MALAYSIA TO MILWAUKEE… AND BACK AGAIN

A trip from Kuala Lumpur to visit the Harley-Davidson Museum^™ in Milwaukee was a life-changing moment for Norcilla Omar

It was a trip to the US in 2010 that inspired Norcilla ‘Cilla’ Omar from Kuala Lumpur to become a Harley-Davidson® rider – and it changed her life in ways she could not have anticipated.

“In 2010, my husband and I joined a Harley-Davidson tour in the US, visiting Chicago, Milwaukee and the Harley-Davidson Museum™,” recalls Cilla. “At that time, I was a passenger on my husband’s bike, with no real intention to learn to ride or to own a Harley-Davidson. Little did I know, that trip would change things completely and I would become more and more involved in the Harley Owners Group™ and Ladies of Harley™, culminating in becoming Ladies of Harley Officer and organising the first Malaysia Ladies of Harley Ride.”

The catalyst that inspired Cilla to become a Harley® rider was the presence of two lady riders in the group, each riding their own bike. “I was a pillion, and I saw those two independent ladies riding their motorcycles, and I just thought, that is so cool”, says Cilla. “I looked at them and thought, they are smaller ladies like me, and if they can do it, so can I. At that point, I knew I wanted to become a rider too.”

On returning to Malaysia, Cilla immediately began to explore the process of learning to ride and obtaining a motorcycle licence. With encouragement from her husband and three children, Cilla joined a riding school and the process was underway.

“At the time, I didn’t know the first thing about riding anything except a bicycle,” says Cilla. “But I was absolutely passionate about learning to ride after seeing those two ladies in the US and seeing how cool they were on their bikes. I wouldn’t say it is an easy task learning to ride a big bike with no previous experience, but once your mind is set that you want to do it, it becomes easier. I held on to that thought while I was learning, and within a month I’d obtained my motorcycle licence and bought my ideal bike, a Sportster® Forty-Eight®!”

That moment opened a world of possibilities for Cilla. With encouragement from her husband and family, the rides became longer and more ambitious, and the Sportster was eventually swapped out for a Dyna® because of its greater range. After covering most of Malaysia, the rides moved abroad – first to Thailand and then to Cambodia with a group of fellow Malaysian H-D® riders.

So began a series of ever-more ambitious trips. The bikes were shipped to Sabah and Sarawak to ride in the Kalimantan area, and then came an invitation from a friend in the US to return, this time with Cilla riding instead of pillion.

“At first, I was worried about such a trip, but then I realised if I didn’t take the opportunity and stretch myself, I would regret it, so we flew to New York, bought a Dyna, and set off for the west coast.” First on the agenda was a visit to Niagara Falls, then on to Chicago and Milwaukee to visit the factory and the Museum again. Then it was off to Sturgis for six days before heading to Yellowstone Park, then to Montana and on to the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas before arriving in Los Angeles three weeks later.

“It was an incredible trip, and I was so proud I was doing it as a rider rather than as a pillion,” says Cilla. “I enjoyed every single moment, and I’m so proud that I went from not knowing how to ride a bike at all to riding a Harley-Davidson all the way from New York to Los Angeles!”

Two more overseas riding trips followed, first to Sri Lanka in 2016, then to New Zealand, covering both islands from Auckland to Christchurch.

Soon afterwards, Harley-Davidson began to expand in Malaysia, and the Petaling Jaya H.O.G.™ Chapter was formed. Cilla was thrown into the whirlwind of organising chapter rides and charity events, culminating in being appointed LOH™ officer.

“For the 10th Anniversary of Ladies of Harley in Malaysia, myself and three other ladies from the Petaling Jaya Chapter committee decided to celebrate the milestone with a special event, the Ladies of Harley Malaya Ride 2022,” says Cilla. “The ride started and finished at Harley Davidson Petaling Jaya, and we stopped at multiple destinations over five days and covered more than 1,800km.”

The ride culminated with a grand dinner featuring lucky draws, prize-giving and participation certificates at Alor Setar, Kedah, with prizes and cash vouchers donated by all four Malaysia Harley-Davidson dealers: Petaling Jaya, Route 77 Kuala Lumpur, Johor Baharu and Penang.

Cilla is still involved with the chapter and spends much of her time riding her Dyna with her husband and two sons, who are now also riders. Meanwhile, the next overseas riding trip is already being planned – to Europe and then possibly to Japan.

“My message for other women thinking about learning to ride is: just do it, and don’t be afraid,” says Cilla, “After all, if I can do it, anyone can! There are now so many more female riders driven by their passion for Harley-Davidson, and I really would encourage all the ladies who are thinking about it to take that step and learn to ride. It opens so many possibilities and is just the absolute best thing you can do. My passion now is riding my Harley-Davidson and I absolutely love to ride!”

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