Harley Bash Is Hog Heaven for Bikers

Harleys revved, the crowd roared and merchant Bob Okpara stood with cotton balls stuffed in his ears as thousands of bikers rumbled along in a parade marking the motorcycle maker’s 90th anniversary Saturday.

“Maybe when it’s their 100th anniversary, they will come again, so we can get used to the noise,” Okpara said. “This is fantastic.”

He sold sunglasses to squinting spectators who turned out for Harley-Davidson’s anniversary bash. Bikers from around the world motored along Wisconsin Avenue, greeted by handshakes and high-fives from the crowd.

Among the leaders of the pack was Harley enthusiast Jay Leno, who served as emcee of a birthday ceremony Saturday night. The “Tonight Show” host wore a gray leather jacket, and his wife, Mavis, sat on the back of his gray and red bike.

Stretches of Interstate 94 were closed and lanes were blocked for several hours along a 45-mile stretch as motorcyclists rolled into downtown. There were seven motorcycle accidents during the parade, but no one was seriously injured, officials said.

America’s only major motorcycle maker was launched in Milwaukee in 1903 by three boyhood friends working out of a shed.