Rare Spares Rockynats attracts Harley Davidson owners groups

Harley Davidson owners from all over Australia descended on Rockynats for their state rally and HOG games.

A female competitor prepares to trow a motorcycle tyre in the Rockynats HOG games tyre toss. Picture: Jann Houley

Two-wheeled fun was part of the Rare Spares Rockynats with Harley Davidson owners from around Australia riding to the city for the Queensland state rally and HOG games.

HOG Games co-ordinator, proud Rockhampton Harley Davidson owner Sue Schluter, said more than 250 owners on 200 plus motorcycles have descended on Rare Rockynats 2021.

Ms Schluter said any Harley Davidson owner can join a HOG chapter – Harley Owners Group.

“Each state has a rally every year, we haven’t had one for two years and the last one was at the Gold Coast, because of COVID,” she said.

“We’ve got chapters from all over Queensland and NSW, we’ve got a couple of chapters from the Northern Territory, Newcastle, Canberra.

“HOG chapters are just like one big family and the rally is just a big get together and a fun weekend for everyone.”

Part of the rally fun for all of the chapters is the HOG Games.

Harley Owners Group HOG Rockhampton member and HOG games co-ordinator Sue Schluter on her 2019 1890cc Street Glide Special.

Ms Schluter said the HOG games events were the tyre toss, slow ride, truck pull and plank walk.

“We started with the slow ride which is all about skill, so it’s the slowest across the line without leaving your lane and without putting your feet down,” she said.

“But because we’re trying to preserve the grass for Beef coming up, we then went to people games.

“We had the tyre toss for men and women, then we had the plank walk in teams of four with pieces of rope and planks where people went up and back on the Showground arena.

“Then we had the truck pull where teams of five pulled the Rocky Harley truck for 30 metres.”

The competition was fierce, Ms Schluter said, with chapters vying for trophies and the coveted event banner.

“The Canberra ladies did really well, it was a really close finish in the plank walk, then they did really well in the truck pull too, but the Sunshine Coast pipped them there I think,” she said.

“We’ll announce the winners tomorrow, where they get a trophy and they get to keep the banner from the state rally.”

On the first day of the inaugural Rockynats, Ms Schluter said the HOG chapters were enjoying the event immensely.

“The grand parade was an amazing spectacle, with more than 30km of bikes and cars winding there way through the CBD,” she said.

“I was at near the front of the parade and when I arrived back at the showground there were still vehicles heading out as I was coming back in.

“All the chapters have been looking forward to Rockynats for a while, everyone is ready to have a whole lot of fun.”