NYC church blesses motorcycles

Even Harleys can use a holy hand.

Several bikes belonging to members of a midtown Manhattan church were blessed in a ceremony Sunday following a motorcycle-centric service.

"There's not a lick of difference between a Harley Road King and a human being, because like that motorcycle, we never know our full potential until we yank off our training wheels and put ourselves out there," said the Rev. Susan Sparks in the sermon.

Sparks herself rides a shiny Road King with nearly 40,000 miles on it. The pastor of the Madison Avenue Baptist Church said she wanted other bikers to have "a prayer for safe riding and personal needs."

The service Sparks, 48, led -- while wearing worn leather motorcycle boots -- included the hymn "Ride on, ride on in majesty." And her partner, Toby Solberg, 64, read a "biker prayer."

"Whether our ultimate destination is midtown; Sturgis, South Dakota [which hosts a famous annual bike rally]; or salvation itself, we pray to you to protect us on our journey," he said.

After the service, congregants gathered outside the church where four cruisers were parked for the blessing.

Glen Head resident John Damiano's sleek black Yamaha V Star Classic was the first bike to be blessed. Sparks -- her reverend's collar peeking out from under a Harley-Davidson T-shirt -- placed her hands on the bike and shared a private prayer with Damiano.

"You can't ride around in a cocoon thinking you're safe because your bike's been blessed but it's still a nice feeling," said Damiano, 49, who added that he enjoys taking the cruiser to the tip of the North Fork. He said riding gives him "a feeling of serenity. Being out on the road, I find that relaxing."

Ray Pickett, 49, of Bellerose, Queens, said he suffered a bike accident six years ago that left his knee crushed. "Since that accident, I'll take any help I can get, especially with God behind it," he said, gesturing toward his beloved Harley Cross Bones.

Jamie Rodriguez, 33, said she has been riding for just three years, but echoed Pickett's sentiment that divine assistance is much appreciated.

A special prayer for her Harley Dyna Wide Glide "is always good," the Hackensack, N.J., native said. "You want to keep the rubber side down and the shiny side up, so any help is great."

There's another perk to attending a bike blessing, Rodriguez said: "My grandmother would kill me, but only on the blessing of the bikes day can I wear jeans."