You have to give Harley-Davidson credit for being tenacious. When they see an opportunity for potential growth, they go after it like a pitbull in a dog fight. Women motorcyclists have been the fastest growing demographic in the motorcycle world and now make up 23 percent of riders on the road.
An HD Garage Party attendee learns the proper way to pick up a motorcycle.
We ladies already have the month of May as “Women Riders Month” and now March is “National Garage Party Month,” which encourage thousands of women across the country to learn to ride. These events are for women only, hosted by hundreds of HD dealerships, offering seminars, basic information and hands-on tips (like learning how to pick up a fallen motorcycle). You can also shop for all the gear you’ll need to ride safely and of course, find the right HD for your personal style.
During March, enter online or attend a Garage Party™ event at participating H-D® dealers for a chance to win a weekend getaway in L.A. with three girlfriends and America’s wellness expert and H-D rider Jillian Michaels.
H-D rider Jillian Michaels
The weekend will feature participation in the H-D Rider’s Edge® New Rider Course, spa treatments and a motivational talk with Jillian on how to live a better, healthier life. Enter the Sweepstakes.
*Rippin-Kitten.com is in no way affiliated with this giveaway. We’re just passing along the message. If you have any questions, please visit H-D’s National Garage Party Month Sweepstakes page.
When Tom Jones sang “Sex Bomb” he had to be singing to Ann-Margret. If you’re asking: who the hell is Ann-Margret? well then, you need to do a little bit of homework. Go watch Bye, Bye Birdie, Viva Las Vegas, or Tommy…like, stat!
Ann-Margret
She became a huge star in the 60’s, well-known for her flaming red hair and earned the nickname “Sex Kitten.” She even showed up on the Flintstones as “Ann Margrock“.
And, she’s an avid motorcycle enthusiast…
Ann-Margret "sex kitten"
riding easy
I’m not here to rewrite her biography, but here’s a quick cheat sheet:
she’s acted in 75+ films
Born in Sweden on April 28, 1941, she came to America at age 6
Her first motorcycle ride was at the age of 10 with her Uncle Calle
She was discovered by George Burns
Bye Bye Birdie was her break-out role
Ann-Margret & Elvis had a passionate affair when they met on the set of Viva Las Vegas, which came to an end resulting in his marriage to Priscilla
In the movie, The Swinger, she rides a 500cc Triumph T100C Tiger and after making the movie she was featured in Triumph Motorcycle’s official advertisements.
In 1967 she had her first minor motorcycle accident
In 1972 she survived a dramatic 22-foot fall from a concert stage in a Lake Tahoe, which literally destroyed her face and sent her into a coma.
chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history.
In 2000, Ann-Margret had a motorcycle accident in rural Minnesota and suffered three broken ribs and a fractured shoulder.
What do you think it’s like to be this sexy?
From "The Swinger"
on the Triumph T100C Tiger
The Ann-Margret Show in Vegas: featured 11 different Triumphs in the opening act
ANN-MARGRET: I have a beautiful, brand-new one waiting for me.
KING: Harley.
ANN-MARGRET: Hand-painted, lavender, with gorgeous, gorgeous daises.
KING: Let’s just — there are so many things to talk about. But why do you ride motorcycles?
ANN-MARGRET: Why do you do this show?
KING: Well, it ain’t going to send me off the cliff.
ANN-MARGRET: No, but don’t you love it?
KING: Yes, I love it. But why do you love motorcycles?
ANN-MARGRET: It is everything. It is — I loved it since my uncle…
KING: Did Presley get you started with this?
ANN-MARGRET: No, my uncle Carl (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Sweden got me started.
KING: Oh, so you go way back with motorcycles.
ANN-MARGRET: Yes. Yes. And then, of course, I saw “The Wild One.”
KING: Marlon.
ANN-MARGRET: And I have always loved speed. I mean, the bikes, not the…
KING: You don’t drive fast when you drive a car?
ANN-MARGRET: Not really.
KING: Not really.
ANN-MARGRET: No, not really. You know the feeling that you have in a convertible, with the elements and everything, the little bit of danger, the speed…
KING: So you…
ANN-MARGRET: Freedom, independence.
KING: Exhilaration.
ANN-MARGRET: Exhilaration, yes.
KING: And so accidents are something you accept from it, right?
ANN-MARGRET: There are two types of motorcycle riders: ones who have had an accident and ones who will.
Il Profeta
I have to give props to Christina Shook for inspiring me to do this post when she posted some great photos and videos of Ms. Ann-Margret on Twitter. So thanks Christina!
Female Riders Band Together to Raise Money for MDA
During this year’s 69th Annual Daytona Bike Week, hundreds of female motorcycle enthusiasts and Harley-Davidson Motor Company are banding together to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) and their efforts to find a cure for neuromuscular disease. On Tuesday, March 2, 2010, the MDA and the Motor Company will host the 3rd Annual Harley-Davidson Women’s Ride.
