Well, it’s not actually a bike week, it’s more like a festival that takes place over a few days. May 6th-10th, to be precise. This event is brought to us by the Broken Spoke Saloon, Bikeweek.com and Easyriders and features lots of entertainment, events and delicious, authentic New Orleans cuisine throughout the rally at “rally prices.” Most of the events are only about 10 minutes away from the French Quarter so you can head on over after you get yourself a Po’ Boy.

Some of the bands appearing include everyone’s favorite musical albino, Edgar Winter, BlackFoot, Farrell Webber Band, and lots of “tribute” bands including Aultimate Ozzy, Hells Bells (AC/DC tribute band), Seven Bridges Road (Eagles tribute band), and Houses of Holy (Led Zeppelin tribute band).

There will also be the “Chrome Kitchen” where some of the finest chefs will compete in the kitchen against some famous bike builders (although no names are mentioned anywhere that I’ve looked). Sounds like fun.

And one of the biggest Easyriders V-Twin shows of the year will be staged in the New Orleans Convention Center.

“Easyriders Events is proud to be part of the Bike Week New Orleans project,” said John Green, director of Easyriders Events. “It is a rare opportunity for us to be involved at ground level with a group as passionate about the Motorcycle lifestyle as we are.

We have seen a recent shift in Motorcycle entertainment. With the new economy, people are looking for the same experience they find at Daytona and Sturgis close to their home turf.”

Makes a lot of sense if you live on the East Coast and can’t afford to travel far but still want a fun rally experience. More info about the rally, tickets and hotels can be found at http://www.bikeweekneworleans.com

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I’ve secretly been hoping that I might some day appear in this coveted section of their site and now I’m giddy with delight…hey! That rhymed!

So, thanks to them for really making my day.

When I initially saw their website I was a bit turned off by the amount of the color pink being used and it didn’t seem very professional. I could have just caught them when they first launched the site- I seem to have good timing that way (re: see the Garage Girls posts). But this time around it appears the color palette has been toned down, there’s a new logo and it’s more streamlined.

Lady Biker website circa 2007

Lady Biker website now

If you’re interested in ordering a copy it takes a bit of effort for U.S. consumers, you’ll need to send an email to get a price. The summer 2008 issue is available now.

Art Center College of Design shows Yamaha-branded wearable motorcycle concept

Challenged to rethink motorcycle transportation, Art Center College of Design student Jake Loniak decided the idea of a machine as an extension of the body should be taken literally. Inspired by Biomechatronics and called the Deus Ex Machina (not to be confused with that other Deus Ex Machina from Australia), Loniak’s concept is an electric, vertically parking motorcycle controlled by 36 pneumatic muscles with 2 linear actuators.

The Yamaha-branded Deus Ex concept is worn as an exo-skeleton with seven artificial vertebra as well as the pneumatically attached helmet. The motor is in-wheel, powered by ultra-capacitors and doped nano-phoshpate batteries similar to those already used in hybrids. It’s also capable of 0–60mph in three seconds. Top speed is 75mph with a recharge time of 15 minutes and cycle time of one hour.

As an exercise in urban transportation, we love the engagement a machine like the Deus would require. That said, the lack of storage or securement for a briefcase, purse or satchel means that even the average urban commute is beyond the Deus Ex Machina’s current capabilities.

Source: Hell For Leather magazine, written by Grant Ray

When I decided to get my motorcycle license I didn’t have a female motorcycle “mentor” so to speak. I hung out with a lot of guys that ride and spent plenty of time on the back. I watched all of the Motorcycle Manias, Motorcycle Women and even the first season of American Chopper. I began to see more and more women out riding their own and when the opportunity came up I went for it. So, I guess I inspired myself (with the help of some anonymous biker girls)!

But since I’ve started this site I realized that there are many influential women out there. One who I admire is Genevieve Schmitt.

Genevieve Schmitt is a former television producer and magazine editor (anyone remember Woman Rider magazine?), is the founder of the fantastic website Women Riders Now and her blog is always a good read.

From WRN: Genevieve has been working in the motorcycle industry since 1993 and is recognized as a leader in motorcycling journalism focusing on the area of women. She is an inductee in the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame for her journalism work on raising awareness of the female motorcyclist. She is the leading spokesperson on the subject of women and motorcycling.

You can read her monthly columns in American Iron, Dealernews and Midwest Motorcyclist. She is also a frequent correspondent for Speed TV and Outdoor Life Network (now called Vs.). This is a busy woman who has made huge strides getting women motorcyclists the attention they deserve.

Honorable mention:
If Betsy Huelskamp looks familiar to you it’s because she was one of the Magnificient Six featured in the 2003 Discovery Channel documentary “Motorcycle Women.” She was also featured in that fabulous “Live By It” commercial that Harley Davidson ran over the summer. She has 20+ years riding experience, is a personal trainer and recently attempted to climb Mt. Everest which was documented in Discovery Channel’s “Everest 2: Beyond The Limit.” She also writes “Backroads with Betsy” on her best gal-pal Genevieve’s site.

Geneveive & Betsy at Sturgis 2007

Does anyone out there have a story to share about someone in the motorcycle world who has inspired them?

I’ve known about a lot of different women-only motorcycle publications that have tried to succeed and sadly have failed. The latest magazine that I just found is Biker Alley. I’m actually surprised that I haven’t heard of this magazine sooner since, impressively, it’s been around since 2000.

They publish six issues a year for $19.50 (if interested, you can subscribe through their website). Articles are about safety, motorcycle maintenance, product reviews, motorcycle news and stories of experiences from other women riders. They pride themselves on being a family oriented magazine, open to male readers and they try to keep an informal rapport with their readers:

“Unlike other motorcycle magazines, as you read Biker Ally Magazine, it will seem as though you are sitting at the kitchen table talking to your friend over a cup of coffee.”

Well, that sounds nice. A lot of women on the message boards I read really seem to like it. And if they’ve been publishing this long they must be doing something right.