Who rides a Honda to a Harley rally? (42 photos, video)

Sault Ste. Marie City Councillor David Celetti rode his motorcycle down to the casino last night to watch Harley Owners Group (HOG) riders marshaling for their big parade.

And the Ward 5 Councillor wasn't surprised when the Harley folk wouldn't let ride in their parade.

Celetti is shown seated proudly on his Honda Gold Wing, parked just outside the yellow tape and barricades designating the provincial HOG rally parade marshaling area.

The grounds were full with well over 1,000 bikes and others waited outside the taped-off area to join the back of the parade as it took off at about 5:30 p.m..

"Buying a Harley is like joining a family," said Guy Petitclerc, who's come all the way from the Yukon for this event.

"Take the people of Black River Falls, Wisconsin, for example," Petitclerc says.

"I borrowed that one," he tells SooToday.com, gesturing toward the engine on his anniversary-edition bike. "You can tell because it's a different colour."

When he was traveling through Black River Falls, a town of about 300 people, his bike threw a bearing and blew the engine.

Petitclerc found a Harley shop there.

"They took me in, fed me, made sure I had a place to stay and put this engine in for me," he said. "They are loaning it to me for the season and I'm not really surprised because that's the kind of people Harley riders are."

Petitclerc's old engine has been sent home to Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory, where he plans to be heading in a week or so.

After Sturgis, of course.

Many of the riders in last night's parade said they plan to attend 67th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota next week.

And many said they've just come from other rallies they visit yearly.

SooToday.com's favourite story came from Joanne Bailey who hails from the outer banks of North Carolina and rides a custom-painted fuchsia-and-purple Sportster.

Bailey works nights and has been known to take a round-about route home on her bike.

She lives about five miles from her workplace, but is known to regularly take a route home of 182 miles when she just wants to ride off the stress of a rough night.

"I like to ride by myself," she said. "It's good to hook up with people sometimes for events like this one, but about 90 percent of the time I like to go by myself."

Bailey's Sportster has lovely purple and fuchsia flames painted on the tank and matching little fuzzy bears on the windscreen by the handle grips.

She started riding dirt bikes and ATVs down on the farm when she was very young.

But always wanted to get a Harley of her own.

"Life happened and I put it aside," she said.

Then, in 2001, she decided to just go out and get a Harley Sportster.

Just because she felt it was the right time.

Shortly after that, Bailey found members of the Sudbury HOG chapter at a rally in Peterborough, Ontario.

And she's been riding with them a few times a year ever since, including yesterday's parade.

Look carefully at all the bikes Harley has to offer, Bailey advises, and talk to other riders before choosing the best-suited one and joining the HOG-riding family.

To view a video of last night's parade shot by SooToday.com's Peter Gualtieri and Tyler Simpson, please click here.