MDA and the Motor Company will host the 3rd Annual Harley-Davidson Women's Ride
The Harley-Davidson Women’s Ride will feature hundreds of female motorcyclists who’ll ride through the streets of Daytona celebrating their freedom and passion for the sport, as well as supporting the important work of the MDA. All of the ride participants will be encouraged to secure pledges and donations from their friends and families to support MDA Summer Camp programs across the country. The first 500 eligible riders will receive a 2010 MDA pin, Women’s Ride flag and riders who raise $600 will receive a one-of-a kind charm. Also, the top three fundraisers will receive a Harley-Davidson jacket. Last year’s ride raised more than $65,000 for MDA Summer Camps.
Ride staging will take place between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. near Gate 70 of the Daytona International Speedway. The ride will depart at 10 a.m. and continue to Riverfront Park on Beach Street. Female riders of any brand of motorcycle interested in participating in the ride, or those interested in pledging support for the riders can go to www.mdarides.org.
In addition to the Women’s Ride, the Motor Company is also hosting a women’s area at Riverfront Park on Beach Street throughout Bike Week. Experienced women riders or those just looking for information on how to get started can learn more about the sport by participating in bike lift seminars and getting information about learning to ride. They’ll also be able to enter a raffle to win a new Pink Label Collection item from Harley-Davidson MotorClothes®.
HD's Women's Pink Label Layering Tank
For more information and to register for the 3rd Annual Harley-Davidson Women’s Ride, visit mdarides.org. To learn more about Harley-Davidson and women riders, visit harley-davidson.com/womenriders.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces heavyweight custom, cruiser and touring motorcycles and offers a complete line of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts, accessories, riding gear and apparel, and general merchandise. For more information, visit Harley-Davidson’s Web site at http://www.harley-davidson.com.
Motorcycle Authors Ed Milich and Photographer Christina Shook embark on week long Northern California book tour.
What do you do in January when it’s too wet or chilly to ride your motorcycle? How about heading out for a night of motorcycle related literature and photography? Christina Shook and Ed Milich will be touring motorcycle destinations in San Francisco and northern California beginning January 26 2010 to promote their recently released motorcycle books: Milich’s “Wrenched: Man and Machine” and Shook’s “Chicks on Bikes“. Milich recently completed a 10-day West Coast book tour in December of 2009 with Mark Gardiner (Roadracer X, Classic Bike), author of Riding Man. Shook shared the Werkstatt SF tour stop with Gardiner and Milich, and the idea for January’s “Wrenched Words and Chick Pics” Tour was born.
Christina Shook is a San Francisco East Bay based professional photographer. “Chicks On Bikes“, Shook’s first book, compiles her photographs of and writings on female motorcyclists drawn largely from the San Francisco Bay Area’s diverse population of female riders. The book depicts female racers, commuters, cruisers, and mechanics in their natural environments from San Fransicso’s streets to dirt bike trails, to the racetrack. The hard bound “Chicks On Bikes” is 154 pages and is $24.99 from chicksonbike.us.
Chicks on Bikes by Christina Shook
Wrenched: Man and Machine by Ed Milich
Ed Milich is a Los Angeles based writer and contributor to Motorcyclist Magazine, Café Racer Magazine Sports Car Market Magazine, a national roadracing champion (WSMC, AHRMA), proprietor of motorcycle websites Guzzitech.com, Ducpower.com, and Motobastard.com and a professional Mechanical Engineer. “Wrenched, Man and Machine“, the first book from the Los Angeles based Milich, documents his motorcycle racing, wrenching and riding experiences in largely unrhymed free verse. In March of 2009, Milich debuted “Wrenched” at the Daytona International Speedway Bike Week Vintage Races where he punctuated the book release by winning four out of four races. *Wrenched, Man and Machine* is 142 pages and is $15 postpaid at wrenchedbook.com.
If you live in the N. California area I highly recommend you go see these guys and show them your support!
The Vagabond Chopper Company’s 2010 Chicks Rule & Boys Drool Tour, a traveling showcase dedicated to women motorcycle riders, recently rolled out their new 44-foot event trailer sponsored by Mitchell Motorcycle Transport. This rolling tribute to women bikers will offer a mix of on-site how-to seminars, fashion shows, book signings and special guest appearances with a feminine flare.
"Chicks Rule" trailer
The tour officially kicked off during the 2009 Toys in the Sun Run with featured guests the Motor Maids, Leslie Kay of Leslie Kay’s Insurance and Jeffrey Phipps of Jeffrey Phipps Custom Saddles. The Chicks Rule & Boys Drool Tour is a traveling display of what is available for women motorcycle riders, from clothing and parts to motorcycles styled with the woman rider in mind. The tour will feature Athena “Chickie” Ransom and her unique hand-crafted custom motorcycles as well as featured special guest appearances by an array of other unique women in the motorcycle industry.
