1 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Emily and this is Bridget and you're 2 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:20,760 Speaker 1: listening to stuff Mom never told you. So if you 3 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:25,760 Speaker 1: liked are just you bike episode? And we I can 4 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:32,479 Speaker 1: consider ourselves right, Bridget And I'm a very soon in 5 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 1: the future to be a VESTBA owner, but that'll come 6 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:37,519 Speaker 1: up soon. You're gonna like this episode because I think 7 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 1: this is taking that whole concept up a notch if 8 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:44,319 Speaker 1: you will with a episode. I'm so excited to dive 9 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:50,279 Speaker 1: into all about women motorcyclists. And this really got on 10 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: my radar with the recent New York Times article about 11 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: Anna Carrasco from Spain, who became the first woman to 12 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 1: win an individual World champion Ship motorcycle race just last month. 13 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: That really piqued my curiosity to know more about women's 14 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 1: involvement in motorsports, in motorcycling as a leisure activity. And 15 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 1: let me tell you, the fascinating stories that we've uncovered 16 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: today really blew my mind. And I hope, I hope 17 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 1: you're all excited. So one thing that I found really 18 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:23,760 Speaker 1: really maybe surprising, but perhaps not that surprising when you 19 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:26,800 Speaker 1: break it down, is that motorcycle ridership among women is 20 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:30,400 Speaker 1: up right now, the total US motorcycle registrations reached eight 21 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: point four million fourteen, and that's almost double the numbers 22 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 1: since two thousand. According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, many 23 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 1: of those registrations actually belonged to women, only eight percent 24 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:44,400 Speaker 1: of motorcycle owners for women. Byteen, the most recent year 25 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:47,120 Speaker 1: in which the Council did these statistics, female ownership had 26 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: increased to exactly and the number of female riders rose 27 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 1: from four point three million in two thousand three to 28 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: six point seven million in two thousand and twelve. But 29 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 1: the trend here is very clear. The ridership amongst women 30 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 1: motorcyclists is on the rise. And you know who's paying 31 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 1: attention to those numbers, People who sell motorcycles, Ding, Ding, Ding. 32 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: There's a capitalist component to this, for sure. What I 33 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 1: found really interesting is that not only are the traditional 34 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: makers of motorcycles like Harley Davidson really embracing this new 35 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 1: niche market by creating motorcycles that are a little less bulky, 36 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 1: a little lower to the ground, a little more customized 37 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 1: to fit the unique needs of women's bodies and be 38 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 1: more inclusive in their design. But there's also a new 39 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 1: rise of women lead motorcycling communities, Lady Biker Gang exactly. 40 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 1: I'm so glad you said that. And there's a whole 41 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 1: new cropping up from a fashion standpoint of motorcycle attire. 42 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 1: And also, as you saw with re Re riding it 43 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 1: on a motorcycle in the New York Fashion Week runway 44 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 1: this past month, that the trend is actually influencing fashion 45 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 1: as well. Oh for sure. First of all, if you 46 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: ever seen me on Instagram, you already know I have 47 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:10,960 Speaker 1: several motorcycle tackets, so obviously it's something I'm into. I 48 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: love how this is being noticed from marketing perspective, that 49 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:17,079 Speaker 1: companies are saying, oh, women ridership is up. Let's get 50 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:20,799 Speaker 1: women stylish motorcycle inspired apparel. Let's give women bikes that 51 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 1: fit their bodies better. And fashion is saying, oh, women 52 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 1: are into motorcycles, Let's make this a style trend. I 53 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 1: just love that. Yeah, and I feel like you are 54 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 1: the target market. I'm definitely the target market. I love it. 55 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 1: And industry leaders like Harley Davidson have been particularly out 56 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 1: front about wooing women. And I was surprised to find 57 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 1: out that ten percent of its dealerships, which still feels 58 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 1: like a lot, considering that only eight percent of ridership 59 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 1: was women not