Another Blog about what its like to be a girl with a bike - Ironhead Sportster edition.
I believe that all people are equal. I'm a huge believer in the fact that we all have a similar skeleton beneath our skin, no matter what extremities we bear, what hair color we have, what our muscle tone is... We're all human. And we are all destined for one thing. One day, we will die. Other than that- there is no definite answer, no absolute course.. its how you get to the end that makes life worth living.. you dig?
So when it comes to the blatant ignorance, and disregard of someone, like me, as another equal human- it baffles me. My brain doesn't work that way. Whether you are female or male, young or old, I believe you can do what you want, and when you want, and whatever it is, you can do it well, or do it terribly- you can love or hate doing it, but why can't you do it? And if you need assistance, you'll ask for it like any normal human being- NOT a silly sally stumbling around in the dark fidgeting until they find the hole.. rite? One of the only things that actually separates Homo Sapiens from the rest of the human type figures that graced the pages of your Anthropology book is that we SHARE HOW TO SURVIVE, we share how to use tools, and how to catch food, teach each other things.. that's how we aren't extinct.. our ability to teach and learn.
When I decided I wanted to rebuild, hell even BUY the '76, I knew it wasn't going to be easy. I knew I was going to have to spend money- on parts and tools to get the job done, and I knew I would have to ask for help in some regard- A LOT OF IT. You-Tube, Chop Cult, People I know personally, and randoms at swap meets- every avenue of information is literally at your fingertips, if you want it. But the one thing I didn't KNOW, was how people were going to treat me, talk to me, and act around me once I started telling them about my project. I never thought anything of it. I figured everyone would think it was cool, just like I thought it was cool when one of my buddies bought an old bike, not knowing anything about it, but taught himself and asked questions, read manuals and figured it out. Can ride the bike he built with his own two hands across the country. Now THAT is where my mind is at. If you build it, you can fix it: read that again.. IF YOU BUILT IT - from the frame up- YOU CAN FIX IT. I'm pretty confident I know my bike inside and out (aside form the transmission which is this winters project to learn about) and I could diagnose and figure out if I didn't already, how to fix it and get it back on the road. AMY in fact means Industrious.. ;)
Because of my physical attributes, I've found that people don't think I am capable of achieving the same things a person of the male persuasion can. I've heard that for the last four years working for Reiman's Harley-Davidson. "You're gonna try...(TRY)... to ride THAT big bike?" hahaha.. yeah buddy, and I'll run circles around you- now you, TRY and keep up... "You're so tiny for that bike, how do you even hold it up?" "Aren't you scared a man will take your bike away?" "Wow good for you" "do you need HELP?"
Alright, now I'm OKAY with people being happy for me in my achievements, and asking if I need anything as far as getting supplies when I'm working on my bike, or help moving something that weighs 4 times my weight and isn't on wheels, or showing me how to pull a cam seal and replace it so I don't fuck myself or the bike up.. but patronizing and shocked faces of the "oh my god, you could've died" people... or the kids last week at the gas station, as I was kicking over my '76 after filling up with gas.. Oh, kick start huh? YUP. I continued my mission...DO YOU NEED HELP he asks me, after I tried kicking it once, and it faltered (shes a two kick minimum anyway) I wanted SO BADLY to turn to this kid, throw my hands up and be like, YES. please, kind and noble sir- PLEASE show me how to start this kick only bike, that I rebuilt with my two hands.. I have NO IDEA what I'm doing. Back away and watch him break his knee.. but I was too scared he'd hurt her- of course I'm not going to let anyone else start her!
YOU DUMB FUCK. I burst into laughter. Kicked her again, and rode off.
I want someone to tell me the last time they went to their buddy's house, and watched him work on his bike, car, door, house, sink- WHATEVER IT IS, I want to know.. while he was in mid torque, mid screw of the bolt holding the thing together- WHO has walked in to another man's garage, and asked "do you want me to do that for you?" and held out a hand expecting him to give you the ratchet??
SOMEONE TELL ME HOW THAT IS ACCEPTABLE. I don't get butt hurt easily, most things I let roll off my back, but honestly. How disrespectful is this? Who would be offended?