Athena "Chickie" Ransom
Formulated specifically for women, it also gives men an opportunity to see “the other side” of a culture commonly associated with males. Validating the concept that women riders are more than just a “chick on the back” within the motorcycle industry, the tour also provides a forum for ladies to express her likes and dislikes in a setting that is not full of skulls, iron crosses and spikes.
The tour will include 12 national event stops throughout 2010 including the Heavy Hitters, Daytona Bike Week, New Orleans Bike Week, Sturgis Rally, and coming to an end at the 2010 South Florida Bikers Bash and Toys in the Sun Run. Look for the Vagabond set up at rallies near you.
In this day and age, it’s hard to believe that particular views of subcultures are still kicking around. While looking for something new & interesting in regards to motorcycle fashion, I found this article. Just by the title alone I let out a groan, anticipating how effectively the author, Rachel Spohn (a freelance writer for Ezine Articles), could facilitate the dumbed-down views of the “biker chick” stereotype. Turns out, she was very effective.
I got your biker chick right here...
But read for yourself:
The Basics of Biker Chick Fashion
Part of being a motorcycle owner means induction into a select society. And as is the case with any culture, there are a few wardrobe requirements that set its members off from the rest of society. Female bikers have a lot of versatility when it comes to their wardrobe, but some basics never change. Here are some simple steps to help you look the part and master the art of biker chick fashion.
First, remember that you can never go wrong with, or have enough, leather. Long hailed as the hallmark of any motoring outfit, leather pulls double duty in that it keeps you safe on the road and helps you look your biker best. Buy pieces such as a vest, boots, belt, a pair of tight pants, and most importantly, a jacket. The traditional color is black, but feel free to branch out to a little red or hot pink here and there.
If possible, get yourself inked. A tattoo–or three–shows your tough biker side. Popular options more biker chicks include classic pin-up girls, thorny roses, and sword impaled hearts. Tattoos are not just for men, and the themes you can choose from are endless.
Next, wear dark sunglasses. Like leather clothes, sunglasses not only make you look cool, but they are also functional. Shades protect you from the sun, wind, and bugs, and they help preserve your eye makeup.
Another important aspect of biker chick fashion is the hair. If you aren’t already blonde, bleach your hair and hold it back with an American flag bandanna. Keep your hairstyle simple, but something that looks good when you take off your helmet. Keeping a comb and hairspray in your saddle bag ensures a quick fix when the helmet comes off.
And finally, accessorize your look with silver jewelry, leather wristcuffs, a big belt buckle and red fingernail polish.
Once you have these basics down, you are ready to move on to making a biker fashion of your own!
Debunking the stereotype, one article at a time
I will say the article started off ok: it’s true that some of the basic fashions we, as bikers, wear are out of necessity to protect ourselves. Leather, no matter what color it is, is a staple to keep us warm in cool weather and to protect our skin if we happen to dump our bikes. It just also happens to have it’s place as being “fashionable” in some circles.
But as I read on, I could feel my lip begin to curl into a snarl of distaste.
Tattoos are deeply entwined in biker culture, but “classic pin-up girls, thorny roses, and sword impaled hearts“…um, really? If she had actually done some homework to familiarize herself with tattooing as an art form, she wouldn’t be so dismissive about what bikers (and non-bikers) adorn their bodies with. Sure, some people will go into a tattoo shop and pick something off of the wall, but the majority of people take their tattoos very seriously and put a lot of thought, money and effort into what they get inked on their bodies.
Sunglasses are worn for basic eye protection. Sun, bugs, wind burn and road grime are all hazards the eyes can be exposed to while riding. Wrap around glasses provide even more protection then regular design glasses. They also just happen to “look cool.” And I know from experience that sunglasses don’t do crap to preserve eye makeup. If you wear makeup while riding, waterproof makeup holds up better than regular.
Apparently I didn’t get the memo that all biker chicks should bleach their hair out blonde and wear American flag ‘do-rags. Did you guys? How come we aren’t riding around together in packs of bleach-blondness, wearing lots of silver jewelry with our red fingertips? PUH-LEEZE.
Maybe this was intended to be a fluff piece for her to show of her writing skills. If her goal is to be a fashion writer for some junky magazine, obviously doing the work to get the real facts about the topic is not important. But for those of us who are so deeply passionate about our culture, it’s hard not to take articles like this personally.
I have to say thanks to my friend ArtBiker for calling this to my attention only yesterday! I wish I’d known about it sooner. You still have two days to vote on the new slogan!
Top 10 Semi-Finalists Selected for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation “Ride On! Write On!” Contest. Public Vote Will Determine Winning MSF Slogan.
