Potato-potato-potato. No, that’s not my dinner order, but the official description of the sound of a Harley-Davidson’s idling engine (the company tried hard to trademark it), which almost goes hand-in-hand with visions of long, wide Tennessee highways.

For as long as I can remember, the American state has been on my travel bucket list: the birthplace of rock’n’roll, a place famed for its barbecue joints, rolling hills, whiskey, and home of the King himself, Elvis Presley. What better vehicle to cross Tennessee on, then, than the so-called King of the Road – a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

There is simply no other bike built for road-trip cruising that rivals a Harley – and, in particular, its Road Glide model, which is readily available to hire from the US’s biggest rental and tour service, EagleRider. Weeks before I even land in the state, the company’s tour guide, Brad, was on the phone helping to map out my route. His insight proved invaluable during the trip too. Since 1998, the Road Glide has been one of the Michigan marque’s most popular “baggers” (that’s “touring motorcycle”, in biker speak). It’s similar to the Street Glide model, only the frame-mounted “sharknose” fairing means that the front panel doesn’t move when you turn, offering a nimbler riding experience, despite actually being a heavier machine than its sibling.

On the road, you realise just how well-matched this machine is to America’s famous vast highways, thanks to its low and upright riding position, large foot rests and swanky info system that rivals any in-car experience. Oh, and let’s not forget that Milwaukee-Eight 107 V-Twin engine– unmistakable in sound and always ready to go. There may be Italian, Japanese and German bikes that have technical advantages over the Harley, but this is the ultimate American experience –something the brand is keen to capitalise on.

Nashville, Music City, is my starting point. I’ve never been to a place that champions music quite like it. On Broadway, live bands play from morning until night and, as a musician myself, I am practically in heaven. I make for East Nashville, where the locals go for the coolest divebars (The Underdog gets my vote) and the most unique guitar shops. Finally, an essential fix of museums downtown – you can’t come to Nashville and not visit the Johnny Cash Museum, which is compact but filled with the Man inBlack’s clothes and memorabilia. If you visit, don’t miss the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum just around the corner.

The music continues through Jackson, a small town and the home of rockabilly pioneer Carl Perkins. My mind is blown by speakers installed on curbside poles, which blast out rock’n’roll every day. Can we get this in London? On to Memphis – Home of the Blues – via the Natchez Trace Parkway. Riding slow and low feels particularly cinematic. It’s Easy Rider, Thelma & Louise, Vanishing Point, you name it. The quintessential road-trip boxes are ticked. This city, on the very edge of Tennessee, has a homey feel and seems to be resisting gentrification. Downtown, there are still plenty of family-owned establishments, such as the Arcade Restaurant, Memphis’s oldest diner. Don’t miss the fried peanut butter ’n banana sandwich – a favourite of Elvis’s, who used to sit in the same booth every time he visited. Beale Street is Memphis’s answer to Nashville’s Broadway and it has a serious blues legacy. I returned to BB King’s Blues Club many times to watch the house band and have barbecue ribs (because what else do you eat in the South?).

The last stop on my journey is, of course, Graceland. After the White House, it is the second most-visited house attraction in the US, and the 23-room mansion offers an insight into how proudly and profoundly American Elvis was.His huge car collection is almost exclusivelyCadillacs and Lincolns (with the famed pink Jeep),and his Bill Belew-designed stage outfits screamed “Vegas” even before he set foot in the desert. Tennessee, I will be back. On a Harley-Davidson Road Glide, naturally.

EagleRider has motorcycle rental locations around the world. Prices start from £33 a day. eaglerider.com; tnvacation.com