*RAISES HAND HIGH IN THE AIR AND WAVES THE FUCKER AROUND*
That's me folks. These jack wagons, come to MY HOUSE and watch me wrench on MY BIKE THAT I BUILT- and offer to tighten a fucking nut on my battery box. FUCK OFF. When I feel the redness in my face increasing as I'm trying to charge my battery (pre-drain fix) and the dudes in the corner are asking "does it have gas, is it the spark plug, is it the starter- hey did you check the spark?"
OMG. stop. I will stab yo in the throat with this screwdriver.
Oh, and your 'advice' on how to adjust my 'idle screw' or my brake cable, or the INTERNAL ADJUSTMENT on my drum brake ... hahahaha.. yeah. thanks. but I'm good. (there isn't one. for everyone who doesn't know)
Now, what I WANT TO KNOW.. why is this okay? In my mind, it is the same demoralizing equivalent of a man cat calling you and asking you to shake it for him as you walk down the street. Yeah baby, it's gonna shake, but you better believe it ain't for YOU- GET OVER YOURSELVES. Your dick doesn't make you any better at anything mechanical, just like my vagina doesn't automatically make me good at raising a kid. NOPE. It could probably make one happen, but it WONT RAISE IT. If those standards held true, I should be a drug addict because of my tattoos, or a farmer because I own a chicken!
I know - I KNOW- that I get these comments and ignorant outpourings from guys that aren't involved in motorcycle culture. This blog isn't about the rad ass babes and doods I've met at rallys and events where pieces of shit Iron heads are celebrated for just being RIDDEN. And especially cool if you ride what you built, even if it is a pile of free or used or thrown out parts ( like mine). I am fully aware of these kick ass environments like the Boogie Farm Clam Jam, and Mama Tried, Pinned Ohio, Giddy Up and even Born free- sometimes the prettier the better, but still, If I had MY bike there, I doubt anyone is going to walk up to it and ask me if it's got a carburetor. (YES that happened).
Where my ladies at? I can totally understand why we are building female only garages, female only bike clubs, and rides.. I can understand why the ignorant brain of a neanderthal human male might think you are incapable of turning a screwdriver- AND MAYBE SOME OF US AREN'T... but you know.. MAYBE you should ask, or let us try on our own before we admit defeat and let someone else do it. (its more of a human thing than a female thing) Instead of assuming (my momma always said to ASSuME makes and ASS out of U and ME) that just because she's got painted nails and a pretty face that she doesn't have a mechanical brain. I bet if you actually asked, you'd find more women who can do ordinary and easy tasks, whether it be fix a toilet float or a door knob, or maybe even a lawnmower- I bet half of the time, they let the guy do it just so they feel like they DID something. And when they weren't looking, they REDID it, correctly anyway..
So when it comes to the blatant ignorance, and disregard of someone, like me, as another equal human- it baffles me. My brain doesn't work that way. Whether you are female or male, young or old, I believe you can do what you want, and when you want, and whatever it is, you can do it well, or do it terribly- you can love or hate doing it, but why can't you do it? And if you need assistance, you'll ask for it like any normal human being- NOT a silly sally stumbling around in the dark fidgeting until they find the hole.. rite? One of the only things that actually separates Homo Sapiens from the rest of the human type figures that graced the pages of your Anthropology book is that we SHARE HOW TO SURVIVE, we share how to use tools, and how to catch food, teach each other things.. that's how we aren't extinct.. our ability to teach and learn.
When I decided I wanted to rebuild, hell even BUY the '76, I knew it wasn't going to be easy. I knew I was going to have to spend money- on parts and tools to get the job done, and I knew I would have to ask for help in some regard- A LOT OF IT. You-Tube, Chop Cult, People I know personally, and randoms at swap meets- every avenue of information is literally at your fingertips, if you want it. But the one thing I didn't KNOW, was how people were going to treat me, talk to me, and act around me once I started telling them about my project. I never thought anything of it. I figured everyone would think it was cool, just like I thought it was cool when one of my buddies bought an old bike, not knowing anything about it, but taught himself and asked questions, read manuals and figured it out. Can ride the bike he built with his own two hands across the country. Now THAT is where my mind is at. If you build it, you can fix it: read that again.. IF YOU BUILT IT - from the frame up- YOU CAN FIX IT. I'm pretty confident I know my bike inside and out (aside form the transmission which is this winters project to learn about) and I could diagnose and figure out if I didn't already, how to fix it and get it back on the road. AMY in fact means Industrious.. ;)
 |
| exactly how I dress when working on my bikes. |
Because of my physical attributes, I've found that people don't think I am capable of achieving the same things a person of the male persuasion can. I've heard that for the last four years working for Reiman's Harley-Davidson. "You're gonna try...(TRY)... to ride THAT big bike?" hahaha.. yeah buddy, and I'll run circles around you- now you, TRY and keep up... "You're so tiny for that bike, how do you even hold it up?" "Aren't you scared a man will take your bike away?" "Wow good for you" "do you need HELP?"
