HOG - Harley-News

America
ROAD TRIP
adventure
My American
Bader Al-Hendi from Kuwait tells us about the adventure
in America he shared with his beloved Sportster…
Ididn’t know how to ride a
motorcycle when I first bought
my Sporster XL1200. My dream
was to learn to ride, and then
travel the world astride my
motorcycle. I took a motorcycle
training course at the Harley dealer in
Kuwait and learned fast. Six months later
my dream came true when I shipped my
Sportster from Kuwait to the US for an
adventure crossing east to west… and
back again!
It took me two and a half months to
explore America. I passed through more
than 30 states and stopped at every great
view. I began my adventure in Washington
DC and rode to Key West, Florida where
I saw some amazing views of the ocean,
especially from the bridge that connects
the Keys.
I remember when I was riding, a guy
who worked at the Peterson dealership
approached me from the road. He invited
me in for a coffee and they checked over
my bike for free – they even replaced the
horn, which wasn’t working properly.
He told me that my Kuwaiti licence plate
and Kuwait Chapter patch attracted his
attention because they love to meet
strangers that travel from overseas.
From Florida, I took Highway 10 all the
way to Los Angeles, California. This was
the state that I enjoyed the most during
the whole trip – I particularly loved
Highway 1 with its magnificent views of
the ocean. It was just so relaxing to ride
in such amazing surroundings.
I then rode all the way to Weed, close
to the border of Oregon. I travelled with
my tent and sleeping bag strapped to the
bike. I would look for somewhere to spend
the night before it got dark. In California,
I spent one night in the Mendocino
national forest. Here I rode my bike
through the drive-thru Chandelier Tree
– my bike was the first bike to enter that
tree with a Kuwaiti licence plate.
I left California for Salt Lake City, Utah
to see my cousin Tariq Al Najar. It was
here the terrain transformed from forests
to deserts and mountains. Riding to the
top of the mountains, I could see the
whole city – I felt like a king.
I spent two days with my cousin before
getting back on the road until I reached
Sturgis, South Dakota. I arrived very late
for the rally but I still had a great time.
I took a few rides around the area and
it was awesome. I even went to Mount
Rushmore which was one of the most
amazing places in South Dakota.
I then headed for my final destination:
New York. I rode day and night to get
there and first stopped at Niagara Falls.
After admiring the sheer beauty of the
nature here, in contrast, I headed for
Times Square!
From here, my Sportster and I returned
to Kuwait. We had travelled through 30
states: Virginia, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama,
Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New
Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada,
Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota,
Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois,
Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, New
York, Connecticut, Massachusetts,
Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland.
I learned from my trip that the US is a
wonderful place and it has the nicest and
coolest people that I have ever met. The
Americans are very welcoming and
peaceful people, and they deserve this
great country. ■
30 HOG ® summer 2010