Harley-Davidson hosted the return of their Love Ride event, a ride from Glendale up to Castaic Lake for a festival of food, music, and the love of motorcycles.
The Love Ride began all the way back in 1984 as a means of fundraising for money for muscular dystrophy foundations, and this year was the first since 2019, as the event was put on hold since COVID.
Oliver Shokouh, the owner of Harley Davidson Glendale, said he came up with the name after the first event in 1984, when he complained about having blisters on his feet. “I figured if I’m gonna do this again, this is gonna be a labor of love. and then somebody says, “Well, you should just call it the Love Ride.”
One of the members of the board of directors and honorary grand marshal is actor Robert Patrick. Most known for his role in Terminator 2, he is a co-owner of SCV’s Harley-Davidson, as he fell in love with motorcycles and wanted to help fundraise for wounded warriors.
“I come from a family of warriors. My grandfather was a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, World War I, World War II, Korea,” said Patrick.
Most importantly, the event is about community. The music, motorcycles, and special guests like Gene Simmons and Jay Leno bring together bikers from all over the state to enjoy one another’s company.
I think it’s the camaraderie. I mean, how many times do you see 7,000 people get together and not one fight, not one argument? Everybody’s doing their thing and enjoying it. I mean, how many times?,” said Roy Simison, Harlydadison enhutist.
“If you ride motorcycles, you’re looking for a place to go. We’re giving you a place to go. Beautiful Lake Castaic. It’s gorgeous. The weather’s beautiful. We’re out here on our Harley-Davidsons. We’re having the best ride. We had a 55-mile ride. It was fantastic to get here. And then the culmination, of course, is with the band,” said Patrick.
