Barbara Bodle calls her husband’s $19,500 Harley-Davidson a “change-of-life thing.”

But to Darryl Bodle, his machine is much more.

“It’s the sound of the motorcycles,” he said. “It revs me up.”

Buying the “Hog” was a long overdue gift to himself - a reward for establishing a successful career and saving enough money to put his son through college.

But he didn’t stop there. He purchased $10,000 worth of accessories - leather jackets, boots, and lots of denim - and even built a special house for the cycle.

This weekend he and 2,000 fellow bikers got to show off their prized toys as the 14th annual Harley-Davidson national rally roared into Portland. Cyclists from as far away as Australia attended the rally, and the distinct guttural belches from the engines could be heard rumbling throughout the city.

On Saturday, Hogs of all shapes and colors lined the Burnside Bridge, which was closed to auto traffic so pedestrians could get a firsthand look. Many of their riders normally wear business suits, but on this weekend everyone gets to be Marlon Brando.

“I’m pretty conservative,” Bodle said. “But getting on my Harley, it’s all over.”

It’s the first time the Milwaukie-based Harley Owners Group (HOG) has hosted its rally in the Pacific Northwest. The organization, more than 350,000 bikers strong, has previously set up camp in Louisiana, California and Oklahoma.

Rally coordinator Rachel Holley Sciortino said Portland was an easy choice compared with Seattle because it has less congestion.

On Sunday, several hundred members will begin an 11-day trek to Portland, Maine.

Harley rally veterans Joe and Aggie Collinson of Alberta, Canada, are planning to go, making this their fourth cross-country trip. The retired couple, who have ridden their Harleys to El Salvador and Alaska, said Sunday’s trip is no big deal.

“It’s just a jaunt to the park,” Joe Collinson said.