that long ago. Ten percent of Harley 60 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 1: Davidson dealerships nationwide are owned by women. So it's no 61 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: surprise that Harley Davidson really took the lead by unveiling 62 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 1: a pair of Ultra street cruisers that's closer to the ground, 63 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 1: have shorter reached the handlebars, all the kinds of adaptations 64 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 1: that we see in the bicycle market, right, bridget like 65 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 1: women's bicycles, which, by the way, I ride a male Oh, 66 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 1: same design, but the handlebars are quite far like there 67 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:17,599 Speaker 1: are certain adaptations that they make for women's spikes that 68 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:21,440 Speaker 1: maybe not you're much taller than average women like you 69 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 1: and I would be interested in. But is really interesting 70 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 1: to see that those same adjustments that we see in 71 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:32,520 Speaker 1: men's versus women's bikes are now happening in motorcycles. Yeah, 72 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:35,280 Speaker 1: even though I definitely have always ridden male bikes, I 73 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 1: like that these companies aren't just you know, dying a 74 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:40,160 Speaker 1: motorcycle pink and saying it's for women, that they're actually 75 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 1: thinking about what kind of bike is going to be 76 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 1: appropriate for a woman's body, and not just pink washing 77 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 1: it and saying here you go with the ladies, a 78 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:50,080 Speaker 1: lady's version, like it's a razor or something, right, pink 79 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: it and shrink it, you know. And I think it's 80 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 1: been interesting to see the response, which has been very 81 00:04:56,480 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: positive by female riders. Now, one of the questions that 82 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 1: I wanted to dive into is what is motivating women 83 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 1: to take up writership take up motorcycling. Again, going back 84 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:11,920 Speaker 1: to our live episode about bicycling, I think it's the 85 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 1: very same thing, and that is freedom exactly. That it 86 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:19,359 Speaker 1: sounds almost cliche, but life out on the open road 87 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 1: with Lynn blowing through your hair is the number one 88 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:26,760 Speaker 1: answer that we get surprise surprise from men and women. 89 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:29,600 Speaker 1: Women tend to ride for the same reasons that men do, 90 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: but the very masculine or sort of misogynistic culture traditionally 91 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: found in motorcycle culture, which we're going to explore further 92 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:42,239 Speaker 1: in a minute, has been a little unwelcoming to women. 93 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:45,360 Speaker 1: So that's part of the reason why women's motorcycling communities 94 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:50,479 Speaker 1: are cropping up. And I found two academic published journals 95 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 1: studies about the unique sociological and cultural underpinnings to women motorcyclists. 96 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: I love the study from William Mompson, who published in 97 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:07,160 Speaker 1: the journal Deviant Behavior, which sounds like a saucy sociological publication, 98 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 1: then I should check out titled Don't call Me a 99 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 1: Biker Chick. Women motorcyclists Redefining deviant Identity. What he found, 100 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:18,280 Speaker 1: and this is straight out of the abstract of the 101 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 1: journal article, was that quote, the majority of literature on 102 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:24,480 Speaker 1: women who participate in the world of motorcycling focuses on 103 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:30,599 Speaker 1: females associated with outlaw motorcycle clubs and hardcore bikers. Roles 104 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:34,280 Speaker 1: for those women tended to be subservient and demeaning. And 105 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:37,359 Speaker 1: this is in stark contrast to the reality of why 106 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 1: so many women are writing women don't necessarily pick up 107 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:45,280 Speaker 1: motorcycling as a cultural hobby or leisure activity because they 108 00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:48,400 Speaker 1: want to be outlaws and hardcore bikers. He really found 109 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 1: that female motorcyclists redefine that deviant identity and actually don't 110 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:56,600 Speaker 1: think of themselves as a biker chick. They think of 111 00:06:56,640 --> 00:07:00,120 Speaker 1: themselves as a woman who likes to ride motorcycles. For one, 112 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:04,240 Speaker 1: it's not as integral to the biker sort of identity 113 00:07:04,279 --> 00:07:06,280 Speaker 1: and culture, like they might not be sporting the moto 114 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 1: jacket you know, seven days a week, they might be 115 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 1: strapping on the leather just to go for the weekend ride. 116 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 1: So it's interesting. So it's not even really about this 117 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:19,120 Speaker 1: like this badass cultural identity or cultural marker of being 118 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:21,440 Speaker 1: this like rebel with that a cause, you know, throwing 119 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 1: cast into the wind, that kind of thing. It's just 120 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 1: part of their individual identity as women that I'm a 121 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 1: I'm a woman who does this thing. Is that what 122 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 1: you're saying. Yeah, it's sort of like a more thought 123 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 1: of as a leisure activity than a lifestyle choice. Interesting. 