The concept of biker gangs and motorcycle communities has existed since the 1950s, but in the recent times, these gangs and communities are taking stronger virtual turn. Thanks to the world of apps as bikers have limitless possibilities to connect. The most cult bike brand Harley has launched a smartphone application for iOS and Android users with the objective to engage its customers and create a platform for them to plan rides, share their experiences, receive latest information about their motorcycle, etc.
Harley Davidson's culture is defined by the H.O.G. (Harley Owners' Group) chapters. The group in its physical form consists of first officers, the patches on leather or denim vests, and the tattoos. Harley Owners' Groups are all across the US, Latin America, Canada, and are just evolving in India. And this is where the Harley India's smartphone app comes into play which was recently launched by Harley Davidson India.
What does the app do?
All you need is the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of your Harley. The app will not only allow you to connect with fellow Harley owners and the local or regional H.O.G. chapters, but will also give you access to ongoing or planned trips by individuals or groups of Harley. Apart from this core trip planning and sharing experience, the app will give you contacts and addresses of road side assistance like Harley Dealers, petrol pumps, and cafes. To round it up, the app will give you regular updates on new products from the company. It will also send you servicing and insurance alerts coupled with the option to store personal driver information bike registration and driver's license number etc. in your account.
But the essence of the app is extending the camaraderie and the feeling of closed knit groups that exists among Harley owners worldwide especially with the H.O.G. chapters. You feel like taking a ride on the weekend in the nearby hills or to the nearest forest or green getaway, you check for planned trips for fellow owners in your area or you put an update of your own plans and get responses on who else among the H.O.G. community can join you. And of course, you can share pictures of the trip with friends and family to lure more and more people to join you or even consider going for a Harley.
Taking a cue from Harley apps in developed markets
One of the most famous Harley apps in the US is the Ride Planner which not only gives you the route for an entire round trip but will show you where you are on the map at any point of time during your ride. This has a great advantage over Google Maps that Ride Planner provides you the list of already taken routes by other riders in the past which they have shared with other users.
This feature, which is a big hit among H.O.G. communities in the west, is there in the Harley app also thereby allowing users to join riders midway if they are in their vicinity or take the same route that others have taken in the past. So you have route and place reviews from other people which act as a travel review package for motorcycle vacationers, a fast growing community in India. However, the one missing feature from the Ride Planner app was an audio navigation facility in which a voice speaks directions to you and you don't need to look at the mobile phone screen while driving. This is there in other map-based navigation apps but not in Ride Planner or in the Harley app in India.
Motorcycle apps go way beyond Harley
While the Harley smartphone app in India is one of the earliest apps in the motorcycle or bike segment, there are some famous apps which are used by bike owners across numerous brands. An app named Co-Pilot GPS has been one of the most famous navigation based apps for bikers which allows for offline use. Users have been able to look at routes and places on maps which they download on their devices on some previous occasion when data (what we call 3G connectivity in India) was there. Thus, users have loved the feature of saving choices for trips or places which they look for at a later date and time. These advanced features of watching routes without data connectivity along with info on traffic conditions are not available in the Harley app in India.
Similarly, one category of apps which is yet to take off in India among bikers is real time weather information. There are apps like the acclaimed WeatherBug app which has access to the largest network of weather stations on the planet. It provides you real time forecasts and information about the weather in any selected area like incoming rain, storm cloudy or warm weather etc. But in India, since weather forecasting is yet not that accurate as in developed countries, such apps have limited use for you since you never know when the heavens open up.
In essence, biking communities are growing in India and the culture of adventure and exploring beyond the usual getaways is rising fast. At such a time, the smartphone app from Harley brings right opportunities for the Indian bike lovers.