A love for all things Harley has changed a H.O.G. member’s life

Ivan Stojšić is passionate about Harley-Davidson and H.O.G. and loves to get out on the road with his soulmate, Tamara, to discover new places, local cuisine and great music

Words by Ana Ivančič

Ivan Stojšić is at the heart of every gathering, every ride and every chapter meeting. The 42-year-old Slovenian wears his heart on a sleeve and whenever he’s around, there’s always mouth-watering food, good wine, great music and lots of laughter.

Ivan’s Harley-Davidson story began 10 years ago when he was living on the Canary Islands and bought a Sportster^® XL 883R. Not long after, another event changed his life – he met his soulmate Tamara, also Slovenian, who was living in Tenerife. The Sportster was soon replaced by a 2018 Road Glide^® Special, which has taken them all over Europe, including the European H.O.G.^® Rally in Cascais, Portugal, seven years ago, and Senigallia, Italy, in 2024, and has more than 150,000km on the odometer.

Ivan and Tamara often rent Harleys on their travels, including Mauritius, South Africa and the US when they rode Route 66. They also rent Harleys on Tenerife at least twice a year from Canary Island Rides, which is run by their best friends Luca and Maribel.

Two years ago, Tamara accepted the challenge to see if she could ride her own bike. After getting her license, they bought a 2022 Sportster XL 1200. Ivan, who competed in European and world go-kart championships, openly admits: “Tamara doesn’t have that riding skill in her DNA, as I like to put it, so I still have to teach her, but she’s willing to learn. She loves to ride her Sporty, but she also likes to ride pillion with me because she’s able to see more of the surroundings as a passenger.” And, boy, do they get to see a lot and have fun on their rides!

“The H-D spirit on all those rides has to be entwined with local gastronomy, new cultures, crazy night life, old historical towns, a good concert if possible – that keeps us on a higher level of energy, so I’m never tired after a ride. I enjoy this kind of freedom. My Harley is definitely my psychiatrist,” smiles Ivan.

A wonderful community
The couple are very active H.O.G. members in the Lipa Chapter Slovenija, where Ivan was an activity officer. They like to get together with other H.O.G members worldwide, as Ivan explains: “Through H.O.G., I’ve met a lot of people around the globe. Wherever I went and whoever I met, there was always Harley present somehow. I will keep those people close to my heart forever.” 

Ivan and Tamara cherish the H.O.G. community and the way people come together for each other. This was proven last year when Ivan had an accident on his bike at the 2025 European H.O.G. Rally in Medulin, Croatia. He admits it was his fault – a split second of not paying attention left him devastated, bruised and with a few broken bones in both wrists. While they stayed until the end of the rally, the couple were convinced that was the end of their riding season, so they headed to the AC/DC Pwr/Up concert in Madrid. Unbeknown to them, while they were rocking on, their good friends from the Lipa Chapter, Matija and Andrej, had collected Ivan’s crashed bike and took it to be repaired. It was waiting for the couple on their return home. “This is the true meaning of the H.O.G. brotherhood ,and I can’t express how grateful I am for that,” recalls Ivan, who was gifted a H.O.G. Lifetime Membership for his 40^th birthday from his riding buddies.

Living the rock’n’roll lifestyle
Besides riding to H.O.G. events, Ivan and Tamara are active on the rockabilly scene and love to dance the night away. Ivan says he was born in a wrong decade. “The ’50s and ’60s are imprinted on my soul. Back then cars had the right sound and fabulous lines, motorcycles were the epitome of freedom and clothes were energetic. Tamara and I deeply feel the music of that era, it gives us a real kick.”

Ivan and Tamara each have a 12-year-old daughter, who get on really well and share their mum and dad’s music tastes, as well as being true foodies. Ivan’s daughter Noelle is especially keen on riding, so on her 12th birthday – the minimum age for motorcycle passengers in Slovenia – he waited in front of her school with a bouquet of roses and took her for a spin. The harmony in their family is completed by the grateful doggie they rescued from a rubbish bin. One of these days, she’s going to get a special basket so she can ride with Ivan on his beloved bike.

Plans for the 2026 riding season are already made – first up is Daytona Beach Bike Week in the US, the European Spring Rally in Senigallia, Harley Week Zagreb in Croatia and the European H.O.G. Rally in Cascais, wrapped up by European Bike Week in Faak am See. There will also be lots of rockabilly events, where Harleys are always welcome. All that spiced up with Ivan’s infamous shouts, “Let’s ride! The best plan is to have absolutely no plan at all!” and his inevitable “Salute!”

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