124 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:34,440 Speaker 1: I wonder how that's scene with men. I feel like 125 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:38,200 Speaker 1: it's probably the afferent very different, I think um Catherine 126 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 1: Roster Out of the University of New Mexico in her 127 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 1: journal publication in the same journal called Girl Power and 128 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:50,600 Speaker 1: Participation in Macho Recreation the Case of Female Harley Writers, 129 00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:54,800 Speaker 1: she found that women have to sort of mitigate this 130 00:07:55,040 --> 00:08:01,280 Speaker 1: macho reputation that comes with being a motorcycle if that 131 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: doesn't align with their identity, if they don't identify as macho. 132 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:07,840 Speaker 1: Because obviously you can be a female and I'm sort 133 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:10,440 Speaker 1: of using air quotes here, your gender identity can be 134 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 1: one thing, and then your gender performance or presentation. You 135 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 1: could be a butch, macho woman, right, but for women 136 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:20,080 Speaker 1: who don't present that way. She found that this sort 137 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:23,800 Speaker 1: of idea of girl power represents women's attempts to redefine 138 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 1: femininity in a way that embraces the positive aspects of 139 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:33,760 Speaker 1: femininity and masculinity and resists negative stereotypes that restrict women's 140 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:38,319 Speaker 1: choices of leisure pursuits. Wow, that's fascinating, really fascinating, And 141 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:40,079 Speaker 1: I almost think when you put that in conjunction with 142 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:41,920 Speaker 1: the fact that so many of these women report that 143 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 1: they're craving this woman connection and that's one of the 144 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 1: reasons why they ride in groups, I think it really 145 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:50,840 Speaker 1: highlights that their reclaiming no riding a motorcycle isn't necessarily 146 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:54,199 Speaker 1: about this macho display of masculinity. Actually, it's a way 147 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 1: of reconnecting with what it means to be a woman 148 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:58,960 Speaker 1: and rethinking what that means to present as a woman 149 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:01,800 Speaker 1: and doing that other women in a community of women 150 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:05,240 Speaker 1: motorcyclists exactly, which is what I love about the rise 151 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 1: of female biker gangs. And I use the term gangs 152 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 1: here sort of cautiously because it's a misnomer and I 153 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:16,160 Speaker 1: want to zoom in on one example where this is 154 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:20,440 Speaker 1: happening in a mainstream way, which is Mara Kesh, a 155 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:24,239 Speaker 1: major city in Morocco. In a two thousand fourteen art exhibition, 156 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:30,199 Speaker 1: London based Moroccan artist Hassan Hajaj basically chronicled the biker 157 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:34,440 Speaker 1: culture of Marrakesh in his series called Kesh Angels, his 158 00:09:34,559 --> 00:09:40,000 Speaker 1: sort of reinterpretation of Hell's Angels, which capture Moroccan girl 159 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 1: bike gangs dishing out smug looks, intimidating sneers, and badass 160 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 1: nous short of a rock video which I just thought, 161 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:51,319 Speaker 1: you have to see these photos to believe it. They're amazing. 162 00:09:51,559 --> 00:09:53,839 Speaker 1: I love this so much. This is such a cross 163 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:56,360 Speaker 1: section of things that like make me giddy and really happy. 164 00:09:56,679 --> 00:09:58,360 Speaker 1: But I think is also so fascinating that in a 165 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 1: city like Marrakesh, really everybody writing and zooming in on 166 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:04,640 Speaker 1: this culture as it pertains to female identity. I think 167 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:07,960 Speaker 1: is so so impactful. Exactly, And in speaking to CNN, 168 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:12,160 Speaker 1: you know, Hasan admits they're not real bike gangs. You know, 169 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 1: they're not actually gangs. Gangs is a misnomer, but he 170 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 1: says these women are his friends who quote usually paint 171 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:21,480 Speaker 1: henna tattoos on tourists in the main square, but you 172 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 1: wouldn't want to run into them in a dark alley there. 