{"id":6774,"date":"2025-08-23T10:01:18","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T09:01:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hog.thecreativeplot.com\/gb\/?p=6774"},"modified":"2025-08-27T09:54:35","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T08:54:35","slug":"riding-together-how-lewis-found-freedom-friendship-and-family-in-the-harley-owners-group","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hog.thecreativeplot.com\/gb\/riding-together-how-lewis-found-freedom-friendship-and-family-in-the-harley-owners-group\/","title":{"rendered":"Riding together: how Lewis found freedom, friendship and family in the Harley Owners Group"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When David dusted off his passion for two wheels, his son Lewis jumped on the back without hesitation. What followed was a journey of music, dance, doughnuts and deep friendship, as the Harley Owners Group\u00ae<\/sup> welcomed them into a community like no other<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the quiet village of Hockwold cum Wilton, Norfolk, a father and son duo are turning heads on two wheels. David, a lifelong biker, and his youngest son Lewis – who has Down\u2019s syndrome – have become beloved members of the Harley Owners Group\u00ae<\/sup>, proving that community, freedom and fun have no boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always ridden bikes,\u201d David says. \u201cI probably started before I should\u2019ve done!\u201d Originally from Cambridgeshire, David moved to Hockwold 41 years ago when he got married. \u201cBack then, we only had a motorbike \u2013 no car \u2013 but when the kids came along, we got a car, and the bike went into the shed\u2026 and it stayed there for 20 years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t until David began restoring his old ride 12 years ago that the urge to get back in the saddle returned. \u201cI couldn\u2019t wait to fix that one – I had the bug again,\u201d he says. \u201cSo I told my wife I needed something on the road, and I fancied a Harley-Davidson\u00ae<\/sup>.\u201d Despite having once scrawled \u201cHarleys Suck\u201d on his schoolbooks, David found himself drawn to the style of motorcycles and spirit of the brand. He spotted a Sportster\u00ae<\/sup> for sale in Wales, took the train across and, after two decades off the road, rode it all the way home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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That was in 2013. Lewis, then 18, didn\u2019t hesitate to get involved. \u201cHe had no fear,\u201d David recalls. \u201cI got a dual seat and a sissy bar, and he jumped straight on.\u201d Their adventures began with local rides, pub stops and regular visits to the Harley-Davidson Newmarket dealership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLewis was a natural pillion from the start. I almost don\u2019t know he\u2019s there when we ride,\u201d David adds. \u201cHe just trusts me completely. As for the Harley shop in Newmarket, Lewis just loved the whole atmosphere of it all. The shop, the people, the bikes \u2013 he took it all in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their introduction to the H.O.G.\u00ae<\/sup> community came through the Fenlanders Chapter, who regularly gathered at the Newmarket shop. Although David didn\u2019t receive automatic H.O.G. membership when he bought his bike second-hand, he and Lewis were drawn to the camaraderie. \u201cWe cheekily asked if we could come to a rally as a taster,\u201d David reveals. \u201cThey said yes. When we got there, they\u2019d made Lewis a little welcome pack with T-shirts, badges and patches.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From that moment, they were part of the family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey welcomed us with open arms,\u201d David says. \u201cWe joined H.O.G. straight after that. It was such a brilliant rally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Lewis, the highlights of a rally are simple but joyful: \u201cThe destination and the meal at the end,\u201d he says. \u201cChips, curry, chilli, Chinese, burgers, ice-cream, doughnuts\u2026 everything!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd music,\u201d Lewis adds with a grin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s mad for karaoke,\u201d David laughs. \u201cLoves live bands, dancing. It\u2019s all part of the experience for him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As their riding horizons expanded, the Sportster wasn\u2019t quite cutting it. \u201cIt was too bumpy and Lewis wanted to be able to play music,\u201d David says. So they upgraded to a bigger Harley, better suited to rallies and road trips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since then, they\u2019ve both joined the Fenlanders on seaside rides, caf\u00e9 stops, ten-pin bowling (Lewis\u2019 idea) and indeed countless dancefloors. \u201cHe\u2019s always the first one dancing,\u201d says David. \u201cSome people have even said, \u2018He made our rally.\u2019 He\u2019s just got this energy and enthusiasm that lifts everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lewis\u2019 place in the community is unmistakable. \u201cWhen we arrive, everyone says hello to Lewis first,\u201d David smiles. \u201cAnd he goes round to say goodbye to every single person before we leave.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to being the life and soul, Lewis has also quietly challenged assumptions about what\u2019s possible. \u201cI think he\u2019s broken a few myths about what someone with Down\u2019s syndrome can do,\u201d David reflects. \u201cHe and his friends prove people wrong every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David and Lewis both proudly wear Fenlanders hoodies to events and have plenty of patches. They haven\u2019t found the right cut for Lewis yet, but they are determined they will. This year\u2019s calendar is quiet, but they\u2019re already eyeing next year\u2019s rallies \u2013 especially their local Fenlanders event, which is only 10 minutes from home. \u201cIt poured with rain last time,\u201d David laughs, \u201cbut Lewis didn\u2019t complain once.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Above all, David is proud of how the journey has brought them closer. \u201cIt\u2019s really about Lewis\u2019 enthusiasm,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd how the Harley world \u2013 the people, the rides, the music, the food \u2013 has given him, and me, so much joy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When David, dusted off his passion for two wheels, his son Lewis jumped on the back without hesitation. What followed was a journey of music, dance, doughnuts and deep friendship, as the Harley Owners Group\u00ae welcomed them into a community like no other.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":6955,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[8],"class_list":["post-6774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-community"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hog.thecreativeplot.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hog.thecreativeplot.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hog.thecreativeplot.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hog.thecreativeplot.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hog.thecreativeplot.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6774"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/hog.thecreativeplot.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6774\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6946,"href":"https:\/\/hog.thecreativeplot.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6774\/revisions\/6946"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hog.thecreativeplot.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6955"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hog.thecreativeplot.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hog.thecreativeplot.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hog.thecreativeplot.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}