After 5: Harley-Davidson riders find adventure

Many working professionals find that the typical 9-to-5 job doesn't allow for a lot of adventure. Harley-Davidson riders will tell you that all you need to find adventure is a Hog, the desire and miles of open road.

"When you get a whole bunch of Harley riders together, everyone looks the same in their gear," says Andy Erwin, manager of Alloy Fasteners Inc. and owner of a 2006 Harley-Davidson Street Glide. "When we stop playing dress up, you'll find doctors, lawyers and other professionals under there."

There's something to say for getting into the saddle, feeling the rumble of the engine and leaving day-to-day responsibilities in the dust.

Joann Russel has been riding on the back of her husband Don's Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic Electric Glide since they first got together in 1972, and it's a love they've shared ever since. "We get out about every weekend, and we take one or two cross-country trips on it a year," she says.

Within the last year, the Russels and a friend have ridden through 10 states, including Colorado, the Carolinas and Alabama. "Big bikes like these provide a lot of comfort," says Joann Russel, an administrative specialist for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. "It's a whole new perspective on what you're seeing when you're on the back of a bike. I like the wind in my face, being able to experience nature."

For some riders, motorcycles are a way of life. "I grew up riding motorcycles, and when I was 16, I purchased my first Harley," says Cory Collins, attorney at Husch, Blackwell Sanders LLP, who rides a 2006 Street Bike. He and his wife Beckie, who rides a converted Fat-Boy trike, take trips to the Smokey Mountains; Sturgis, S.D.; and Hot Springs, Ark. "It is a fairly serious hobby and kind of expensive if you want to have a bike that stands out a little, but it's the most fun you can have standing up," he says.

Of course, Harley riders have a reputation for being "bad," dressed up in black leather and showing off tats. You don't have to be a bad boy to ride a Hog, however. Just ask Bruce Belin, chief of police of Crane and minister at the Crane Christian Church. He has been riding for about 40 years and owns a 1996 Harley-Davidson Softtail.

"I ride it to church on Sundays, to visit people who are sick and to meetings," he says.

Belin has owned four Harleys and two Triumphs, as well as Yamaha and Kawasaki bikes. "The Harley just fits my lifestyle," he says.

The Hog brings back lots of memories, like Belin's 3,100-mile ride to the East Coast with guys he traveled to Turkey with 30 years ago. His next goal is 1,000 miles in 24 hours and an Iron Butt Patch, an honor given by the Iron Butt Association for long-distance riders. "The first 20 miles I think about what I need to do, and before long, it's just me and God."

Herschel Macy, owner of HM Insurance Group in Springfield, insists that although he rides a Harley, he's not really a rebel. "My mom wouldn't let me own a handgun or a motorcycle while I lived under her roof, but I bought both as soon as I could."

This summer, he rode 2,000 miles roundtrip to Florida on his 2003 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic. "It was four guys and we all took off together," Macy says. "To me, 800 miles in the saddle is just the start of the day."

His passion for motorcycles extends to the women he dates, too: "You have to either own a motorcycle or have the desire to get on one with me," he says.

Erwin and his wife Carole enjoy their Harley so much they planned their wedding around it. They rode 300 miles to a southwest Oklahoma cabin in August and spent their honeymoon riding through five states.

Real women drive hogs, too. Kathryn Van Hooser, bailiff at the Greene County Sheriff's Department and Judicial Courts Building, owns a custom Sportster 1200. "It's black and chrome - lots of chrome," she notes. She and husband Buck, who has a Honda VTX 1800 Retro, go riding whenever they can. "It's the greatest hobby of all - throttling down, leaning back and hitting the open road," she says.

Thankfully, it doesn't matter that the Van Hoosers ride different brands. Many Harley-Davidson riders in Springfield aren't snobby about the company they keep.

"It's kind of like a Democrat and a Republican living together, but it's all good," Kathryn Van Hooser says. "I love my bike and he loves his."

Jennifer Young, customer resource representative at Metropolitan National Bank, is another female Harley aficionado. "Several years ago, my husband could not get me on a motorcycle," she says. "Today, I not only ride, I am the proud owner and driver of a 2005 Harley-Davidson Road King Custom."

As a mother of four and the grandmother of five children, Young prides herself on being a safe rider - now with more than 15,000 miles on her motorcycle.

"We take a lot of day trips around the Ozarks and enjoy the beauty that is right here," she says.[[In-content Ad]]