A Harley-Davidson Club ride in Jersey earlier this year

JERSEY is going to be Hog heaven over the weekend.

Around 150 Harley-Davidsons are due to take part in a massive Harley Owners’ Group event entitled Hogs Around the Rock.

But don’t think the Island is going to be overrun by hairy Hell’s Angels. It is going to be a very civilised event with buffets, barbecues and even a wives’ coffee morning.

It will be the biggest hog rally the Jersey chapter has ever organised. A strong contingent of local riders are going to be joined by riders from across Europe and the UK.

The programme started earlier today with a ride out to The Bar, on the Waterfront, at 6.30 pm. Tomorrow there are various rides leaving from the registration marquee at Weighbridge Square (the rally headquarters for the entire weekend) through the day to a number of Island attractions, including Durrell, Jersey War Tunnels, Jersey Pottery, a German bunker, and to Jersey Harley Davidson at Bikers.

There will also be Island routes, one taking in many scenic coast roads and the other a country road tour. At 11 am, there is Ladies of Harley coffee morning.

The big event is reserved for Sunday, when between 11.45 am and 1.45 pm the whole herd of hogs will snake around the Island in a huge parade ride-out. If the riders travel two abreast, it is expected that the cavalcade will be a mile long.

The riders are due to start from the rally arena in town, ride around the track set out for the day’s cycle race before heading west along Victoria Avenue, along St Brelade’s Beach, around the Corbière loop, along the Five Mile Road and back along the north of the Island and down the east coast back into town.

The column of bikers will be escorted around the Island by honorary police officers, who will meet them at each parish boundary and shepherd them to the next parish. The ride goes through all 12 parishes and roads will be closed as they pass through.

Between 2 pm and 3.30 pm prizes will be awarded for the best and oldest Harley, the best chapter attendance and the best rat bike. There will also be an award for the man and woman who have travelled the furthest to get to the event. The bikes will be judged at Weighbridge Square at 11 am on Sunday.

Director of the Jersey Hog chapter Mick O’Connor said: ‘This has been 12 months in the planning and we have held regular meetings. There have been lots of hurdles to overcome and we have had to get permission from the Bailiff and others for things that we had not initially thought of. We also had to get permission from each of the 12 parishes to ride through.

‘The honorary police have been absolutely fantastic, especially Mitch Couriard, who has been extremely helpful. In fact, we have had really positive responses wherever we have gone.

‘I think that because it is Harley-Davidsons, rather than just general motorcycles, people have a different vision of the event.’

Mr O’Connor is hoping they will raise a significant amount of cash for the chapter’s chosen charity for 2009, Help a Jersey Child. ‘It is going to be good fun,’ he said.