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| Me and Bessie1 |
The Riders Edge instructor put his hands on his knees and peered down at my crumpled form on the pavement, then inquired as to whether I was ‘okay?’
Laying very still and mentally checking for damage to my body, I assured him that the only thing harmed was my pride. The instructor was not one to miss a ‘teachable moment,’ he then inquired,
“So, what did you learn about the bike?”
I was still in a prone position on the asphalt, right shoulder throbbing, and the 492cc Buell Blast splayed out on the pavement along side of me....I thought about what I did just before going head first over the handlebars.
“Never squeeze the brake while the front wheel is turned?,” I offered meekly.
“Yep,” he replied knowingly as he offered me a hand up off the pavement.
Then he looked at me, gestured at the bike, and indicated I should “pick it up,” and get back on it. And for the next 48 hours, I maneuvered that Buell Blast all over the Riders Edge course with a vengeance; I accelerated through the gears, stopped slowly, then quickly, threaded my way through the orange plastic cones, rode over 2X4’s, mastered the left and right turns, learned the rules of the road, and I am proud to say, earned my Motorcycle Endorsement as required by the Motorcycle Safety Association....my license to ride. The legal documentation I needed to ‘get my own.’ And, I was awarded the certificate of ‘Most Likely to Wear Leather,’ that in itself would prove an accurate prophecy.
It wouldn’t be the last time I hit the pavement; there are two kinds of bikers, those who have dropped their bikes and those who will drop their bikes. I’m a fast learner; and at my age, that is an asset...I mean really? How many times can a 50-something body hit the pavement without damage??
Technically, I learned to ride long before I got to the Riders Edge Course; my friend Butch taught me to ride his Road King. After several thousand miles as a passenger and at least a thousand questions about the operation of the bike:
‘Which is the clutch?’
‘So the other is the brake?’
‘What’s that thing with your foot?’
‘No, the other foot?’
‘How many gears does it have?’
‘Where is the carberator?’
‘Does it have a choke?’
‘Why is there a foot brake and a hand brake?’
‘Where does the oil go?’
‘What’s the difference between synthetic oil and the other?’
‘How many gallons of gas does it hold?’
‘Is there a reserve (and the answer is ‘no,’ which I found out the hard way in West Texas)?’
‘How heavy is it?’
‘What if the tire goes flat?’
‘What if the motor gets too hot?’
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| "Most Likely to Wear Leather," Bessie1 |
Watching and listening; I could hear when it was time to shift gears, I could tell if we were in second or third, I knew not to ‘lean’ into the curves but to just relax your body and go with the direction of the bike, I could feel it when the asphalt was slick, I learned the difference between what the Road King SHOULD sound like, and how it sounded when something was awry mechanically, and I learned that a giant wad of chewing gum could actually hold the busted shifter rod in place long enough to ride to the nearest dealer (I couldn’t determine if the mechanics were astounded that the gum actually held the shifter rod in place, or that the ‘girl’ passenger thought of it). I learned to ‘ride,’ by being an observant passenger.
Until one day (this was shortly after our cross country trip and my declaration of ‘I’m gettin’ my own’), Butch pulls over into the parking lot of the Community College, indicating I should climb off the back, he shuts the motor off, puts the kickstand down, climbs off himself, then looks at me and says,
‘Here, get on and learn to ride it yourself.’
Hot Damn! I didn’t realize it then, but his offer to teach me to ride on his $20,000 Road King Classic was a gesture of Love, pure and simple. He had absolute Faith in me that I would not hurt myself or, more importantly, his bike....’If you find something you love as much as your motorcycle, hang on to it.’
Fortunately, I learned to drive when I was 16, in a Volkswagen Beetle, so I had the whole clutch-shift-brake thing down....once you learn to operate a vehicle with a manuel transmission, it is second nature regardless of the vehicle or the transmission. I climbed into the ‘driver’s seat’ on Butch’s Road King, kickstand still down, the bike leaning to the left, and looked over at Butch for direction. He had stepped well away from the bike, folded his arms across his chest, and just stood there looking at me and the bike.
Ok. Now what?
Butch remained immobile, but in his deep, melodic baritone...he calmly told me,
‘First get a feel for the weight. Keep the kickstand down, but set the bike upright.’
I planted both feet firmly on the asphalt, and righted the bike - whoa...it was heavy!
‘Now just sit there, and get a feel for the weight,’ commanded the Voice.
I decided the bike looked a lot bigger from the riders seat; I glanced over at Butch and he hadn’t moved.
‘When you’re ready, put the kickstand up,’ commanded the Voice.
My left foot groped for the kickstand, finally connected with it, and pulled it back, clicking it up underneath the bike. Learning to ride a huge hunk of steel with 100+ horsepower is a fine balancing act at best, it would be the metaphor I needed to find the balance in my life.
‘Turn the ignition and make sure the bike is in neutral,’ commanded the Voice.
