JEDDAH, 22 September 2004 — In what could have been a 21st-century remake of legendary motorcycle movie, “The Wild One,” Hollister’s Motorcycles have finally arrived in the Kingdom. With motorcycles priced between SR250,000 and SR500,000, drivers won’t be seeing too many on the road, but when they do, they will definitely look.

Motorcycles have been a staple in the Kingdom since the 1960s when Harley Davidson made its first appearance in Saudi Arabia as part of the Royal Guard’s motorcade. However, during the late 1980s and early 1990s, motorcycles in general had still not taken off. As the 1990s rolled by and Saudi Arabia entered the 21st century, motorcycling gradually gained momentum.

During the 1990s, Japanese manufactured bikes began to be sold at the Kingdom’s showrooms. These motorcycles were mostly sports bikes built for speed and power. Appealing to mostly younger riders, those looking for a more prestigious ride, felt left-out.

In 1998, Harley Davidson returned to the Kingdom, and began opening showrooms in major cities. Catering for motorcycling aficionados, this higher priced, custom cruiser manufacturer did far better than it did in the 1960s, exceeding everyone’s expectations.

“Harleys are in a class by themselves, they will never grow out of style. They are classics and represent the very finest in traditional motorcycles. But some people want something different, something wilder. That’s where Hollister’s come in. That’s what was needed here,” said Mohammed Alireza, president of Car Tech Center, Hollister’s Motorcycles’ Middle East distributor.

“We wanted something different. Not just different, but dynamic. We wanted to attract the attention of people,” said Sultan Alireza, vice-chairman of Car Tech Center. “The truth is we wanted to get a showpiece for the Car Tech Center. When we went to Germany and actually saw the bikes made by Volker Sichler at Hollister’s, we liked them so much we wanted them ourselves. We realized that like us, there were others that would appreciate these pieces of art. We felt that the market definitely existed.”

In the early 1970s, Volker Sichler was part of the anti-establishment movement as depicted in the cult movie “Easy Rider”. He was inspired to support this movement, as did Peter Fonda with his representation of a rocker’s way of life on his Harley-Chopper. In the movie, the rebels’ bikes were called “Choppers” due to their visual and technical differences. Custom bikes as they were later known were favored by re-entrants into the motorcycle world. Even today the chrome-covered bikes represent a form of freedom, expression and character for all those that enjoy extravagance, aesthetics and quality.

In his showroom in Horgen, Sichler fulfills his passion for creating what many believe to be masterpieces. Except for the engine and transmission, everything else is custom made, including the steering, wheels, exhausts, rims and brakes.

“The showroom will open within the next two weeks. We have already sold two bikes and negotiations are currently under way to sell the others. The usual turnaround period from the time of order to the time of delivery is three months,” Sultan Alireza added.