2010 Rallies & Events
Born to be Wild Rally
Story by Eric Bass
Photos by Alfonse “Fonzie” Palaima
October 17, 2010: Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Simi Valley, California.
I probably know more than most folks do about Ronald Reagan. I went to college in Washington D.C while he was in office, and in fact my dorm was across the street from George Washington University Hospital, where the Secret Service took him after the assassination attempt. Years later, I met President Reagan face to face quite by accident. This was years after he had left office, and well into his bout with Alzheimer’s. I happened to be waiting for an elevator in the lobby of a Century City office building. Next thing I know, one of the other elevator doors opens and out strolls Ronald Reagan, looking spiffy as ever in a crisp navy blue suit, and accompanied by a Secret Service agent. He returned my gaze and held it, smiling as he walked directly towards me. I diverted my gaze to the Secret Service dude hoping I wouldn’t see his hand reaching for his holster, but he nodded and grinned ever so slightly to let me know that it was okay, as Reagan walked up, shook my hand, told me that it was good to see me, and asked me with that big genuine smile that charmed a nation, “How are you doing today?” I’ve never forgotten that thoroughly surreal moment.
Up until the Born to be Wild rally and museum display, I had never made the connection between The Motor Company and America’s movie cowboy President. At the event though, Karen Davidson, great granddaughter of William A. Davidson, connected the dots for those of us in attendance, offering her fond recollections of how President Reagan’s tariff of Japanese imports helped rescue The Motor Company. “I’m touched to be here for many reasons, and one of the big reasons is that back in the eighties I was living through times of turmoil back at home while the company was struggling to survive. My dad was one of the buyback officials and we put everything on the line as a personal family. So I called my folks a few days ago and said, ‘Give me some stories of what it was like back in the Reagan era and what you guys were going through as a company trying to survive.’ My mom said, ‘Well, I remember when President Reagan came to York. We were all standing around and he was giving a speech and the backdrop was like these huge cardboard cases that covered our crates with big bars and shields, and we thought, ‘Wow, what a cool backdrop.’ Well a little later my mom found out that the Secret Service was hiding behind there. She thought that was really cool. So then I asked my dad and he said, “You know, when President Reagan came to York, Pennsylvania, he realized that it was an American iconic brand, a lifestyle brand that meant so much to so many, and he put it on the line for our company. He really did, and he stepped up and he said, ‘I’m going to help this American company survive against the dumping of Japanese imports’, and he did.’ Because of what he did, our company is now thriving, and as my dad says, “We ride free today.”
Well, we rode free that day at the rally, but not dry. Individual groups of the 500 VIP attendees gathered at five different Southern California Harley-Davidson dealerships to caravan up to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. While the tri-tip BBQ sizzled in preparation for lunch, the clouds drizzled a bit on the approaching riders. In the end though, the feast and the tour of the museum were well worth it. A great array of classic bikes was presented, and a great group of riders were gathered to appreciate them together. A handful of the vintage motorcycles on display included:
- 1903 Harley-Davidson
- 1913 Californian
- 1922 Ner-A-Car
- 1948 Indian (from the Daytona 200)
- 1959 Cushman Eagle
- 1970 Jawa Speedway
- 1979 Honda CBX
- 2000 Custom Harley Chopper
- 2008 MV Agusta
Celebrity motorcycles included those ridden by Steve McQueen, Joe Jonas, Dan Gurney, Keith Carradine and others. Movie motorcycles included:
- Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1991 Indian from “The Terminator”
- Space Bike ridden by Adam Sandler in “Bedtime Stories”
- Motorized bicycle ridden by Will Smith and Kevin Kline in “Wild, Wild West”
- The Batgirl and Robin motorcycles ridden by Alicia Silverstone and Chris O’Donnell in “Batman and Robin”
- Motorcycle ridden by Chris Pine as Captain Kirk in “Star Trek”
- The 1920 Indian Scout ridden by Anthony Hopkins from “The World’s Fastest Indian”