Milwaukee, Wisconsin is Harley Hog Heaven

With more than 450 bikes on display dating to that earliest moments when William Harley and Arthur Davidson started tinkering around with the idea of attaching an engine to a bicycle frame in 1903, the H-D Museum is hog heaven for those enthralled with the concept of freedom on the open road that riding a Harley represents.

There is a bike documenting each year the company has been in existence, most of them fresh off the factory floor, and a number of the wilder custom-built bikes for which H-D is famous. The 13-foot long, dual engine "King Kong" is one of the wildest, but the 1994 Ultra Classic pink and grey "lady rider" with custom lipstick holder is not a bad example either.

Helping to explain how powerful Harley engines work is a crude but accurately worded exhibit called "Suck, Squeeze, Bang, Blow." Visitors can also straddle a hog of their own with staff on hand to take the obligatory photo.

Extreme sports nuts will be impressed with the exhibits on motorcycle-on-ice races, motorcycle chariot races, motorcycle polo and the ever popular hill climbing competitions. A reproduction of the XR-750 that Evel Knievel rode when jumping 13 busses in London's Wimbley Stadium in 1975 will surely inspire a few crazy antics.

History lovers and patriots will appreciate the area dedicated to military production and how these motorcycles were used by troops transitioning from horseback to motorized transportation in both world wars.

Economics scholars should enjoy the ups and downs of the company through the Great Depression, competition from Great Britain, the merger with AMF and later return to public ownership in 1986.

There's even something for Elvis groupies. The original paperwork and the 1956 side-valve model KH owned by the King. Yes, it too, is here in Milwaukee.

Located on 20 acres along the banks of the peaceful Menominee River, the Harley-Davidson Museum is equally a monument to the industrial age of American ingenuity and Milwaukee's manufacturing heritage that at one point equaled about 60 percent of the local economy. More than 1200 tons of steel, glass and brick speak to the rawness and energy that is the Harley experience.

For those who don't see the world through black and orange-colored glasses, the Motor Bar and Restaurant at the museum complex has quickly earned an independent reputation for a premiere dining spot in the Milwaukee. Known for its breaded cheese curds, a Wisconsin staple, Motor also specializes in Wisconsin fried fish, huge twisted pretzels accompanied by homemade spicy mustard, and brat melt sandwiches. A little chicken schnitzel with lemon butter sauce completes the tasty cardiac arrest available at Motor.

Before visiting the H-D Museum, check the website for special events that include things like Vintage Thursdays, Family Sundays and spotlights on artifacts. The museum is open daily, although hours vary seasonally.

The hog-heaven-high state of nirvana that bikers reached that hot July day elevated to yet another height a few months later when, in October 2008, the Iron Horse Hotel opened its doors, catering to motorcycle mammas, daddies and babies.

Located just across the river within a straight line of site from the museum, the Iron Horse is a luxury boutique hotel designed for motorcycle enthusiasts. Furniture was once made in this 100 year old building that now exposes the oak and pine beams, brick walls and features from Milwaukee's industrial past.

Several vintage Harleys in the lobby and custom bikes in the bar are equal to the quality exhibits at the museum a few blocks away. Throw in a 100-year-old custom billiards table, Bank of London chairs and other period antiques, and a night at The Iron Horse is indeed like a night at the museum.

For the guest who arrives on a motorcycle, covered parking is available including complimentary cleaning rags to keep that chrome shining. There's also a bike washing station and an on-call mechanic if things are purring perfectly, or roaring raucously as the case may be.

Custom-designed hooks in each of the 102 guest rooms can hold up to 80 pounds of biker leather. A boot bench provides a convenient place to remove those bad boys and tuck them away, along with helmets, do-rags and the like. There's also an on-site bike rental service.

A number of special events throughout the year make Milwaukee the perfect destination for the biker culture. The local dealership, Riders Edge, for example offers beginning and advanced rider programs in warm weather months. (Yes, it gets a little chilly in Milwaukee in the winter).

Come for a baseball game at Miller Park, where the retractable roof and heating elements make it a great game destination early and late in the season. But bikers and 42 of their friends may now party in the Harley Deck, a ballpark addition in 2009. Enter through the Harley-Davidson park entrance, feast on brats, barbecue and beer in premiere spot in left field, just above the Brewers' bullpen.

Motorcycles are probably more common on the streets of Milwaukee than any other city in the United States. Rarely does a ride come with frowns from those who don't appreciate the roar. More often, bikers in Milwaukee are recipients of stares of admiration, comparison and camaraderie.

Article and Photography By Diana Lambdin Meyer