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HISTORY:

Local Sheboygan H.O.G. Chapter

The Sheboygan chapter was originally formed in the spring of 1989.  The chapter was officially sponsored

and recognized by Harley-Davidson Company in April of 1990.  April 2015 was our 25th anniversary as a

recognized chapter.

 

Harley-Davidson 
Harley-Davidson Motor Company (NYSE: HOG, formerly HDI) is an American manufacturer of motorcycles

based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The company sells heavyweight (over 750 cc) motorcycles designed for

cruising on the highway. Harley-Davidson motorcycles (popularly known as "Harleys") have a distinctive

design and exhaust note. They are especially noted for the tradition of heavy customization that gave rise

to the chopper-style of motorcycle. 

In 2003, the Buell Motorcycle Company became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Harley-Davidson, the same

year that Harley-Davidson celebrated its 100th birthday. In August 2008, Harley-Davidson purchased the

Italian motorcycle manufacturer MV Agusta. 

Harley Owners Group 

Harley-Davidson established the Harley Owners Group (abbreviated H.O.G.) in 1983 in response to a growing desire by a new breed of Harley riders for an organized way to share their passion and show their pride. In 1991, H.O.G. went international, with the first official European H.O.G. Rally in Cheltenham, England. Today, more than one million members and more than 1400 chapters worldwide make H.O.G. the largest factory-sponsored motorcycle organization in the world. 

H.O.G. benefits include organized group rides, exclusive products and product discounts, insurance premium discounts, and the Hog Tales newsletter. A one year full membership is included with the purchase of a new, unregistered Harley-Davidson. 

Origin of "Hog" Nickname 

Beginning in 1920, a team of farm boys, including Ray Weishaar, who became known as the "hog boys," consistently won races. The group had a hog, or pig as their mascot. Following a win, they would put the pig (a real one) on their Harley and take a victory lap. In 1983, the Motor Company formed a club for owners of its product taking advantage of the long-standing nickname by turning "hog" into the acronym H.O.G., for Harley Owners Group. Harley-Davidson attempted to trademark "hog", but lost a case against an independent Harley-Davidson specialist, The Hog Farm of West Seneca, NY, in 1999 when the appellate panel ruled that "hog" had become a generic term for large motorcycles and was therefore unprotectable as a trademark. 

On August 15, 2006, Harley-Davidson Inc. had its NYSE ticker symbol changed from HDI to HOG. 

Harley-Davidson Museum 

Building started on $75 million 130,000 square-foot (12,000 m2) Harley-Davidson Museum in the Menomonee River Valley on June 1, 2006. It opened to the public on July 12, 2008 and houses the company's vast collection of historic motorcycles and corporate archives, a retail shop along with a restaurant, café and meeting space. 

It is located east of the intersection of Sixth and Canal Streets near downtown, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is open year round for tours. 

Harley-Davidson Museum
400 Canal Street
Milwaukee, WI 53201
1-877-HD MUSEUM (1-877-436-8738)
Coordinates: 43.031273,-87.917152

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