be treated with admiration for such!
Such fans are the key to the success and longevity of the brand. Who knows, maybe this figure — 120 became possible thanks to them?
That’s all. I will be glad for your comments and any interesting links on the topic of Harley Davidson and their activity!
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Wish you a confident way to meet success on your iron horses!