173 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:27,440 Speaker 1: These girls are tough, speak up to five languages, and 174 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:30,240 Speaker 1: they're full time moms who worked ten hour days, So 175 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 1: it's just sort of this very feminine ferocity on motorcycles. 176 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:42,920 Speaker 1: That is an interesting juxtaposition of religion meets cultural identity, 177 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:45,600 Speaker 1: which is just a good sort of reminder that in 178 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:48,480 Speaker 1: a world where we, especially here in the United States, 179 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:53,960 Speaker 1: culturally associate sort of tattooed outlaw men wearing black leather jackets, 180 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 1: rolling deep with their handlebars that like you have to 181 00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:58,360 Speaker 1: put your hands away above your head to hold onto 182 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:01,040 Speaker 1: and like some desert sea mean out of a movie, 183 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:06,960 Speaker 1: is not necessarily how the motorcycle culture is developing. Right. 184 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 1: This reminds me so much of when I was in 185 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:12,560 Speaker 1: sixth grade finding out my geometry teacher wrote a motorcycle 186 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:14,760 Speaker 1: and she was this little old lady. You never thought 187 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 1: that she was a motorcycle writer. And I haven't been 188 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:18,720 Speaker 1: thinking like what does this mean about her life, because 189 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:20,160 Speaker 1: you know, I was a kid. I assumed she was 190 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:22,520 Speaker 1: like bare knuckle boxing after school, and I was like, 191 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:25,000 Speaker 1: what does this mean. I remember asking her like, what 192 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:26,960 Speaker 1: does this mean, Like you're a motorcyclist, and she was 193 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:29,280 Speaker 1: just like, yeah, I just like it because she's for fun, 194 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:33,040 Speaker 1: and how it didn't compromise her identity as a you know, 195 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:35,560 Speaker 1: nerdy math teacher. She was still a nerdy math teacher, 196 00:11:35,559 --> 00:11:38,280 Speaker 1: but motorcycling was something that she did. And so I 197 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 1: love this idea of you know, the mom who works 198 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:43,679 Speaker 1: ten hour days, or the nurse or the painter or whoever, 199 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:47,600 Speaker 1: motorcycling just being another aspect of who they are exactly. 200 00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:50,360 Speaker 1: And that's what all the sociological research says. What I 201 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 1: found interesting is a couple of other arguments that came 202 00:11:52,559 --> 00:11:56,200 Speaker 1: up in the research. Besides freedom and wanting, that leisure 203 00:11:56,200 --> 00:12:00,200 Speaker 1: activity is practicality, the benefits from an environmental standpoint, from 204 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 1: a gas saving standpoint, being able to speed through l 205 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 1: a traffic on your cycle. I mean, all of these 206 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:10,800 Speaker 1: reasons are both practical and cultural. But you have to 207 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:13,280 Speaker 1: overcome That's the thing you have to as a woman, 208 00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:20,920 Speaker 1: overcome those potentially negative stereotypes that really are based in 209 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:27,520 Speaker 1: historical truths about the misogynistic culture surrounding biker gang culture. Well, 210 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:29,240 Speaker 1: you know what the seat on the back of a 211 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:34,319 Speaker 1: bike is called, uh the seat. Oh yeah, I mean 212 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:36,839 Speaker 1: I've heard that some male motorcyclists don't even want to 213 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:38,200 Speaker 1: ride on the back because they don't want to be 214 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:42,240 Speaker 1: considered the well. I've seen plenty of photos in my 215 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 1: research for this episode of women riding with their men 216 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:49,280 Speaker 1: behind them. And I once rescued Brad the Boo on 217 00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:52,080 Speaker 1: a jet ski in a very similar fashion. As we 218 00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:56,120 Speaker 1: were jet skiing around Austin Um ladyberg Lake and his 219 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:59,120 Speaker 1: jet ski seized up and flooded and I had to 220 00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:01,560 Speaker 1: save the day. Were you his queen and a shining 221 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 1: bathing suit? Yeah, And I was like, like, going full 222 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:07,680 Speaker 1: throttle on this jet ski on a rescue mission. I 223 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 1: got you. It was great. There's a photo on my 224 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:13,760 Speaker 1: Instagram about it. So I'm excited to see that motorcycle 225 00:13:13,800 --> 00:13:15,400 Speaker 1: culture is changing. And when we come back from a 226 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:17,120 Speaker 1: quick break, we're going to talk about why that's so 227 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:21,880 Speaker 1: important and some of the misogynistic history behind biker culture. 