Reaping the riding rewards

Thanks to H.O.G.^® Ride 365^®, Karen Kloes racked up more than 26,000 miles on her Harley-Davidson^® Street Glide^® in 2025—and she intends to keep going in 2026.

Karen Kloes took an unorthodox route to riding a motorcycle. After moving to Wisconsin from Southern California in 2006, she decided to learn how to ride a snowmobile so she could really enjoy the Wisconsin winters. At the same time she met a group of Harley^® owners. “Those guys introduced me to the world of Harley-Davidson and inspired me to learn. I soon realized I loved riding motorcycles more than riding a snowmobile,” says Karen. “I quickly outgrew the Honda Shadow I bought to learn on and moved up to a Heritage Classic, which led to riding longer distances and taking multi-day trips. I also became immersed in the Harley Owners Group^® and its programs, including Ride 365.”

After moving from Wisconsin to Colorado to be closer her family on the West Coast—and so she could ride more than six months of the year—Karen joined Pikes Peak H.O.G. Chapter, named after the legendary mountain peak in the Rockies.

“I was a flatlander, so the mountains here were new to me and pretty intimidating,” Karen recalls. “I learned from the best of the best in my new chapter, and it was a great way to be introduced to mountain riding. Although I’m still learning, I lead rides up the mountains, including the famous Pikes Peak, which is 14,115 feet above sea level with switchbacks, twisties, and few guardrails. It’s quite a rush when you ride up to the top, which is beautiful—so long as it’s not snowing!”

Karen became more involved with the chapter, moving up the ranks from Activities Director to Road Captain and has now taken on the role of Chapter Director for 2026. During that period, she became immersed in the Ride 365 program.

“In 2025, I covered 26,345 miles—the most I’ve ever put on my bike,” says Karen. “I now ride a 2017 Street Glide^® because I wanted the fairing, navigation system and radio for longer trips—as well as the luggage capacity, of course. I was a little nervous of moving to the Street Glide because I’m not much taller than five feet, and the bike looks intimidating. But I haven’t looked back—it’s an amazing bike, very comfortable and is equally good for going on a 19-day fully loaded cross-country trip, or an hour’s ride where I just pull on my boots and go.” Karen’s bike now has a respectable 122,000 miles on the clock, many of them accumulated from taking part in Ride 365.

“We went on a long trip to the East Coast earlier this year, where we explored some of those beautiful and historic states like Maryland and Maine, and on to the West Coast at Thanksgiving to visit my family, including my 87-year-old mother. During both trips, we were chasing the program rewards. On the East Coast trip, I accumulated 36 dealership visits, and I now have 25 of the 50 States One Nation coins. The program incentivizes you to visit some amazing places as well, such as the Acadia National Park Loop in Maine, which was gorgeous, and the challenge coins are amazing as well.”

The Pikes Peak Chapter recently completed its ride planning for 2026, setting the stage for an exciting riding season filled with opportunities to earn Ride 365 rewards. Plans are already underway for a Chapter ride to the National H.O.G. Rally in Branson, Missouri, in September, along with numerous local rides, touring rallies and regional H.O.G. rallies throughout the year.

“With these rides, plus the personal rides my husband and I are planning, we will have plenty of opportunities to get as many of the 50 Rides, One Nation coins as we can, as well as take part in the other Ride 365 challenges. There are now lots of members in our chapter taking part in the program, and some are very close to completing all 50 rides, with just Alaska or Hawaii to go.

“The people I’ve met through my chapter are my best friends, my family, and I look forward to riding with them in 2026 and continuing our Ride 365 journey.”