H.O.G.® MENA

N e w s l e t t e r Volume 2, Issue 8 Winter 2012

Abu-Dhabi Chapter.Bahrain Chapter.Cairo Chapter.Casablanca Chapter. Dhahran

Chapter. Doha Chapter. Dubai Chapter. Jeddah Chapter. Jubail Chapter. Kingdom of

Jordan Chapter. Kuwait Chapter. Lebanon Chapter. Muscat Chapter. Riyadh Chapter.

2012 H.O.G. Lebanon Tour

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Editor’s note…

Nabil Rizkalla

H.O.G.® MENA Editor Middle East & North Africa–MENA Email: editor@hogmena.com

Cell: + 20122-2106714

www.hog.com

Welcome to our final H.O.G.® MENA Newsletter for 2012, our H.O.G.®

MENA Newsletter is now going into our 3rd year of publication. (Time

Flies). Looking back at the past year, some of our Countries have been

through some challenging times; meanwhile we have all been active

with our passion for riding our Harley-Davidson® bikes. I hope that 2013

will be a great year for all of our H.O.G. members. Your Chapters have

been active in planning a delightful calendar in the month to come. We

also encourage you all to register for the H.O.G. HOT training scheduled

April 18-21 at Milwaukee, United States. For booking and registration,

please follow this link http://www.hogeuropegallery.com/hot/location/

Meanwhile I wish you all a happy New Years 2013, ride safe and have

lots of fun, together let’s make 2013 a fantastic year.

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Q&A Dealer Profile – Indji Ghattas Pgs. 3-5

H.O.G. ® Cairo Chapter Solo Ride Europe. Pg.6

H.O.G. ® Lebanon Chapter Drug Awareness. Pg. 7

H.O.G. ® Lebanon Chapter – Lebanon Tour 2012. Pg. 8

H.O.G. ® Roadside Assistance. Pg. 9

HOT 2013 Harley® Officers Training. Pg. 10

H.O.G. ® Bahrain Chapter – Think Pink. Pg. 11

H.O.G.® MENA South Africa Tour Pgs 12-13

H.O.G. ® Membership Renewal 2013 Pg. 14

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you all a fantastic New

Years 2013!!!

Nabil Rizkalla

Q&A Dealer Profile Indji Ghattas

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family? The girl from Egypt that made it into the legendary world of H-D®

, Indji Ghattas.

2. Who has been the biggest influence on your life? What lessons did that person teach you? My Customers, they taught me patience, persistence and striving to always get better. An old

friend, who taught me above all to be a fair person.

3. What drove you to ride? And why did you choose Harley-Davidson®? The continuous thrill of the brand that never dies. It is the closest feeling to flying.

4. Which Harley-Davidson® motorcycle is your favorite and what year? why?

Springer™ CVO MY08, I love how this bike leans at corners, it swept me of my feet the 1st time I

laid my eyes on it.

5. Do you prefer riding solo or group rides, why? I prefer riding with my friends, anyone riding a H-D®

becomes part of the family. I ride solo in my

head so I still enjoy it.

6. Where was your favorite destination and best riding experience? South Africa… The diversity of the scenery, roads and routes is breath taking.

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Q&A Dealer Profile continued…

7. What was the longest ride that you took? And where did you go? South Africa, 2709KM in 5 days

8. If you could take with you on a ride only 3 things, what would they be, and why? My Make-up (I am a woman after all, have to

keep the lady touch), Helmet (My head is

remarkable so I want to keep it safe at all times

), Bottle of water to stay refreshed and keep

going!

9. Do you prefer riding on curvy roads, or highway? why? A mix of both, curves give me the thrill and I get

to take the bike to an extra level, straights gives

me room to think and clear my head of all the

troubles and stresses.

10. Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? Working with my Team to deliver a world-class experience to every enthusiast in all our locations. Every Customer is a Custom every day and every time. Putting Egypt on the map to be one of the most remarkable destinations in the world to ride a H-D®

.

11. Do you listen to music while riding? If so, what is your favorite type of music? I mainly listen to myself singing… hahahhahah. Sometimes I am inclined to listen to MJ, Meat Loaf; other

times I’m in a more chilled mood so I tend to play Andrea Bocellie

12. What do you like about H.O.G.® ? The feeling of belonging. The fact that I have friends anywhere I go. The strength of the

brotherhood/sisterhood.

13. What would you like to see in the near and far future from H.O.G.® MENA? Easier boarder crossing to be able to mingle more frequently. We are one of the biggest regions in the

world speaking the same language with very little interaction.

