A romance fuelled by Harley-Davidson motorcycles

Luca’s first ride on a Harley-Davidson^® brought him into Maribel’s life, and now they fill every day with their shared passion

Words by Ana Ivančič

The love between Italian Luca Toparini and his Spanish guapita¹ Maribel Rodriguez, sparkles on Tenerife. It’s also the perfect spot for sharing their other love: riding Harleys and sharing that passion with other riders through their rental business. Last year, the couple spoke their vows – not once, but twice – in two eventful weddings filled with Harley-Davidson^® motorcycles.

The couple both lived and worked in London but never crossed paths. It wasn’t until 12 years ago that fate brought them together in Tenerife. “It was actually my first ride-out, because I wanted to meet new people on the island,” recalls Luca. “It was also my first ride on my first Harley^® – a beautiful 2012 Softail Slim^®. When I crossed paths with Maribel that day, we didn’t talk much, but I did notice her. From then, it was one ride after another, then a weekend away at a Harley event… we had a connection right away. I just had to learn a little bit of Spanish to work my charm and all she had to do was smile at me.”

This shared enthusiasm for life in the saddle has never waned and the couple continue to enjoy the freedom of the road together, embracing the spirit of adventure. “Maribel is my whole world, my crazy half,” smiles Luca. “She’s loud, energetic, messy and she makes me laugh. She rides a Harley and really likes riding her bike. We set a date, take our tent and off we go for a trip – anywhere. What else could you ask for?”

Maribel believes they were destined to meet each other. “Our love for riding made that encounter possible and our paths crossed at the right moment. He is the half that I’d been looking for all my life. Luca is very intelligent, calm, patient and fun. One of the things I love most is when we ride together, just the two of us. We are the perfect Harley team.”

Two Harley-Davidson weddings and three honeymoons
Luca laughs mischievously: “Well, she proposed first – and I said yes!” Their first “wedding” was a celebration with all the people they loved. Luca and Maribel hosted at their house, which was decorated with a Harley-Davidson theme, and aside from family members in attendance, most of the guests were Harley riders. The bikers even came together for an entrance show and everyone enjoyed the centrepiece: a double-chocolate H-D wedding cake.

For their second wedding, Luca and Maribel were joined by other H.O.G.^® members from Lipa Chapter, Slovenia, who flew to Tenerife for the occasion. The best man, Ivan, gave a heartfelt speech, while the bridesmaids and groomsmen wore Harley-Davidson-inspired colours. “We were truly spoilt with all the gifts they gave us – especially the voucher for a Route 66 ride,” says Luca. “We cried, we laughed, we danced, we sang and we drank all the wine. The biggest surprise came at the end, when I gave my beautiful wife a customised Harley-Davidson motorcycle for her wedding present.”

These twin celebrations were followed by an amazing honeymoon, undertaken in two parts. “Ours, of course, was an unusual honeymoon,” shares Luca. “Maribel’s Nightster^® was already in Slovenia, so I rode there with my Dyna^®, left it, flew back home, then Maribel and I flew to Ljubljana. We were met with a surprise party held by Lipa Chapter members, then rode together to the European H.O.G. Rally in Medulin, Croatia, where we partied some more. After the event, Maribel and I rode to Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany, where we visited Regina and Markus, owners of Harley-Davidson Fulda. We shared two weeks of amazing riding, seeing mountains, lakes and rivers, then left our Harleys at the Fulda dealership to fly back home.

“In August, we started the second part of our honeymoon: we flew back to Fulda, got on our bikes and rode to Cadiz. We crossed Switzerland, met our friend Susanne, then crossed to France. We rode the Pyrenees in the rain (that was fun!), then took the Silent Route as we headed down to Cadiz, before catching our ferry across to Tenerife.”

Love for Harley-Davidson
At home, Luca and Maribel run Canary Island Rides, which they set up almost 10 years ago. Since then, they have shared their love for Harley-Davidson with more than 3,000 visitors from around the world, including from as far afield as South Africa. For Luca, it has been a lifelong journey with the Harley-Davidson brand and he rides whenever he can. He has been riding since he was 16, when his father taught him, and the two of them took many road trips together – that feeling of freedom has stayed with him ever since. “I want to ride all the time – it doesn’t matter where to, but it must be in style. Harley style. I ride Harleys to commute, whenever I have free time and with my customers. Harley is a big part of my life and it was love at first sight.”

Maribel started out on smaller bikes from other manufacturers, but her dream was always to ride a Harley. Soon after meeting Luca, she upgraded to a Sportster^® 883 SuperLow and now owns a Nightster 1200 and a customised Softail^®. The couple cruise all over the Canary Islands and across to H.O.G. rallies whenever they can. “For us, a H.O.G. rally is a chance to meet new and old friends, who share the same passion,” they agree. “We also like to combine the rallies with rock concerts – preferably Vasco Rossi or AC/DC. The open road, good friends, amazing bikes, great food, a few drinks in the evening and a lot of laughter – that’s la vida loca!”

And for their third honeymoon? Luca and Maribel are planning the trip of a lifetime to the Mother Road and taking on Route 66 together.

Is riding Route 66 also on your bucket list? Check out this member’s recommendations for how to make the most of your trip.

¹Meaning “beautiful lady” in Spanish