NOTE: The Road Glide.org National Rally Flag was formally retired from service on July 13th, 2020 at the opening ceremony off the 10th Annual Road Glide National Rally. The flag was then part of the auction that took place on Wednesday, July 15, 2020. Member Ron Cushing won the flag and gifted it to Chris Hutter (Hutmo).
The RoadGlide.org Flag was dedicated in July of 2011 at the first Road Glide NationalRally in Gettysburg, PA. The funding was provided by the sale of T-shirts, designed and produced by forum member Neil Olivier (Gas Captial Customs & Mean Mug designer). The flag was designed through a joint effort of the forum members.
The flag features the Latin phrase Pulchritudo in oculo conspicientis est which translates to "Beauty is in the eye of (the one) beholding". This phrase was used because many in the cycling community thought that the Harley Davidson Road Glide was not a visually appealing motorcycle.
The Road Glide Flag was established to build camaraderie between the members of our forum.
Responsibilities of the Flag Carrier:
1. Make note in the logbook who you received it from, where and when.
2. Trace your route with a highlighter on the map. You can add arrows for the direction of travel and note the date.
3. Inform the membership on the flag thread by posting the flag hand-off information online in the flag thread
4. Most of all... ride safe, keep the flag safe and make a new friend by keeping the flag on the road by passing it to another member.
Members who carry the flag also carry a journal and a map. The journal to share their experience with others and the map to help keep track of all of the places that the flag has traveled. The carrier of the flag was also responsible for sharing the secret of the flag with the new carrier. The secret was the location of Cleo the Bull Terrier. A small image of her head was used as the bolt on the air cleaner assembly. In ten years only one person located Cleo's location on the flag without any assistance.
Cleo, the secret of the flag. Take a close look at the center bolt on the air cleaner.
Over the past 10 years, the Road Glide Forum Flag has traveled throughout the United States and Canada making the flag initiative an international effort. Over the years it has become almost completely covered with member signatures. The first forum member to officially carry the flag after its dedication was longtime forum member Ron Cushing. The honor was bestowed upon Ron because he had just finished a cross country 48 state tour on his way to Gettysburg in 2011. By far, he had traveled the furthest distance to the first Road Glide National Rally. The first hand off of the flag was from Ron to Neil Olivier. The goal of the flag was and continues to be for our members to meet up with other members. If you read through the log book and through the online "Where is the Roadglide.org flag" thread you will see this initiative was and continues to be a success.
Each year the flag has made its way back to where it started, at the Road Glide National Rally. Members of the forum get a closeup view of the flag, the logbook and the map to see where the flag has been and to reminisce about their travels with the flag. You can also track the travels of the flag by using the link below.
Forum Discussion: WHERE IS THE ROADGLIDE.ORG FLAG?
RETIREMENT UPDATE: The current flag will be officially retired at Sharkweek X during the banquet and then a new flag will also be dedicated. After its retirement, tickets will be sold to see who will give the flag a permanent home.
2011
2013
2019
The Road Glide Flag 2019 (FULL SIZE FILE)
Flag announcement from the 2011 Road Glide.org Sharkweek Newsletter
This past winter the membership worked together to create a forum flag. Over a month or so members contributed ideas while the creative members worked on making the ideas come to light. Once several versions where completed, the membership voted for the flag displayed above. The Latin phrase beneath the bike reads “Beauty is in the eye of (the one) beholding”... a very appropriate phrase for our bikes.
The forum flag will have no permanent home for it will always be with a member of the forum. The current holder of the flag will take it on their road trip and make arrangements to meet up with another member to pass the flag on. That member will then become the holder of the flag and will take it wherever they are going to meet another member. The process repeats. The flag will travel with a travel log and a road map of North America and a few fabric magic markers. The markers are for each holder of the flag to sign their name on the flag. We ask that you keep the signatures to a reasonable size for as time goes by the flag will fill up quicker than you could imagine.
If you are carrying the flag you will need to do four things:
1. Make note in the logbook who you received it from, where and when.
2. Trace your route with a highlighter on the map. You can add arrows for direction of travel and note the date.
3. Inform the membership on the flag thread by posting the flag hand-off information online in the flag thread
4. Most of all... ride safe, keep the flag safe and make a new friend by keeping the flag on the road by passing it onto to another member.
REMEMBER... The main goal of the flag program is to encourage members to meet other members of our forum. The Road King Riders flag has done just that. While speaking of them, we need to credit the members of the online forum “Road King Riders” for the flag idea. Their flag has been on the road since May of 2006. Their forum has a thread in their ride section that is devoted to the flag. Forum members continually update others regarding its status and share stories about its travel. Hopefully our membership will embrace the concept in the same manner. There is talk that the current flag which is almost totally filled with signatures will be retired to a very famous motorcycle museum to be put on display. Our forum unlike many other cycle forums is family friendly for the most part, about our bikes and the membership is very welcoming and non territorial. The flag program will help extend this into our personal relationships that we develop because of the forum itself.