14. Of all the H.O.G.® Rallies that you have attended which was your favorite and why? Egypt H.O.G. ® Rally 2010. everyone was happy….I enjoyed seeing everyone having a great time.

Sturgis is an extravagant experience as well.

15. The single most memorable moment you have from a group ride? It could be a situation, a friendship, a funny moment? explain... When I 1st learned how to ride and was doing a U turn, my hand got stuck on the throttle so the bike

skidded from the back heavily, everyone cheered for me and thought I was a super rider, when I almost

died from horror thinking I was crashing. I still remember the feeling until today

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Q&A Dealer Profile continued…

18. The single most memorable moment you have from a group ride? It could be a situation, a friendship, a funny moment? explain... When I first learned how to ride and was doing a U turn, my hand got stuck on the throttle so the

bike skidded from the back heavily, everyone cheered for me and thought I was a super rider, when I

almost died from horror thinking I was crashing. I still remember the feeling until today

19. Are there any words of wisdom you’d like to pass along to other riders? Never think you know how to ride, the minute you feel so, you will fall!!! Stop learning and start

dying. Live your life as if there is no tomorrow

20. If you had a chance to do things differently, what would you change and why? I would change the traffic rules in Egypt to have respect for motorcycle riders. I would have started riding long ago… not wasted all the time to go to work on my bike every day.

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H-D ® Egypt Team

Being half Swiss half Egyptian, I have the luxury of moving in both continents with two different bikes, yet the same model. My annual 2 wheel trip took me through 5 Countries; Trip started from Western Europe crossing two Islands boarding 4 fairies covering a distance exceeding 6000KM in a time of 51,840 minutes. My Dyna never let me down, always ready when I was ready. (The same Egyptian desert lady as my Swiss forest lady). The most exciting part is riding the bike early sunrise having planned a route. Always a hassle getting in and out of the big cities (Zurich, Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin, London, Paris) with temperatures over 30 C º, just to leave the smog, the sound pollution and the buses behind me. It's incredible; when you wear the spider-gear you are already wet like hell. As soon as you ignite the engines & the rubber hits the asphalt leaving the city you forget about everything. It reminds me of diving, until your wetsuit is adjusted as the sun heat and the shaking boat gives you vertigo. Once you're under water, life becomes re-incarnated. On my Harley, it's the vibrating engine that becomes my companion. I drove an average of 300 km per day, and up to 400 km in clear weather. Other than two incidences, everything went according to plan. The first incident was due to heavy rain pouring, trucks spitting H2O in my mouth which tasted like asphalt, but also strong cross winds which challenged my skills, I just maintained low gear and focused. Luckily, it was only 2 days out of the 36 days. The second incident was on my way back where my GPS died on me and I had no sun to orient my direction. I was forced to take a big city main road from Callier down to Paris, instead of Nancy. (The city of romance, offering the best sea food restaurants, it was the city of Marie Antoinette.) A city only 300 km from Basel, “Small Paris", I called it. Words cannot describe the beautiful ride as the scenery was getting greener and greener. Riding from the main continent of Europe; cruising from the Northern to the Eastern Ocean coast of the United Kingdom (UK), I Went through unknown villages that were unique in character. I wasn’t always lucky in finding logging, I suppose that was the price of being free. One of the challenges was not my back-ache (which I controlled by daily 60 minutes of exercising at the hotel), but by my fingers on my right-hand were getting numb.....pushing the gas 5-6 hrs daily is more like flying a Helicopter than flying a plane (which is similar to a car). I cruised mostly on the side roads on the country side. The trees on both sides escorted me, they became my friends. You don't only see them, but also smell them. You cannot imagine getting closer "so fast" to nature, by any other means. I thought my trip from Zurich to San Sebastian 4 years ago was the hit, this trip beat it by far. I am starting to plan my 2013 trip, will let you know where in due time, but what I can promise you, is that its planned for Next Summer (ISA). "Keep left" was my motto for more than half my trip of 2012. Know it s "Keep Right". You are the driver, the mechanic, and your own doctor.

H.O.G.® Cairo Chapter Solo ride -- Europe

By: Sherif Loutfi (Sindebad)

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H.O.G.® Lebanon Chapter – Drug Awareness

"The H.O.G.® Lebanon

Chapter has partnered

with the

Lebanese Red Cross as a

commitment of

contribution to society".

The top three destructors of our planet

are global warming, wars, and, well

Drugs. In times of war, members of the

H.O.G.® Cairo Chapter patrolled the

streets to keep their fellow citizens safe.

For that we salute them. And so in

Lebanon, H.O.G.® went against Drugs.

Specifically drugs being induced to kids

at schools.

