Harley-Davidson® World Ride Recap

This year, Harley-Davidson® motorcycle riders from over 75 countries participated in the World Ride event — clocking in at an impressive 11,966,614 miles — or 19,258,351 kilometers. (1) Countries with the highest mileage totals included the United States, Mexico and Brazil. (2)

Overview

Back in 2008, the Harley® Owners Group launched a one-day annual riding event known as Million Mile Monday. In 2012, it turned into a two-day event called the Harley-Davidson® World Ride, where it offered motorcyclists from all over the world the opportunity to participate during at least one of the two days. For 2015, it shifted to the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) to allow even more people to join in, flex their freedom and hit the open road. After all, the idea is to "Just Ride," as H-D® explains it. (3)

To elaborate, Ken Ostermann, Harley-Davidson® General Manager of Integrated Marketing Operations, says the event is about “being on your bike, loving life, and sharing that feeling with others.” Which means the World Ride is also the perfect opportunity for enthusiasts to share that experience with non-riders by inviting them to join as a passenger. (3)

The World Ride

This year’s event took place on June 27 and 28. When considering every single participating Harley-Davidson® rider across the globe (3) — from the Outback to the Autobahn, from Route 66 to the Pan-American Highway (1) — riding on the curvy roads of Ladakh or passing the white Ran of Kutch, (4) the total rally is quite impressive. (1)

According to NDTV Auto, motorcyclists “logged miles solo, in groups large and small, and through a variety of dealer-led events around the world.” The highest mileage totals came from the Unites States, Canada and Mexico, as well as Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and Malaysia. (2)

When each participant completed their ride, they were able to add their information to Harley®’s online mileage accumulator. H-D® says their rolling odometer takes into account the collective distance traveled by all of the event members. (3) This allows others to keep tabs on the total, which was nearly 12,000,000 miles by the time the World Ride was over. (1)

Conclusion

For more information, check out the various stories and photographs that have been posted on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter (hashtag #HDworldride) — or contact Adamec Harley-Davidson® of Baymeadows, Orange Park, Regency and St.Augustine for details regarding the 2016 World Ride. (3)