It could be clear blue skies this weekend but the sound of thunder will still rumble into town and shake the earth to its core. That’s because more than 2,000 Harley-Davidson riders are expected to twist the wick of the throttle and tool into town for the 2010 H.O.G. (Harley Owners Group) Rally, taking place Thursday, July 8, through Saturday, July 10.

The central location for the event is the Holiday Inn, 441 Electronics Parkway, Liverpool where most of the bikers will be taking up residence; rides and most other happenings are open to H.O.G. members only. There are two open-to-the-public shindigs that might be of interest, however. A “Vendor Mall” with more than 30 dealers hawking motorcycle gear and parts, as well as clothing and other bike-related merchandise, Friday, July 9, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., both at the Holiday Inn. And on Saturday, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m., the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, 246 W. Willow St., will close down their entire slab of Willow Street to host a block party, with bands, grub and suds.

This is the 23rd edition of the event, and 2003 marks the last time it roared through Syracuse. “This is an annual event that takes place in a different city in New York state every year,” said the fittingly surnamed Bob Davidson, events coordinator of the 2010 H.O.G. Rally. “Last year it was in Binghamton and next year it’s in Geneva. When we were here in 2003 we had about 2,300 people show up and this year we’ve already got more than 1,000 preregistered and we’re expecting just as many, if not more, to register on-site over the weekend.” 

The H.O.G. organization was founded in 1983 as an official Harley-Davidson club that has grown to include more than 1 million members. The local Harley dealership typically sponsors its hometown chapter, so expect Performance Harley-Davidson of Syracuse to have a presence. Some of the tangible benefits that come with being a H.O.G. member are roadside protection in case the bike gets hung up and brokedown on the road, as well as inter-chapter events such as mileage contests. Davidson noted that each of the Syracuse chapter’s 250-plus members put more than 500,000 miles on his or her odometer in 2009. 

In fact, Davidson’s 2000 Fat Boy has 111,800 miles on it now, while his 2008 Fat Bob—for which he procured “Fat Me” license plates—stays in the garage more often with the mileage reading just past 12,000. But the main reason people join the group is the camaraderie.

“The No. 1 reason people join is the socialization,” observed Davidson. “You can go anywhere in the country and if you see someone with a H.O.G. patch, you know you got someone to talk to. We’ve got members ranging from policemen to outlaws and doctors to patients. The mission is to just ride and have fun.” 

While he noted that H.O.G. is not a charity organization, it does support a number of not-for-profits, especially the Muscular Dystrophy Association, as well as the Red Cross and literacy organizations.

This weekend, guided group rides are planned through the Adirondack region, as well as a trip down to Watkins Glen Raceway on Friday whereupon the first 100 bikes checked in will get to cut loose around the track. There will also be multi-dealer “Harley Hold ’Em” rides each day—can’t call them “Poker Runs” anymore because New York state officials are too square—where the riders will visit six Central New York Harley dealerships and pick up their playing card. Whoever gets back to the Holiday Inn with the best hand wins. 

The ride sure to make the loudest noise will be Saturday at 6 p.m., as the entire entourage is being encouraged to form a phalanx for a parade of Harleys to ride down South Salina Street to kick off the Dinosaur Block Party. Mayor Stephanie Miner and Deputy Mayor John Cowin are slated to be on the lead bike.

Since Performance Harley-Davidson is a sponsor of the local chapter, they will be a presence at the event. And it’ll be a busy weekend for the boys at the shop. “We’ll pretty much all be on staff during the whole event,” said Brian Sedlack, marketing coordinator at Performance Harley. “We’re excited about all the traffic we’re expecting here and throughout the city and it gives our brand-name more exposure to the community at-large. I think everybody’s just going to have fun with it, including the non-riders who’ll see all the bikes cruising around town.”