And like I had seen him do a bazillion times, I instinctively reached for the ignition, turned it, listened to the soft whir of the mechanics engaging, clicked the bike into neutral with the heel of my boot....and without waiting for the Voice to Command it, I hit the starter switch with my right thumb.....and the Road King roared to life between my legs! Instantaneously, I was hooked; on that very spot, I became a devotee, a disciple of that ‘thump, thump, thump,’ of the H-D V-Twin engine throbbing between my legs, the vibration in the handlebars coursing energy up through my arms and into my chest. I knew in that split second between turning the ignition switch and hitting the starter switch....that I would kneel at the alter of Harley Davidson as their most devoted of deciples, and stop at nothing to ‘get my own!’
I glanced over at Butch, he hadn’t moved, he just smiled - that toothy, mega watt smile he owned - and gave me the ‘thumbs up,’ which I interpreted as ‘You Go Girl.’ I popped it into first gear with the toe of my boot, and very gently squeezed the throttle while slowly releasing the clutch...and I was moving FORWARD across the parking lot on two wheels! Life would never be the same for me from that point forward.
I signed up for the Riders Edge class through the local Harley Davidson dealership that October; knowing ‘how’ to ride and obtaining the Motorcycle ‘Endorsement’ for your drivers license are two different events. In the state of Florida, it is necessary to take an approved riders course sanctioned by the Motorcycle Safety Association (many dealerships offer the course as well as the Department of Transportation; Google it for your particular area of the country), then obtain a drivers license with the Endorsement.
I continued to ‘practice’ on my friend Butch’s Road King; traversing the parking lots on Sunday mornings, practicing the turns, stopping, backing up, and never getting out of third gear!
Once I had my Endorsement, it was time to begin ‘accessorizing my life.’
An ‘accessory’ is an object or device not essential in itself but adding to the beauty, convenience, or effectiveness of something else (Merriam-Webster). And I sorely needed an accessory that would add effectiveness to my life.
A few words about 'buying a motorcycle,' for women only....
Rule #1: Educate yourself. The Motorcycle Safety Association New Rider course will help - don’t be afraid to ask questions. The more you know, the fewer mistakes you will make in purchasing and owning your own motorcycle.
Rule #2: Simultaneous with #1: Determine what role a motorcycle will play in your life. Remember: an ‘accessory’ is not essential, it is there to add beauty, convenience, or effectiveness. I determined early on that I wanted to travel on my motorcycle. Therefore, I would need a class of bike that was built for touring; think...big, comfortable, stable, endurance. Why do you want a motorcycle and what do you plan to do with it? This is the most important question for anyone buying a motorcycle; especially women. There are those well-meaning men who go out and buy their women a bike; but would you let your partner buy the shoes, necklace, and earrings to match the new dress you just bought for the company Christmas Party or your son’s wedding?! Do you want to travel? Do you just need two wheels to ride around town? Are you only interested in riding with a group to breakfast on Sunday morning? Or perhaps just a flashy ‘accessory’ to ride down Main Street during Bike Week and use as a ‘Man-Magnate?’ Or, are you seeking an ‘accessory’ that will catapult you into the next life-changing phase? Once you decide...you are ready for Step #3.
Rule #3: Go back to #1: Educate Yourself even more, once you determine your Riding Goals. I spent months looking at other peoples bikes and asking questions (alas, relatively few of them were women riders), trolling the online resources, reading articles, and determining for myself the facts from the myths about motorcycles. I evaluated the cost of a Harley Davidson versus the cost of the ‘other’ manufacturers like Yamaha or Suzuki. But my mind was already made up in that department; I had my first sip from the Harley Davidson Kool-Aid, there was no going back after that. I drank lustily, and continue to do so. However, this is not a book about Harley Davidson, and if you strictly adhere to Rule #1, you will determine for yourself which bike is appropriate for you. A motorcycle is an expensive ‘accessory,’ and not economical to correct if you buy the wrong one. Don’t walk into a dealership unarmed with the necessary facts; know what you want, why you want it, and how much money you have to devote to the acquisition. Just as important as your riding goal, decide if you need - or can afford - a new bike versus a good, pre-owned bike. And basically, your budget will dictate the year and model of motorcycle. If you are considering a pre-owned bike, as I was, ask questions about the bike’s history....the model year versus the mileage (you want to buy the pre-owned bike with the lowest mileage per model year; in other words ‘the guy only rode it to breakfast on Sundays, never rode in the rain, and kept it in the garage the rest of the time!’), inquire about previous owner(s), accident and maintenance history.
If you are buying from a dealer, find one that has a good reputation based on other customers’ recommendations. Dealerships have several advantages over buying from a private seller. If you connect with a reputable dealer AND connect with a good salesperson, your education will continue. If you require financing for the bike, a dealer is more than happy to do that for you. A word of caution: after the salesMAN makes the sale, he will turn you over to the Parts person, then the Finance person...it is their job to add $$$ to the purchase price of the bike by selling you chrome accessories (some you will want, most you don’t need to finance) and various levels of extended warranties or theft protection. Beware. Another benefit of going to a dealer, they have a variety of bikes in the showroom for you to ‘try on,’ before you decide which one is right for you. Additionally, a dealership has a service department available to answer questions and take care of maintenance/repairs. This is something that was a huge benefit for me when I bought my first bike; I bought an extended warranty and allowed the dealership to service the bike. This provided a further education for me and made sure my bike was maintained properly. After 12 months however, I severed the relationship with the dealerships’ service department and found a trusted, independent mechanic, but thats another chapter!
