EDGEWATER -- Rolling down the road, the riders resemble the rest of their brethren in town for Bike Week.Dressed in black leather, a rumbling Harley-Davidson motorcycle between their legs, souvenir pins adorning vests and jackets.
But once the pipes fall silent, it soon becomes obvious there is a distinctly continental flare to this group.
Ciao, bikers.
These men and women are from the Chianti (as in Italy) Chapter of the Harley Owners Group.
"You can't find something like this in Europe," said Walter Lenzi, organizer of the tour. "It is the dream of every Harley-Davidson lover and owner to ride the U.S. roads with their own motorcycle."
That is why the resident of Florence, Italy, decided to put the word out he was looking for riders to ship their bikes to America and make the pilgrimage to sunny Florida for 10 days of riding and rowdy behavior.
For about 600 Euros, a little more than $700 each, -- less than it would cost to rent a motorcycle for the 10 days -- Lenzi said 18 fellow enthusiasts packed their bikes in a container and shipped them by sea.
This was Dario Cogo's second visit to Bike Week but the first with his motorcycle.
"It is a different feeling with the bikes," he said in heavily accented English.
To Cogo, a captain in the Italian Army, Harley-Davidson means a way of life rather than just another motorcycle. And that distinction is the same whether you ride in Italy or in Daytona Beach, he said.
Edgewater resident Carmelo Assenza would agree.
"A hog is a hog is a hog," the director of the Daytona Beach Harley Owners Group said.
That is why when Lenzi sent an e-mail telling Assenza they would be coming, the local members stepped up to provide logistical support for their Italian counterparts.
"We helped with whatever they needed," he said.
That attitude caught Francesco Cempini somewhat by surprise.
The 30-year-old bank employee said he was taken back by the openness and understanding of the bikers he has met during Bike Week.
"If you have a problem, they want to help," he said through a translator. "I got lost (walking in Daytona), and people helped me back to Main Street."
While they have been spending much of their time riding around the area, including a trip to the Kennedy Space Center, members also have had the chance to sample some of Bike Week's other attractions, such as inspecting motorcycles, girls and baby back ribs.
"The meat is better in Italy, but I am taking home some barbecue sauce," Max Francsschi said.
Even the lone woman rider of the group, police officer Claudia Baroneini, has gotten into the swing of things.
"It is hard to be a woman (with all these guys)," she said through a translator after dismounting her red and white Harley-Davidson Sportster. "But I am like the mascot. I have promised not to tell the wives and girlfriends (what happened during the week)."
mark.johnson@news-jrnl.com
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