What has become the largest motorcycle group ride, in spirit at least, rode past its goal as Harley Owners Group Members laid down the miles on Monday.

On Monday, June 30, 2008, Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) members around the world shattered the goal set for the club’s inaugural Million Mile Monday, logging more than three million total riding miles in a 24-hour period.

“It blows me away. What started out as a simple, fun idea turned into something very special. Our members really gave it legs--make that miles. What a blessing to be enjoying this beautiful country on American iron right before the 4th of July. Now that's freedom. Can't wait till next year!” said Benny Suggs, Senior Director of H.O.G. Operations.

To put the accumulated mileage into perspective, the 3,000,960 miles ridden by the more than 18,000 H.O.G. members who participated on June 30 equates to the equivalent of about 120 trips around the equator. Here are some other fun facts about the mileage record set during Million Mile Monday:

• Riding 3,000,960 miles on an average motorcycle vs. driving a standard passenger car saves nearly 74,673 gallons of gas (or 3,829 barrels of crude oil)
   
• Even at a fraction under seven seconds for a quarter-mile, it would take three-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Champion Andrew Hines 23,341 hours to ride 3,000,960 miles on his Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson drag bike, one-quarter mile at a time. That’s 12,003,840 trips (from a standing stop each time) down the strip!
   
• A three-toed sloth, the world’s slowest land mammal (topping out at about 0.1 mph on the ground), would travel 3,000,960 miles in a shade under 3,435 years!
   
• The world’s fastest jet-powered airplane, the Lockheed SR-71, could fly 1,000,000 miles in 1,433 hours at its top speed of Mach 3.2 (2,094 mph).

Million Mile Monday is an annual event on the last Monday of June and is open to all H.O.G. members-- riders or passengers. The feat was recorded by logging into the club’s exclusive members-only website, where participants registered their miles ridden on that day.

Founded in 1983, the Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) is the official riding club of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. H.O.G. currently has more than one million members and over 1,400 chapters worldwide, making it the largest factory-sponsored motorcycle organization in the world. H.O.G. rallies are held around the globe to celebrate Harley-Davidson motorcycle riding.