Baildon Moor will be awash with gleaming chrome later this month when hundreds of leather-clad bikers descend on the village for the biggest rally of its kind in this country.

With local Harley Davidson fanatics rubbing shoulders with enthusiasts from throughout the country, and riders from as far away as Sweden and Germany, organisers believe this year's Baildon Rally could be the biggest yet.

Although the rally takes place on a private site at Dobrudden Caravan Park, villagers will get a chance to see the American-made bikes, known as 'hogs' - some of which date back to the 1940s - in action when hundreds of the bikers take part in their annual ride-out.

Harley riders first began meeting at Dobrudden Farm in 1976 with the first proper rally staged in 1979. The venue was chosen by the Harley Davidson Riders' Club of Great Britain for its annual national rally a year later and has been growing bigger each year.

Baildon-based Don Frear, Yorkshire representative for the riders' club, said: "We're expecting a bumper turn-out and there could be up to 800 riders here.

"It started off as a small affair but has grown and grown and, with it being the national rally, it's now a really popular event and brings in people from all over the place - they come from all over this country and we're expecting a lot of French, German, Dutch and Swedes too.

"The riders always get a fantastic reception from the locals - people look forward to seeing them and there's never any trouble ."

Riders will be arriving in Baildon from Friday, August 28, but the annual ride-out takes place on Bank Holiday Monday, August 31. In previous years the ride-out has seen the bikers converge on Harewood House near Leeds, where they have appeared in the arena during an annual traction engine and steam festival.

But that event is to be held at Harrogate's Great Yorkshire Showground this year so the bikers will be heading there instead, armed with toys which will be donated to Leeds General Infirmary.

Mr Frear said: "The riders will be in the middle of the village from about 11am, it's always quite a sight and hundreds of people turn out to watch and see these magnificent bikes.''

The ride-out from the Malt Shovel in Northgate begins at 12.45pm on the Monday with the riders making their way down Browgate, Station Road and Roundwood Road, along Otley Road and up Hollins Hill, past Harry Ramsden's at Guiseley and on to Otley and Harrogate.

Councillor Grahame Thornton (Lib Dem, Baildon) said that he'd never had any complaints from residents about the rally.

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