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| Bessie1 |
Shortly after completing the Riders Edge course, I started shopping for my first motorcycle....I had a clear understanding of the function this ‘accessory’ would play in my life (although, at the time, I did not fully grasp the magnitude of that statement), I was armed with the research, and I had the opportunity to ride a couple of different models of Harley-Davidsons’ which allowed me to narrow my choices to three - the Road King, the Heritage Softail, and the Fat Boy (and what girl doesn’t want a Fat Boy!?).
I spent every weekend from mid-October to the first of January scouting the dealerships in a hundred mile radius of my home...and leaving disillusioned each time. Not only was Harley-Davidson clueless as to how to ‘market’ to women, they had absolutely no idea how to ‘sell’ to women when we are standing right there in the showroom, cash (or good credit score) in hand. Which makes it even more imperative that we, as women, have a clear understanding of what we want, or else the Good-Ole-Boy trying to make quota that week will immediately steer you to the Sportsters.
So many women make the mistake of buying a small bike - like the Sportster - because the salesMAN (since ’07 I have only been in ONE dealership across the country where a woMAN was selling bikes) tell them thats what they want. Remember Rules #1-3.
For the three months I shopped for my first bike, I would walk into a Harley dealership and wander up and down the aisles of shiny bikes......while the salesMEN just stood around shootin’ the breeze, or worse, just ‘watching’ me look at the bikes. The one salesMAN who did approach me, chatted with me a few minutes - obviously ascertained that I was a ‘virgin’ rider - and promptly told me I needed to buy a Sportster.
“A lot of women ride Sportsters,’ he boasted knowingly. This would be one of many patronizing remarks.
“Not any of the women I know,’ I offered unapologetically. ‘A Sportster is too small for me; I intend to travel.”
Now, right there, the salesMAN should have grasped that tidbit of knowledge and turned it into a selling point, but no, he was determined to promote the ‘benefits’ of women riding Sportsters:
‘They are lightweight’ (which means I will get my ass blown off the road by a passing semi).
‘They are easy to handle’ (which translates to most women are wimps and lack upper body strength).
‘We sell a lot of Sportsters to the ladies’ (and really small men).
‘They come in pink’ (which means you are a dumb ass and I’m outta here). Needless to say, I walked out of that dealership without a bike.
Switching tactics, I took my MALE friend with me to the Orlando dealership in January of ‘08; the second we walked onto the lot, a salesMAN sidled over to us, introduced himself, and asked my MALE friend if he was interested in a bike. Really?! My friend Butch just chuckled, gestured to me, and indicated that the bike was ‘for my girl here.’ So the salesMAN reluctantly introduced himself to ME....and automatically steered me towards the fucking Sportsters!
I stopped, turned around, and pointed to the pre-owned Road Kings, and Softails and said,
‘No, I want a bigger bike. And you can save the ‘most women buy a Sportster’ spiel for someone else.’
Thinking ‘I really have his attention now,’ he proceeds to sell the features of the Road King to my friend Butch! Like I wasn’t even standing right there! Butch just backed away, reminded the salesMAN that I was the one buying the bike, and faded into the background. Reluctantly, and somewhat sheepishly, the salesMAN turned his attention to me, at which point I started asking questions, to his astonishment, in rapid fire succession, about the bikes. Frankly, he was ill-prepared to answer most of them, whereupon I suggested demurely, ‘perhaps there is someone else who might know more about the touring class of bikes?’
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| Nothing but SMILES on Bessie1! |
I had been to that particular dealership a couple of times, and I looked at dozens of bikes over the last three months....it was on that particular day as I walked up and down the aisle of pre-owned bikes, that one, bright, shiny, leather-studded Heritage Softail Classic literally ‘spoke’ to me...it sure as hell wasn’t the salesMAN who spoke to me! I walked by it once, circled back around, took a closer look; black, wire rim/white wall tires, studded leather, and bling! I was in love...cue the string section, the choir was singing and the sun was showing its silver lining behind the clouds...The previous owner had bling-ed (i.e., chromed) it out with H-D ‘Flames’ chrome accessories everywhere! After ascertaining that the mileage was good....I looked at the ineffectual salesMAN and said,
‘I’ll take it, if the price is right.’
He looked at me and said, ‘Do you want to ride it?’
“No. I don’t need to ride it, its the one I want.”
I would end up riding that Softail over 86,000 miles in the next four years, comfortable in the knowledge each time I climbed on it, that on that day in January of ’08 I had made the right decision in buying my first bike...in buying an effective ‘accessory’ for my life.
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| Debi Tolbert Duggar-July 2013 |
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