Easy Riders getting harder to spot says Nutting

Published on 04 April 2021

A lot has changed in the Harley-Davidson universe since Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda took their infamous Easy Rider road trip across the American southwest in 1969.

Not the least being the profile of a Harley owner these days according to Harley-Davidson Townsville Master Technician Dan Nutting.

“There’s no such thing as a typical Harley owner these days,” Nutting said ahead of Sunday’s Thunder Run.

“The stereotype has definitely gone; they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes these days, a bit like the bikes.

“We’re talking doctors, lawyers, a lot of policemen and policewomen, teachers, blue collar workers - people from just about every profession.

“Then you have university students and the young guys coming through who are into computers who want to jump on the LiveWire electric bikes because they are new technology and that appeals to them.

“A lot of people that you’d never think would jump on a Harley end up owning one,” he said.

Nutting said another revolution is a drift away from black.

“Black is still the colour of choice for a lot of owners, but buyers can customise to practically any colour these days.

“They can have camouflage greens, sand colours and really shiny stuff.

“And matt colours are increasing in popularity too – matt blacks, matt whites, matt greens - in fact, the sky’s the limit,” he said.

Nutting said enquiries at his pop up display in the Bike Precinct had been brisk over the weekend.

“It’s unique that everything is in the city and in the open for people to take their time looking.

“It’s been great for us to have so much passing traffic, that’s for sure,” he said.

Photo: Dan Nutting and Melanie Hanlon | Harley-Davidson