CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

The results are in for the international 2023 Chapter Challenge!

Each year, the Ride365 Chapter Challenge recognises the collective journeys of H.O.G.® communities from around the world. Working together, members of each chapter pool their distances covered throughout the year, to see who can rack up the most miles. After seven years of competing in the Challenge, this year’s victors are Geordie Chapter, from the UK.

Established in 1997, Geordie Chapter is based in northeast England and sponsored by Gateshead Harley-Davidson®. Its director, Allen Glasper, is thrilled with the result and the response from members, with more than half submitting their mileages before the deadline. And the grand total? 709,579 miles.

“To finally win this challenge means everything to the chapter and all those who participate,” says Allen. “I personally think it’s a massive achievement for the chapter as, living in the north of England, our riding season tends to be a little shorter, but we put the miles in where we can!”

One change which may have boosted mileages was the increase in monthly ride-outs last year. Across 2023, the chapter held no fewer than 27 official rides and received fantastic turnouts, ranging between 65 and 100 members. There are also mid-week rides, which attract 30 to 40 members, all backed up by a 25-strong road crew who cover thousands of miles recceing all the routes in advance.

However, for Allen, the biggest highlight was a journey much further afield, when around 30 members set off on a road trip all the way to Budapest, joining the international community in celebrating 120 years of The Motor Company and H.O.G.’s 40th anniversary. Divided into small groups, a variety of routes were taken to Hungary, where chapter members reunited for the main event.

Allen would like to thank all the Geordie Chapter committee for making their victory in the Chapter Challenge possible, bringing them in at the top of the league a whopping 65,446 miles ahead of Dunedin Chapter, from Scotland, UK. Special thanks go to membership officer Mandy Jobson, dealer manager James Adams and Trish Gillespie, who all worked to make sure mileages were correct, verified and submitted.

“Without Trish’s help over the last few years this award would not have been achieved, she deserves the biggest accolade for the amount of work she puts in,” reflects Allen. “Hopefully we can one day win this award again.”

Other chapters in the running this year included Jeddah Chapter Saudi Arabia, Pleter Chapter Croatia and Girona Chapter Spain. If you would like to get involved in the Chapter Challenge, please speak to your chapter committee or local dealership.

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