These kids get a lot of social guides who

have a parent-like figure that children

block.

So we had a big ride to a launching event

in the City of Jbeil, partnered with the

anti-drug NGO called J.A.D., and

L.A.S.I.P., supported by the boy scouts

and the municipality of Jbeil.

And now we ride to schools and

universities to say a word from the heart,

from Biker to Kid. Telling them that

there’s a big difference between being

bold and reckless. That it’s good to be

different, as long as you’re not putting

your life and your dreams in jeopardy.

The above message coming from the

“Harley People” has shown to have an

excellent effect on the young generation.

We’re going to keep on doing it all year

long.

by Charbel Khoury

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H.O.G.® Lebanon Chapter - The 4th H.O.G.® Lebanon Tour

On the first week of September 2012, Marwan

Tarraf gathered his people for what he called a

“decisive” meeting. He asked “should we cancel

the Lebanon Tour this year?”

Everyone who knows our sponsoring dealer knows

how much this event in particular is dear to his

heart. I believe that he was pulling a reverse-

psychology move on everyone, because as much

as he wanted it to happen, with the multitude of

challenges that were facing us, he knew that he

couldn’t do it alone.

The H.O.G.® Lebanon Chapter has been very

successful and popular. Most people think it is due

to the nature of our country, which offers us a

variety of beautiful rides. This is true, but it is in

moments like these that we realize the real reason

behind the success of any group, society, or

business: it’s the people, their dedication and their

belief in what they want to achieve.

by Charbel Khoury

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H.O.G.® Assistance

www.members.hog.com

Have you ever been worried about being left stranded away from home?

H.O.G. Assistance is here for you.

H.O.G. Assistance is a comprehensive recovery service which covers you in case of breakdown, accident, tyre puncture.

The service is given for free for one year to all purchasers of a brand new Harley-Davidson motorcycle from the dealer.

All current H.O.G. members are entitled to buy H.O.G. Assistance for the duration of their membership for 30$ per year, to be paid to your dealer.

You must be a current valid member of H.O.G. to join H.O.G. Assistance.

Jordan: 065512471/2

Oman: 24 785486

Kuwait: 22583600

KSA: 8008973222

UAE: 80009730222

Bahrain: 80001222

Qatar: 44320918

Egypt: 33083897

Lebanon: +97317216839

Morocco: +97317216839

International Assistance number: +97317216839

Roadside Assistance Program

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H.O.G. ®

Bahrain Chapter THINK PINK

On the third day of Eid Al Adha, H.O.G.®

Bahrain Chapter held their annual charity ride to the NBB Home for disabled children. Over 80 bikers came out to support this noble cause. The participants from all different biking groups across Bahrain showed their support and 465 BD was raised on the day. The donation to the center helped to purchase much needed equipment for the day to day running of the center, plus some other items which make life a little more enjoyable for the residents. Harley-Davidson Bahrain held the 2013 Model launch this year with a parade ride which consisted of over 100 bikers and their passengers. The riders toured Bahrain and then returned to the dealership where they were treated to a BBQ and a glimpse of the new 2013 models on display. Bahrain Bike week was held this year at Amwaj

Island. The H.O.G.® Bahrain Chapter was an active participant with our Head Road Captain Saleh Al Hijazi contributing his time and energy

to organizing the rides for the event. H.O.G®

Bahrain Chapter director Mohammed Al Mahmood was presented an award for participating, while Harley-Davidson Bahrain was honored for their support and our member and Chapter Treasurer Rushdi Kekhia was a second place winner in the bike competition.

By Anne AlZayani

11 H.O.G. ® Bahrain Chapter

H.O.G.®

MENA South Africa Tour: A Trip to Remember

The highlight of October 2012 was the H.O.G.®

MENA South Africa Tour. As more information became available, one could see all the intricate details that had to be addressed. The H.O.G. MENA and H.O.G. Africa were organizing this amazing trip jointly. Johnny Nuqul, Regional Chapter Director for the MENA region and Tammy Frayne from H.O.G. Africa exchanged numerous e-mails and spent hours of planning over a period of four months in order to make this tour a reality. The group consisted of thirteen members from the Kingdom of Jordan Chapter, including eight riders, with four more participants from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar; all were anxious to embark on this experience of a lifetime. Arriving at the Pretoria Harley-Davidson dealership on a Friday morning, the group of seventeen riding enthusiasts gathered and met with our tour leaders and guides for the next 8 days, Carl Frayne, the H.O.G. Africa Manager and his wife, the hard-working and dedicated Tammy. We started the tour in pouring rain; but as the saying goes the “ride” must go on. We travelled through the mountain passes of Mpumalanga, passing through Sabie, Graskop, Hazyview and White River. Going up Long Tom Pass was astonishing where we had to pass through the clouds to reach the top of the mountain; the views were truly out of this world. Over the following days, the weather cleared out and more mountains were conquered with amazing bends and curves that can challenge the most experienced of riders. The roads were so inviting with such great asphalt that grips the wheels in such a manner, giving confidence and a sense of safety even to a junior rider like myself. Riding through the lush forests and green fields of Kwazulu Natal to reach the area of the Jozini Dam and then through Drakensburg in the Natal Midlands was spectacular; it enriched our senses with delightful sights and smells of nature. 12

