Harleys Tour Raises New Zealand’s Profile In USA

Harleys Tour Raises New Zealand’s Profile In USA

The level of interest being taken by some United States media, in a group of intrepid kiwis who are riding their Harleys Across America, is helping raise New Zealand’s international profile there significantly.

The sixty riders and enthusiasts from throughout New Zealand, are in America for the world’s biggest party, the Harley Davidson motor cycle Company’s 100th Birthday Bash, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It starts next week. Hundreds of thousands will be there.

Their tour began a month ago in Vancouver, Canada, where key members of the group received requests from local Canadian radio television and print media to take part in a range of interviews and filming activities profiling them.

Since then the select group has been the subject of much media interest in many cities in the mid western United States, much of it while they have stopped to do some sightseeing or simply as a result of previously scheduled media programs.

The touring group’s Operations Manager and spokesperson Stephen Parsons says a key focus of the media interest has been on the seven vintage bikes, because some are more than 75 years old and these are rarely seen other than in Museums in the United States.

The media are also fascinated that the group are riding their own Harleys across America, and the fact that they actually shipped them all the way from New Zealand so that they could achieve their lifetime dream, Most recently, the group’s arrival or presence has made the front pages of the local city and state newspapers in Washington State, Wyoming, Montana, & South Dakota, Mr Parsons said.

The print media coverage has featured photos and comments by individual group members, the location in New Zealand they come from, and the primary reasons on why they’re riding their Harleys Across America. Some television stations have carried interviews live to air into their prime time newscasts while others have simply sought comment and images for screening in their local State news.

A unique experience for one sector of the group was hearing their interview played on a local news radio station several hours after it had been recorded. When they suddenly heard themselves on air they were completely taken by surprise as they had no idea what station it was they were listening to at the time.

The group’s presence in the northern mid west United States has also carried over into the online news arena. All of the newspapers have given additional profile to the group & to New Zealand by including the reports in online publications.

So far the group have travelled more than 4,000 kilometres across seven states. These include Washington State, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota. They are on schedule to arrive in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this Saturday.

© Scoop Media