The MSF “Ride On! Write On!” slogan contest.
After reviewing over 550 submissions to its Ride On! Write On! contest, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) has selected the top 10 semi-finalist slogans. The public is invited to vote online at msf-usa.org to determine the winning slogan. Votes will be accepted until 6:00 P.M. (Pacific Standard Time) on October 15, 2009. One vote per person. See website for details.
Top Ten Semi-Finalist Slogans
1. Real Divas Ride Smart
2. New Rider, New Skills, New Confidence, New Friends, New Woman
3. A good foundation isn’t just for your face
4. Save a marriage, let a professional teach you to ride. MSF saving marriages since 1973.
5. Mom taught me about life … MSF taught me about riding
6. Your curves look better when trained. Take an MSF class!
7. Unleash your Inner Biker Chic! Take A MSF Course Today!
8. Women on motorcycles are positive female “roll” models. Strike a pose!
9. MSF RiderCourse, a women’s ignition to confidence, independence and inspiration
10. Female motorcycling – The essence of independence! Learn how at www.msf-usa.org
The goal of the contest is to generate a slogan that will be used primarily for women’s shirts, as well as other items the MSF may choose to make available for sale.
The top three winners will receive gift certificate prizes from Whitehorse Gear: 1st Place is $599, 2nd Place is $400 and 3rd Place is $300. Winners will be announced on or after October 16, 2009. Rules and restrictions apply. See the MSF website for details.
Chicks on Bikes: a new book by author Christina Shook.
When you hear the phrase “chicks on a bike” it might conjure up one of two images: a dolled up, half-nekkid girl with butt floss & fake boobs draped across some guys motorcycle -or- a real, independent woman riding her own.
Christina Shook thankfully delves into the diverse world of the latter, using her photography to punctuate the alluring stories of the featured women riders in her book.
Chicks on Bikes by Christina Shook
Chicks on Bikes is the first book to visually chronicle the culture and lifestyle of real women motorcyclists. The photos and stories range from sassy young racer girls, wind-roughened seniors, leather-clad outlaws, chic corporate climbers, grease-covered mechanics to motorcycle fashion designers.
Women love to hear or read stories about female riders, especially if they don’t ride their own (yet). There is a lot of respect and inspiration (and maybe a little bit of envy mixed in) that motivates non-riding women, giving them that “if she can do it, I can do it” attitude.
"These women redefine what is beautiful."
Chicks on Bikes captures an intimacy that a lot of other books tend to miss the mark on. It’s a collection of stories as varied as the women who tell them, daring to dig a little deeper into the subject that most are unwilling to touch. Women riders are people, not just an idea or a great hook for marketing.
I enjoyed reading about all of the women, seeing some familiar faces along with some new ones. I was touched when reading about Samantha Morgan and Melinda Moore, chuckled while reading about Zan Sterling’s tale of outriding a desert thunderstorm and amused by the overall kookiness of Max Mosher’s style.
It’s the right balance of words and quality photos, in addition to the passion, attitudes, freedom, misnomers, truths and independence of women riding motorcycles, that keep you wanting to turn the pages and dream of being more like them.
Chicks on Bikes words and pix by Christina Shook
Chicks on Bikes words and pix by Christina Shook, $24.95
Order a signed copy online: chicksonbikes.us/order.html
Here’s Christina talking about women motorcyclists and her book Chicks on Bikes. I wish her the all the success in the world with the book, it’s great!
The fifth annual AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference presented by Harley-Davidson and Buell takes place Keystone, Colorado, at the Keystone Resort & Conference Center in from August 19-22. The conference honors women riders of past and present and celebrates the ever growing role that women riders are playing in the future of motorcycling.
International Women & Motorcycling Conference
The weekend will be packed with tours, shopping, hands-on demos and of course seminars, which will be given by veteran female riders sharing their experiences. Some of those seminars include:
Preparing for the Ride: Packing/Gear/Apparel
Dealer Interaction
Inspirational Seminars
Making your bike fit you
The cost is $165 if you pre-register online and $185 if you wait to register on site. If you’re interested in taking part of this unique event be sure to save your space soon, as online registration ends on August 3rd! For more information about the event visit: womenandmotorcycling.com.
The other day I was checking my inbox when I see an email about “Bruce Rossmeyer’s Harley-Davidson Special Event.” Naturally I open that one to see what the special event is, which turns out to be one of those women-only garage parties that I’ve heard so much about.
I’m immediately turned off by the headline because it actually does say “SORRY FELLAS, THIS GARAGE IS FOR LADIES ONLY.” Blergh.
So I read through all of the information of the where’s and when’s of the event and it’s “intimidation-free zone” and there’s something else that’s bothering me about the email that I can’t quite pin down.
I show the email to my husband and he immediately reacts negatively, pointing to the photograph used in the email:
