Portraits of Harley Riders

An American pilgrimage descended upon Milwaukee when over 250,000 Harley-Davidson riders from around the globe came to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the motorcycle maker. Photographer Jake Herrle and David Gerlach returned to their native city to capture this cultural mecca through a combination of photographic portraits and spoken personal narratives. Bikes bind together these stories of America and they begin a family album.

Tom Arizona
"I have a famous collector Harley ... a Ruby Ridge bike owned by Randy Weaver. Knew him from Montana. In 1992, the FBI shot his (Randy Weaver’s) wife and son in the mountains of Idaho. They (FBI) wanted to take over his place. They moved in on him. He was home schooling his kids. He was just minding his own business. It was a terrible episode. I ride for him. It is a freedom ride for Randy. The government shouldn’t have a right to do that."

Dr. Neon California
"A little bit of neon on a bike is so sweet. My stuff is popular all over the world. I have bikes in South Africa. Australia. In Bangkok I am an immortal. We handmake everything ourselves."

Rachel Illinois
"I chose to wear this outfit. They should have me up here with a whip. I’m joking. I’m cold. My legs are warm. It is just my upper body. I was hired to do promotional modeling, handing out flyers. My mom is actually the one who got me into this. I was shy at first, now I am having fun with it. I am a waitress at home. This pays more and is different than ordinary stuff I do everyday. Anything to get me away from home."

Pastor Mark Florida
"I’d been riding most of my life. Riding in a different direction before I went to prison, with different people with a different purpose. Today we ride for Jesus. Try to show people we can still have a good time and be in the wind. Live free without all the madness that can go with that lifestyle."

Bob and Wes Minnesota
"The old timers give you a hard time cause you’re so young. They think young people wouldn’t be on Harleys. Think you’d be on a crotch rocket."

© 2009 david gerlach | contact: davidgerlach at yahoo dot com