For motorcyclists one effect has been the cancellation or postponement of many rallies and events around the country. Riders schedule vacations around them and for many of us the rides to and from the events are highlights of the riding season. The BMW National Rally was scheduled to be held in Great Falls, Montana this coming week. My brother and I had hotel reservations and talked all winter about the route to take out there from Wisconsin. By late March we began to realize the rally was in jeopardy and by May it had been canceled for 2020.
Over the winter I mapped out a plan to ride some of Wisconsin's Rustic Roads. They are all in the west and northwest part of the state. The plan was to ride to Madison to watch my niece receive her diploma from the University of Wisconsin in early May and then head up to the Rustic Road hunting grounds. But there was no graduation ceremony and I had no interest in trying to find a hotel to stay in at that time. In addition, the state was on lockdown and there would have been no restaurants available.
Last weekend I decided to take my Harley for a ride out to the Harley Davidson dealership in the Wausau area. I had never been there and it was a beautiful day to ride. So I packed a lunch and rode west on US Highway 29. Doc's Harley Davidson is near Shawano, WI, and right on 29, so I made a stop there. If you have never been to Doc's, it is a "must see" dealership. He has everything from a zoo to an antique store on the property and his motorcycle related creations are inspired.
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| Doc's Harley Davidson |
After a brief walk around the shop I continued west toward Wausau. The traffic was light and the miles clicked past. The dealership in the Wausau area moved from downtown Wausau to Rothschild several years ago. Like many of the Motor Company's shops, this one moved close to the four lane highway. In this case it is near the intersection of US Highways 29 and 51. As I pulled up I immediately began looking for a picnic table or some area suitable for a relaxing lunch. Most of the dealerships provide a spot like this and Bull Falls Harley Davidson did not disappoint.
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| A perfect spot for lunch |
The sun was warm and I took my time eating. A few riders came and went, but there was not much activity for a sunny Saturday in June. I had thought that this shop was called Rib Mountain Harley or something like that, so I was interested in the new name. After disposing of my lunch packaging I ambled into the shop.
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| Harley Davidson in Rothschild Wisconsin |
It all looks brand new although the building went up in 2006. As I was looking over the new bikes I heard someone call my name. I looked up and it was a representative who I knew from my local shop, Vandervest Harley Davidson in Green Bay. He had helped me trade in my 2004 Low Rider for my 2016 Low Rider S. He explained that the Vandervests had bought the Rothschild dealership in April 2019 and several employees split their time between the two shops. I was glad to see a familiar face and we spent some time catching up.
Harley Davidson, like a lot of manufacturers, shut down for a period of time this spring. The showroom had a good selection of new touring bikes, but there is not the number I would expect. I have learned that there will be limited numbers of 2020 bikes built and the 2021 models will not be introduced until February 2021. Normally the new models are unveiled in August.
On the way home I turned south at US Highway 45 and meandered back to Green Bay on the back roads. During the ride I began to think about the possibility of spending a few days over the summer visiting the Wisconsin Harley shops. Over the next few days a plan took shape and the 2020 riding season had a new focus.
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