There’s nothing like lifting a 750-pound motorcycle to set a
woman’s heart aflutter.
There’s nothing like lifting a 750-pound motorcycle to set a woman’s heart aflutter.
It takes more skill than strength, and it’s one of the tricks taught at Harley-Davidson “garage parties,” where women learn the nuts and bolts of motorcycles and are inspired to become riders.
Harley created garage parties, held at the company’s dealerships, to recruit more women customers.
The free events cover everything from motorcycle clothing to engine maintenance. There’s also the bike “lift” lesson, where a petite woman can lift a tipped-over motorcycle by using technique and her lower body strength.
“It was difficult but doable,” said Sandy Haselow, who attended a recent garage party at Suburban Harley-Davidson in Thiensville, Wis.
“I was very pleased to know that if I ever get in a situation where the bike is on its side, I could lift it back up,” she added.
Haselow, a Harley rider for five years, has attended two garage parties. She likes the events because they’re casual yet informative.
“You can always ask questions which might pop into your head when talking about the mechanical aspects of a bike,” Haselow said.
Some of the garage parties start out with flowers, balloons and snacks. Then the women tour the Harley dealership, learning the basics of motorcycle engines, transmissions, chrome-laden accessories and rider clothing.
“When it comes to clothing, some women want to be discrete. Others want to be billboards and have as much ‘bling-bling’ as possible,” said Heather Wesolowski, general merchandise manager at Stock’s Harley-Davidson in Manitowoc, Wis.
At some garage parties, women can climb aboard a running motorcycle that’s strapped down to a machine. They can twist the throttle and experience the rumble of the powerful engine without having to take the bike on the road.
“We call it a virtual ride,” said Lori Thiel, co-owner of Open Road Harley-Davidson, in Fond du Lac, Wis.
“You get a feel for the seating position and how the clutch and gears work. There’s an adrenaline rush that says ‘I did it,'” Thiel said.
House of Thunder Harley-Davidson in Morgan Hill, which will be celebrating its 10th year anniversary in May, held its annual garage party recently.
“We try to plan them for our slow times of the season between October and December,” said store manager Dan Stern. “There are always a lot of activities with the rides going on during the spring, and it makes it tough to plan something like that.”
Garage party guests get into the dealership’s service department where they learn about things such as oil changes, spark plugs and air filters. They can ask questions without feeling awkward or intimidated, since the events are aimed at beginner motorcyclists.
“And you don’t have some guy standing around who thinks that he knows everything about bikes, whether he does or not,” Wesolowski said.
Experienced women riders are encouraged to bring their female friends to garage parties, where the guests range in age from teenagers to senior citizens.
Robin Butzke, a legal assistant in Milwaukee, brought a friend to a garage party at House of Harley-Davidson in Greenfield, Wis.
“It was fun to sit back and watch her soak up information like a sponge. She later got her (motorcycle) license and bought a bike,” Butzke said.
Motorcycle riding has been a male-dominated sport for many years, but women are the fastest-growing segment. About 12 percent of Harley-Davidson motorcycle owners are female, nearly triple the number from 20 years ago.
Many husbands and wives spend weekends and vacations riding together. Harley has a Web site for women riders.
“But there’s still some stereotype of a woman not being able to handle a big, powerful bike,” said Genevieve Schmitt, founder of Women Riders Now, an online resource for women motorcyclists.
Schmitt has been the guest speaker at 25 garage parties. One of her main messages is to make riding-time a priority.
“I tell women to write it down, in pen, on their calendar. And I tell them not to be afraid to ask for help with things like watching the kids so they have time to ride with their friends or by themselves.”
For Harley dealerships, it’s hard to tell whether a garage party with about 30 guests will result in the sale of a bike. Yet it’s not unusual for someone to make that purchase during an event, even though it’s not specifically aimed at sales.
One of the most common garage-party questions is “What is the right bike for me?” Harley-Davidson has many types of motorcycles, and choosing the right one can be daunting even for experienced riders.
“We explain the differences,” said Laura Lawrence, general manager of Route 43 Harley-Davidson in Sheboygan, Wis.
“I would say that we have sold at least one bike at every garage party. At one party, we sold three,” Lawrence said.
Garage party
6:30 p.m. March 24, 1551 Parkmoor Ave. San Jose
Leave the boys behind. This is your night. San Jose Harley Davidson is holding its Performance Engineering Seminar as part of National Garage Party Month. The seminar is put on by women and is for women only. In a relaxed environment, learn about different styles of motorcycles, how to get started, how to customize your motorcycle for better ergonomics and more. RSVP at 998-1464 ext. 725.
Upcoming events
– www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/ Content/Pages/women_riders
– www.motorcyclemonster.com/events/ state-California.html
– www.sanjosehog.com
People with similar interests
– women-motorcycle-riders.meetup.com
Bay Area women’s riding clubs
– Dangerous Curves – dangerouscurves.org
– Devil Dolls – devildollsmc.org
– Raw Silk – devildollsmc.org
Upcoming at House of Thunder Harley-Davidson
16175 Condit Road, Morgan Hill, 776-1900, houseofthunderhd.com
Rides
– March 20 – Saturday Pie Ride. Scenic tour through Elkhorn Slough ending at Gizdich Ranch in Watsonville for pie.
– April 17 – Sunday Arlen Ness Motorcycle Show in San Mateo.
– May 15 – Saturday Ride to Big Sur for a lunch barbecue.
All rides start at House of Thunder and end at the destination listed. Sign up at 10 a.m. Rides begin at 11 a.m.
Events
– March 13 – Saturday St. Patrick’s Day Sale. Great deals on parts and accessories. Spend $100 and get a limited edition H.O.T. oil bottle bank.
– March 27-28 – Spring sale. New Arrivals of MotorClothes and parts at great prices.
– April 10-11 – No sales tax weekend. The dealer pays the sales tax on everything except motorcycles.
– April 24 – Laughlin sale. Great savings on selected items. Spend $150 and get a Harley limited edition dice cup with dice and playing cards.
– May 8-9 – Mothers Day sale
– May 22 – Open house and huge party. House of Thunder will be giving away a new Harley-Davidson at this event. Live radio remote from KFOX, barbecue for charity, door prizes and much more.
