Harley-Davidson Softail Day Qatar revs up interest in classic motorcycles

Classic Harley-Davidson motorcycles from Qatar and the region came together in a classy show of two-wheeler power at the Softail Day Qatar organized at the Old Doha Port on the weekend. As riders drove into the venue in batches on their shining machines from the hallowed US label, the reverberating engines struck an apparently sonorous note, taken over as they were by the gleam of metal shaping up their sturdy bodies.

The gathering of classic or vintage Harleys on a sunny winter day at the sprawling port grounds drew crowds including families. Visitors admired the models as riders from countries including Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain happily mixed with the crowds. While riders answered questions from curious visitors, young children gawked at the models in wonderment. Several riders wore numerous badges on their Harley leather jackets, a testament to their motorcycle trips in countries as varied as the United States to the Czech Republic.

A Bahraini rider, who came to witness Softail Day though without his riding machine, was all praise for the Qatari culture of hospitality and kindness. “While Harley-Davidson riding groups in the West are generally not known for their polite behavior and soft disposition, those here are approachable and polite,” said Nabil Faridoun, who has decades of riding experience and has covered on his motorcycle US Route 66, a highway that connects Los Angeles to Chicago, a distance of about 3900 kilometers.

One of the Harleys that became the center of attention bore an extremely rugged and grunge look, carrying all the paraphernalia of a jungle camp on wheels — even a large dead lizard stuck to the rear part of its body. On the other hand, most of the other Softail Harleys had gleaming steely bodies making them look as good as new.