Andy Mitchell with JEP reporter Jo Hutchison. Picture by Richard Wainwright (00699644)

I DIDN’T get the nick-name ‘speed demon’ for nothing. I like to drive my car fast, ski out of control fast and will even abseil down a cliff quickly.

So it was without much hesitation that I said ‘YES!’ to riding on the back of a Harley-Davidson to launch the Rubis Jersey Town Criterium on Sunday.

I was going to be involved in Jersey’s inaugural Hog (Harley Owners Group) rally. Had I been asked to drive the bike I would have said yes, if only to see how fast I could go, but that would have probably been quite a dangerous prospect.

My only experience of driving a bike was taking my brother’s Beewee to the local corner shop when I was 17 and I almost crashed it into a wall.

So riding on the back of one was probably the safest option for all Islanders watching the town ride, ahead of the cycle race.

I arrived early and was asked the first crucial question: ‘Where are your leathers?’ Ah. I momentarily thought I was going to be discarded from the pack until organiser Mick O’Connor said: ‘We’ll find you some.’

All kitted out in oversized leather jacket and helmet I was feeling like some sort of Harley-Davidson misfit – the geek that didn’t quite fit in with the gang. Never mind, I was here for the ride and they seemed a friendly bunch that didn’t mind me tagging along.

Next the line-up and the distinctive roar of more than 150 Harley-Davidsons switching on their engines at the Weighbridge gave me a shiver of excitement.

The bike felt incredibly sturdy and safe but you could feel the vibrations from the engine coming up through the seat and foot pedals.

The helmet muffled the blaring noise of sirens as some of the bikers teased the crowds.
The convoy of Harley-Davidsons looked very impressive and it was hard not to smile and wave like royalty at the crowds who stopped in their tracks to view the spectacle.
Stunning

Travelling around Jersey by motor-bike was definitely the best way to see the Island. It looked stunning – the countryside was green and lush and the beaches looked terrific.

You feel so enclosed driving in a car – without a window to obscure your view you see so much more. I can definitely now see the appeal of seeing the world by motor-bike.

Every so often I would look backwards at the trail of bikes behind me and think . . . that’s pretty cool.

My riding style, on the other hand, wasn’t quite so cool and I regularly head-butted my driver whenever we braked during the two-hour journey. Clonk. Clonk.

‘Sit further back in your seat and don’t swing your head around so much,’ said my driver, Andy Mitchell.

Obviously the riders maintained a comfortable and legal speed but Andy told me that the bikes normally cruise at 60 mph and can go up to 100 mph. Maybe next time I’ll get to go a bit faster.
Jo Hutchison

• Picture gallery of the Hogs Around the Rock ride-out: Click here