Reborn to be wild

Melbourne retail manager Victor Iluk always wanted a motorcycle, so two years ago he bought a 230cc trail bike. But a lifelong love of Harley Davidsons - and a ribbing from his mates - convinced him to buy one of the famous bikes.

"We go to the Highway 31 cafe and diner in Brunswick on a Thursday night and most of my mates would all turn up riding Harleys," he says. "They used to give me grief saying I was riding a chook chaser."

Iluk, 40, is one of thousands of mature Australians who are acting on a youthful fascination with motorbikes.

Paul Lewis, the general manager of Sydney dealer Fraser Motorcycles, says it's a trend apparent in Britain, where he was a sales and marketing manager for nine years.

He says the average age of a Fraser Motorcycles customer is 43.

"People are deciding to hang on to their inheritance and buying bikes like Harleys and Ducatis," says Lewis, a seven-times Australian motorcycle champion. "And it's not your stereotypical biker - they are doctors and lawyers.

"Generally they are people who are adventurous but reluctant to splash out on a Ferrari, so they are rewarding themselves for all the years they've worked by buying themselves a Harley."

Greg Currie, the principal of Geelong Harley, says his company's consistent double-digit growth is being driven by the "returning rider" - mostly men aged over 40 who are returning to riding a motorcycle after a long break.

"Now that the kids have gotten older and in many cases left home, they are looking for a form of recreational pleasure," Currie says.

David Readie, the proprietor of Brunswick dealer Harley City, which has experienced annual growth of "about 15 per cent in recent years", agrees that returning riders are driving growth. He estimates they account for about 40 per cent of his customers. But he also says the growth is due to the brand's reputation for quality. "A Harley bought five or six years ago for $28,000 would still be worth about $24,000 if they wanted to sell it."

For a starting price of $12,500, you can buy a Harley Davidson's 883cc Sportster.

One of the most popular Harleys is the Softail, a 1450cc, $24,000 bike which Readie says suits people who want to go cruising at the weekend.

Those who want to ride around Australia would buy the Ultra Classic, which has luxury seating, extra luggage capacity, weather protection, rider-to-passenger intercom and a CD player. It costs $33,000 and has a 1450cc engine. Top of the range is the custom vehicle operation line (cvo), which carries a price tag of between $52,000 and $57,000.