Hermon party site today for Harleys

HERMON – The 105th anniversary of Harley-Davidson Motor Co. isn’t until the end of the month, but to get to Milwaukee, Wis., on time, local Harley riders will head out Wednesday.

That means the party is today at Central Maine Harley-Davidson on U.S. Route 2 in Hermon, spokeswoman Cheryl Oliver, whose family has been selling the motorcycles locally for the past two decades, said Monday.

A countrywide “ride home to Milwaukee” is planned as part of the national company’s anniversary celebration.

“Harley-Davidson has chosen 25 [routes] for this ride and Central Maine Harley-Davidson is elated to be chosen as one” of the starting points, Oliver said. “We are the most eastern dealership to be chosen and the first on the East Coast to start the ride.”

The company’s 105th anniversary party will be held Aug. 28-31 in Milwaukee, which is the birthplace of the first Harley motorcycle created in 1901.

Locally, Central Maine Harley-Davidson will hold a variety of events for all age groups, including a dunk tank and silent auction to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association and a self-guided ride and scavenger hunt from Hermon to the Penobscot Narrows Bridge in Prospect and back.

“The party starts at 4 p.m. and [representatives from] Miller Lite will be here serving beer,” Oliver said.

While the beer is flowing, the band No Warning will perform live. Bangor-based radio WKIT-100.3 FM will be on hand from 1 to 4 p.m. doing a live broadcast, the Maine Army Guard will collect nonperishable items for soldiers overseas, and local Special Olympics representatives will be selling raffle tickets for a new 2008 Harley.

Central Maine Harley-Davidson is offering 10.5 percent discount on items, except motorcycles, and a tent will be set up with items discounted “25 to 40 percent,” Oliver said.

The winner of the Penobscot Narrows ride will win two tickets to the Milwaukee events, she said.

To highlight the importance of the event, Harley-Davidson has sent Jim McCasslin, chief operating officer, to the Maine event, Oliver said.

“This gentleman is the second in command for the motor company and we can assure you that this opportunity will never happen again,” she said.

Members of several local Harley Owner Group chapters will be on hand today, and plan to leave for Milwaukee on Wednesday, Oliver said.

“Various HOG chapters will be leaving at the same time” from locations around the state, she said. “It takes the seven days to get there if they follow the route Harley-Davidson” has posted on its Web site, www.harley-davidson.com/105.

The first stop on the 1,845-mile route to Milwaukee is Green Mountain Harley-Davidson in Essex Junction, Vt., scheduled for Thursday, then Performance Harley-Davidson the next day in Syracuse, N.Y. Other stops are planned at Harley-Davidson of Erie in Erie, Pa.; Toledo Harley-Davidson in Toledo, Ohio; Zips Mackinaw City in Mackinaw City, Mich.; and Harley-Davidson of Wausau, Wis., before rolling into Harley’s hometown on Aug. 27.