RIDING TIGHT: THE BUCKET-LIST TRIPS

JULY 2016

MACKINAC BRIDGE The Circle Tour hugs Lake Michigan through one of the most beautiful regions in Michigan.

Windy City Tours makes the journey a biker’s bliss

By Alison Bonaguro

What if you could get away from summer getaways?

What if instead of swimming in Lake Michigan, you could explore its entire coastline?

What if you could go so far off the beaten path that the path itself becomes the destination?

What if you could do it with old friends, complete strangers and anyone else that wanted to take the same kind of bucket-list trip at least once in their lives?

It can happen, and Windy City Harley-Davidson Tours can take you there. Two of its upcoming motorcycle rides—a trip to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally from Aug. 6 to 14, and its Lake Michigan Circle Tour from Sept. 15 to 18—can turn this summer into one you’ll never forget.

Javier Franco, director of authorized rentals and tours for the Windy City Harley-Davidson group, told Hinsdale Magazine that one of the benefits of riding tight in a group is that you’re part of something bigger, both literally and figuratively.

JULY 2016

“The pack mentality means there’s a bond, and there’s strength, and it takes the experience to the next level,” Franco said. “You have people out on the road on this journey with you, and you build something together; but riding this way can also be very freeing.”

Guided group tours also mean safety in numbers, Franco said.

“One motorcycle is hard to see on the road,” he said. “But a group of riders riding right beside each other?—you can’t miss us. So, you can ride and feel secure, and rely on each other; you understand each other.”

And it’s not always the same road warriors out there year after year. Franco said he’s seen plenty of rookies sign up over the years, and make connections with more seasoned riders.

“Strangers become friends, and that’s all part of the culture,” he said.

Unpredictable weather out on the open road is also a part of the culture to which Franco referred.

“You’ll get rained on sometime, somewhere,” he said. “It’s almost a badge of honor if you survive three days of rain. A little dirt and grit and having it hard gives you something you brag about.”

Each trip includes the guided tour, plus lodging and most meals. And if you don’t have your own motorcycle, Windy City Harley-Davidson offers special discounted rentals for the trips. The dealer also brings an extra bike on a trailer, plus a technician to do on-the-road repairs, just in case.

STURGIS MOTORCYCLE RALLY “The Windy City group is known as the dealer that rides, and we’ve been doing this ride to Sturgis for 20 years,” Franco said of the annual trip to South Dakota. “That’s our thing; we ride with you.”

But unlike motorcycle parading, where police are blocking the road for you, this is a guided tour that allows you to go at your own pace.

“There’s a lead rider at the front and a sweep vehicle in the back,” Franco said. “We all make our way to Sturgis, and that’s when we become part of the bigger picture there.”

The route takes riders up into LaCrosse, Wisc., along the Minnesota/Iowa state line, and into Chamberlain, S.D., then over to Deadwood for five nights. Day trips from Deadwood include must-sees like Devil’s Tower, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse and the Needles Highway through the Black Hills.

The return trip includes a stop in Fairmont, Minn.

LAKE MICHIGAN CIRCLE TOUR “Down and around—that’s how we go, so that you get the city riding out of the way first, and then you can make your way around Lake Michigan,” Franco said. “You’ll see the majestic scenery and the open road. It’s right around the corner, and such [a] hidden gem even for new riders.”

The four-day fall tour starts by cruising into Indiana via the Dunes Highway, and continues to hug the Lake Michigan shore all the way northward until crossing the Mackinac Bridge into the breathtaking Upper Peninsula of Michigan. From there, riders wind their way down the Wisconsin side of the great lake. n

STURGIS RALLY Windy City group riders at the Sturgis trip to South Dakota, which includes organized rides into LaCrosse, Wisc., along the Minnesota/Iowa state line, and into South Dakota. The route features day-trips to sites like Devil’s Tower, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse and the Black Hills. Above photo courtesy of Windy City.

For more details on these tours, visit windycitymotorcycletours.com.