By: Rabia Nuqul

Webmaster, Editor and Historian, H.O.G.® Kingdom of Jordan Chapter 7898

H.O.G.®

MENA South Africa Tour – continued…

We were also able to go on the game drive at the Kruger National Park where we enjoyed seeing the animals in their natural habitat. We were lucky to spot four of the big five animals famous to inhabit the area. Moreover, we visited the Ushaka Marine World in Durban and watched the dolphins’ wonderful show. Riding through South Africa was truly an amazing experience; one that each and every participant will repeat at the blink of an eye. We had covered 2110 kilometers in eight days. Furthermore, we visited four dealerships along the way: Pretoria, the Big Five Harley-Davidson dealership at Nelspruit, Durban and Johannesburg where we got the opportunity to meet members from their respective chapters. Fellow riders were so welcoming and accommodating sharing with us their experiences and passion. The overwhelming sights and smells of South Africa, as captured on my rented Harley, will linger in my memory for years to come. Thank you H.O.G.

® MENA and H.O.G

®. Africa for allowing us to enjoy riding

through the marvelous South Africa during the day, and for pampering us in the evenings with good food and great lodgings. H.O.G. Kingdom of Jordan Chapter you are amazing…

“Quotes”

Mohamed Hassan “The organization: Swiss Watch Precision; The ride: Dragon Tale for those who dare.”

Rabia Nuqul " No wonder South Africa is a great destination for biking; the country has an amazing combination of attributes that offers riding enthusiasts a great biking experience through beautiful varied, yet safe, terrain while pampering them with all the luxuries one yearns for at the end of a long day on the bike. "

Abdullah Al Ajaji - “The ride: There are the days when i am reminded how many great people are part of my riding life.”

ZA Z – “Wish it was longer n longer n longer, the scenery was out of this world, never thought I would visit JoBurg and the country side, if it weren't for the HOG MENA, so Thx”

Margarita Zuniga – “Truly an amazing challenge

and experience for me.” The location, South Africa

had an incredible view riding the twisting roads

were awesome! The greenery, lakes, and people

left me with memories and stories to tell. I'm still

talking about it almost every other day :-)

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Hmmmm……..

Harley-Davidson® side car converted into a

crazy but cool looking go cart…

As I was surfing the net, I found on Google this cool

looking picture of a 1936 Harley-Davidson® Sidecar, numerous people ogling and saying “I need to build this!” but nothing more. So I don’t know anything about it, other than that it’s freekin rad. I mean rad in the 1980s Ninja Turtles, bright neon Hammer pants rad. It’s flat-out cool, with a nice dollop of crazy on top.

Judging by the dude’s beard this was taken in the 70s, a time of, shall we say, inspired creativity? So this guy took

a 1936 Harley® sidecar and fibbed up a frame and drive-

train. It looks like it uses a Harley® V-twin motor, located where the motorcycle would be. I can’t tell if it’s chain-driven, but I would assume it’s a simple design due to the technology on hand at the time. The wheels and tires are as big as the engine, hopefully giving this swollen go-kart a silly amount of grip. I hope that this guy used drum brakes off a car, at best. If it has motorcycle brakes (or only on one side like a go-kart) then this is a death machine. But because I live by the rule “Everything will be fine.” I don’t care.

Harley-Davidson®, Harley®, H.O.G.® and the H.O.G. logo are among the registered trademarks of H-D Michigan, LLC.

Good bye 2012... Hello 2013 Don’t forget to renew

your H.O.G.® membership

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

You’ve made the commitment to ride a Harley-Davidson®

motorcycle. Now let Harley Owners Group® give a little back.

H.O.G.® gives you access to benefits that are designed exclusively

for our members.

- Roadside Assistance - H.O.G.® Events - H.O.G.® Magazine - H.O.G.® MENA Newsletter - Touring Handbook

Use this link for renewal: https://www.h-d-

europe.com/RenewMembership.aspx

Make Sure to also renew your local

Chapter membership

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