David Whitley changes his tune on bikers as he rides down from Sydney to Wollongong.

Sometimes it’s good to be proved utterly wrong. For an entire lifetime up until this point, I had firmly held the view that big noisy motorbikes are a total scourge on society, ridden entirely by possessors of alarming personality deficiencies. Harley Davidsons, I would thunder, serve no purpose but to annoy people they drive past. 

It’s amazing how quickly something can change once you put a leather jacket on…

Steve, the impressively-moustached biker that has just pulled into Helensburgh station says that the jackets are a safety requirement, along with the helmet. It’s hard not to think that it’s a cunning marketing ruse, though. Within seconds of it adorning the shoulders, the chest puffs out, a walk turns into a swagger and Harleys suddenly seem like the coolest thing in the world.

Once you can get past the big white thing drooping over and curling round his mouth, it’s possible to see that Steve has an almost permanent grin on his face. A former aircraft engineer, he has discovered his true calling. “I get to go out for a ride,” he explains. “And people hand me some money.”

His bike is splendidly over-the-top, emblazoned with a flame motif that would work a treat on a metal band’s guitars. It also drags along a trailer, which is designed to look like a giant can of Jim Beam and contains enough leather to kit out the entire clientele of a large fetish club.

Steve admits that it’s all marketing gimmick, but then that’s the Harley Davidson all over. “What a PR machine they’ve got,” says the ‘tache. “I prefer the BMW myself – far better handling – but no-one’s going to pay for a ride on that.

“Hop on mate, let’s go see some beaches.”

He’s biked round the US, the UK and Australia, but now Steve concentrates on the Grand Pacific Drive, a fabulous stretch of tarmac that links the Royal National Park to Wollongong. It’s not an ironic name, either, as the ocean has carved out a pretty spectacular series of bays and beaches over time. Everyone seems to have a different idea of exactly how many there are. It starts as being definitely 13, but has worked its way up to over 20 by the time we hit Wollongong and ask Steve’s numerous friends, all of whom appear to be walking dogs along various clifftops.

While it’s seaside to the left, on the other side of the road is the Illawarra Escarpment. It ramps up rapidly, with thick greenery clinging onto the jutting slope.

And then there’s the Sea Cliff Bridge. Opened two years ago and replacing a rather precarious run that was prone to rock falls, the Bridge wobbles around the cliffs on stilts. It’s almost as though it’s dipping its toes in the sea, and with the sun out, it comes across as a majestic engineering achievement.

It’s not all about the scenery though, and Steve is keen to pass on his knowledge of the area. As we chug noisily to Stanwell Park, he pulls over at Bald Hill. This is now prime hang-gliding territory, and wannabe birds run off over the look-out in order to float down to the beach below.

It’s a fitting site, as this was where aviation pioneer (and local lad) Lawrence Hargrave made a giant leap for mankind in 1894. Using a series of box kites, he managed to lift off the ground in a rudimentary controlled ‘flight’. His theories and designs were later adapted by the Wright Brothers, as well as the latter-day manufacturers of hang-gliders. “He also invented the rotary engine,” says Steve, a man whom it’s probably best to defer to on such topics.

As we power along to Wollongong, the lure of the bike begins to come clear. In a car – even a convertible – it’s impossible for the whole body to get that air rushing against it or the irrevocable sense of freedom. The noise is still thoroughly unnecessary, but it all adds to that Alpha Male, take anything the world throws at you package.

Pulling into the ‘Gong, Steve turns from historian to wildlife enthusiast. He points out the pelicans perched on top of the lamp-post. “They’re always there – every time,” he says, as one of them delivers a special greeting to the world below. It narrowly misses us, and Steve roars with laughter. “That’s what the helmets are for, mate!”

The only fitting way to end such an ultra-manly outing is to hit the brewery, and Steve ushers his comical contraption into a private parking spot outside Five Islands. It’s Wollongong’s premier micro-brewery, and has got so successful that they’ve recently had to move the brewing operation out to another building.

Soon after we swagger in, eleven different beers (admittedly sample-sized) are lined up on the bar for tasting. They go back within seconds – it’s thirsty work, this biker business.

More photos here

Disclosure: David was a guest of Just Cruisin’ (Justcruisintours.com.au) and Tourism New South Wales (Visitnsw.com).