Alright, now I'm OKAY with people being happy for me in my achievements, and asking if I need anything as far as getting supplies when I'm working on my bike, or help moving something that weighs 4 times my weight and isn't on wheels, or showing me how to pull a cam seal and replace it so I don't fuck myself or the bike up.. but patronizing and shocked faces of the "oh my god, you could've died" people... or the kids last week at the gas station, as I was kicking over my '76 after filling up with gas.. Oh, kick start huh? YUP. I continued my mission...DO YOU NEED HELP he asks me, after I tried kicking it once, and it faltered (shes a two kick minimum anyway) I wanted SO BADLY to turn to this kid, throw my hands up and be like, YES. please, kind and noble sir- PLEASE show me how to start this kick only bike, that I rebuilt with my two hands.. I have NO IDEA what I'm doing. Back away and watch him break his knee.. but I was too scared he'd hurt her- of course I'm not going to let anyone else start her!
YOU DUMB FUCK. I burst into laughter. Kicked her again, and rode off.
I want someone to tell me the last time they went to their buddy's house, and watched him work on his bike, car, door, house, sink- WHATEVER IT IS, I want to know.. while he was in mid torque, mid screw of the bolt holding the thing together- WHO has walked in to another man's garage, and asked "do you want me to do that for you?" and held out a hand expecting him to give you the ratchet??
SOMEONE TELL ME HOW THAT IS ACCEPTABLE. I don't get butt hurt easily, most things I let roll off my back, but honestly. How disrespectful is this? Who would be offended?
 |
| Here is my man card , SIR. |
That's me folks. These jack wagons, come to MY HOUSE and watch me wrench on MY BIKE THAT I BUILT- and offer to tighten a fucking nut on my battery box. FUCK OFF. When I feel the redness in my face increasing as I'm trying to charge my battery (pre-drain fix) and the dudes in the corner are asking "does it have gas, is it the spark plug, is it the starter- hey did you check the spark?"
OMG. stop. I will stab yo in the throat with this screwdriver.
Oh, and your 'advice' on how to adjust my 'idle screw' or my brake cable, or the INTERNAL ADJUSTMENT on my drum brake ... hahahaha.. yeah. thanks. but I'm good. (there isn't one. for everyone who doesn't know)
Now, what I WANT TO KNOW.. why is this okay? In my mind, it is the same demoralizing equivalent of a man cat calling you and asking you to shake it for him as you walk down the street. Yeah baby, it's gonna shake, but you better believe it ain't for YOU- GET OVER YOURSELVES. Your dick doesn't make you any better at anything mechanical, just like my vagina doesn't automatically make me good at raising a kid. NOPE. It could probably make one happen, but it WONT RAISE IT. If those standards held true, I should be a drug addict because of my tattoos, or a farmer because I own a chicken!
Where my ladies at? I can totally understand why we are building female only garages, female only bike clubs, and rides.. I can understand why the ignorant brain of a neanderthal human male might think you are incapable of turning a screwdriver- AND MAYBE SOME OF US AREN'T... but you know.. MAYBE you should ask, or let us try on our own before we admit defeat and let someone else do it. (its more of a human thing than a female thing) Instead of assuming (my momma always said to ASSuME makes and ASS out of U and ME) that just because she's got painted nails and a pretty face that she doesn't have a mechanical brain. I bet if you actually asked, you'd find more women who can do ordinary and easy tasks, whether it be fix a toilet float or a door knob, or maybe even a lawnmower- I bet half of the time, they let the guy do it just so they feel like they DID something. And when they weren't looking, they REDID it, correctly anyway..
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