It's a Harley affair

When Norm Hart was a boy he would stand on St Georges Terrace to watch the navy and military veterans in the Anzac Day parade.

What he loved most, however, was seeing the policemen riding on their blue Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

“It’s something I will never forget, ” Mr Hart said.

When he found out that one of those policemen was giving driving lessons in Perth he told his father that he would be getting taught to drive by George Gamble.

“My father said ‘You know he’s hard!’ and I said ‘I don’t care, I like him’.”

The pair became close friends through their love of Harleys and in 1958 Mr Hart bought his first bike – beginning a lifelong hobby of restoring motorcycles.

At the weekend he rode his restored 1936 VFD Harley-Davidson in the 40th Indian Harley Club’s two-day vintage motorcycle rally.

“The only item on the bike that is not an original is the headlight, ” Mr Hart said.

“Well, and the sidecar is a replica, but no one would know.”

On Sunday he was awarded the Best Performer prize out of the seven members who rode in the original rally in 1975.

More than 250 enthusiasts rode in the 40th anniversary event – a far cry from the 20 who rode in the original rally. The oldest bike was Greg Boothey’s 1911, 500cc Triumph from the UK.