Training in the Past, Present and Future

Regional Manager and Training Lead Bruce Motta has been part of the H.O.G. family for 30 years and is determined to help members get the most out of their Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

When Bruce Motta walked into his first Harley Owners Group meeting in 1995, he’d never have imagined that would lead to 22 years with Harley-Davidson in various regional manager roles. “I’d just bought a Low Rider motorcycle from a local dealer in Groton, Connecticut, who told me about H.O.G. When I turned up at that meeting I didn’t know anyone in the room, but I understood that they all loved riding as much as I did,” he says.

Bruce’s passion for riding was sparked at age 13 when he rode a small displacement motorcycle owned by a friend’s older brother and decided that he’d have his own bike as soon as he could. “I think the universe was trying to tell me something – and I listened,” he smiles. “When I started riding and gaining more experience, I realized that I liked being in tune with a machine. There’s a zen quality to it.”

Bruce also enjoyed being around like-minded enthusiasts and soon got involved in his local chapter, later leading rides. That turned into a Road Captain position and eventually Activities Officer. He also became the Connecticut Rally Coordinator in 2002. “The funny thing is, I never set out to take on any of these positions,” he says. “I only volunteered when I saw a need. I think a lot of chapter members can relate to that, as H.O.G. at its core is based on volunteerism. It was a lot of work, but it was rewarding.”

Bruce had been working as an engineer in design, construction, and testing of nuclear-powered submarines for the U.S. Navy for many years, so the experience gained through his chapter roles proved vital when he applied for a job as H.O.G. Northeast U.S. Regional Manager. “When I joined the team in 2003, I realized that six out of the seven regional managers had never worked for Harley-Davidson before; instead, they had all been either chapter officers or rally coordinators, so they could provide support to other chapters as they’d done the jobs themselves.”

Bruce stayed in that position for the next three years before moving over to H.O.G. International, where he oversaw H.O.G. for Asia and Latin America for the next five years, while also providing support to Canada, Japan, and Australia. Then, as part of an international reorganization in 2012, he was asked to lead all H.O.G. training programs.

“Changes to the training sessions over the years have always been about evolution not revolution, much like Harley-Davidson itself,” says Bruce. Originally, H.O.G. Officer training was served by Primary Officer Training (POT) aimed at the four Primary Officers plus the dealer. This evolved into H.O.G. Officer Training (HOT), open to six officers and the dealer, and then Regional Officer Connection (ROC).

“The biggest change in the switch to ROC is we now have 21 one-day regional sessions rather than four national multi-day events, the aim being to get more chapter officers and dealers involved, while also reducing the demands on their time. We realized that with the multi-day events we were only training about half the eligible chapter officers. Now, 80 to 90 percent of officers are trained within a few hours of a session. With HOT we saw about 2,400 officers, and ROC is already more than 2,500.”

Other changes have included an increased focus on H.O.G. riding programs to give members more opportunities to ride, going beyond group riding and chapter events. “There are awards for Annual Mileage, Lifetime Mileage and Chapter Challenge, and if you’re an H-D VISA card holder, there are cash awards. We have both digital awards for mileage milestones, and pins and patches for higher mileage levels,” says Bruce. “50 Rides, One Nation is a lifetime challenge that involves riding to an interesting destination in each of the 50 states and uploading photos to the H-D website. The member is then awarded a commemorative challenge coin for each one, and a rivet at the Harley-Davidson Museum^® on completion of all 50 states. A few dozen members have already achieved this.

“In 2020, we introduced an annual challenge where riders could visit 10 different destinations in 10 states that we rotated. Due to its popularity, we increased the number of locations to 15 for 2025, and winners now receive a pewter challenge coin for each ride. These programs are under RIDE 365 and are designed to reward members for getting out on their bikes.”

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Bruce was looking for a positive way to contribute to the riding community and came up with the Riding with a Local initiative. “I decided to make videos around the Milwaukee area to share on social media, so I bought a GoPro camera and editing program and taught myself how to use them,” he says. “I’d ride to some of the popular destinations, like the Harley-Davidson headquarters on Juneau Avenue, then I’d research the locations at night and write a narrative to record. I put up a few short videos and the response was better than I expected. I decided to do more, and with the encouragement of friends I started a YouTube channel and eventually a website. From the start, I wanted other riders to share their favorite places so anyone riding through the area could also enjoy them. That brings us to where things are now.

“To me, H.O.G. has always been about the opportunity to share the passion of riding Harley-Davidson motorcycles with other like-minded people. It will always be about riding and having fun,” says Bruce. “We’re here to provide support and direction to the members, the chapters, and their sponsoring dealers. That has been our mission from day one. I’m just proud to be a part of it all.”

Words by Jeremy Pick