228 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:32,959 Speaker 1: And we are talking about the rise of women motorcyclists 229 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 1: here in America and across the globe. And what's interesting 230 00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:40,839 Speaker 1: is that this is a definite moment of transition for 231 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:44,920 Speaker 1: the motorcycle industry because traditionally speaking, not too long ago, 232 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:49,200 Speaker 1: just a few years ago, before more manufacturers began heavily 233 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:53,959 Speaker 1: targeting women as potential consumers and riders, they were using 234 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:57,719 Speaker 1: women in a very different, not so great way when 235 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:01,240 Speaker 1: it came to selling their bikes. Well, perhaps surprisingly, women 236 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:03,480 Speaker 1: and their bodies are just sort of considered to be 237 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:06,880 Speaker 1: almost accessories in some ways. There's a really interesting piece 238 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:09,640 Speaker 1: by Chris Cope in The Motorcycle Obsession where he talks 239 00:14:09,679 --> 00:14:11,640 Speaker 1: about what it would be like for his wife if 240 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:14,080 Speaker 1: him and his wife went to a motorcycle show where 241 00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 1: she wanted to look at some of the bikes and 242 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:17,920 Speaker 1: test them out. And she goes there and sees these 243 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:22,120 Speaker 1: women scantily clad. Really is sort of displaying more like models. 244 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:24,080 Speaker 1: How is that supposed to make her feel as a 245 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:26,680 Speaker 1: woman who's into motorcycles? And I think I've seen this 246 00:14:26,760 --> 00:14:29,520 Speaker 1: in so many different facets, things like booth babes at 247 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:32,960 Speaker 1: gaming conventions, or when they have girls in bikinis at 248 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:35,800 Speaker 1: tech conventions. Things like that. It just sends the message 249 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:38,040 Speaker 1: that women are just there to be accessories, are just 250 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:40,080 Speaker 1: there to be a sexy body on the back of 251 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 1: your bike, not someone who is there to actually appreciate 252 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,960 Speaker 1: the art of motorcycles exactly. And I'm glad to see 253 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:49,120 Speaker 1: that there's more press being written that's putting pressure on 254 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:53,920 Speaker 1: motorcycle companies and marketing departments of those companies to treat 255 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 1: women like consumers and not for the bikes. You know, 256 00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:01,240 Speaker 1: what's also interesting when you look at the misogyny inherent 257 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:05,120 Speaker 1: to biker gang culture is that there really are some 258 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:08,520 Speaker 1: bike gangs. There really are actual legit bike gangs that 259 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:12,280 Speaker 1: the FBI has on their watch list, and they're called 260 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:15,600 Speaker 1: o mg s, which I think is a friendly misnomer, 261 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 1: but it stands for outlaw motorcycle gangs, and this is 262 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:22,560 Speaker 1: a real problem. You might remember back in two thousand fifteen, 263 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:26,400 Speaker 1: there was that clash between the Bandidos and the Cossacks 264 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:29,720 Speaker 1: to rival biker gangs in the parking lot of a 265 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:33,040 Speaker 1: Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco, Texas, a shootout. Nine people 266 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 1: were killed, eighteen were injured, and at least a hundred 267 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 1: and seventy were arrested. A hundred seventy arrested in a 268 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:43,200 Speaker 1: shootout in a parking lot. I was working for MSNBC 269 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 1: E when this story broke and I remember when you 270 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:48,360 Speaker 1: were recovering it. I thought, this seems like something out 271 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 1: of a movie. How is the real thing? And I 272 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:53,120 Speaker 1: guess motorcycle gangs is one of those things where you 273 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:56,480 Speaker 1: might think it's not really a thing that's happening in 274 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:59,400 Speaker 1: twenties seventeen. But if the thing that's happening, it's so bizarre. 275 00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:02,560 Speaker 1: I mean, it is important to point out that motorcycle 276 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:05,400 Speaker 1: gangs are a very small portion of all the gangs 277 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:07,200 Speaker 1: that we have to worry about in the United States 278 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:10,280 Speaker 1: right now, but they were much more prominent after World 279 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:14,200 Speaker 1: War Two, when subcultures that promoted nonconformity and outlaw life 280 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 1: really came to the forefront. Today, really, these o mg 281 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:21,080 Speaker 1: s are only about two point five percent of all 282 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:24,440 Speaker 1: gang members here in the United States, but interestingly, the 283 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:29,600 Speaker 1: FBI considers them a disproportionately large threat. In two thousand thirteen, 284 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:32,680 Speaker 1: in the National Gang Report, the FBI found that even 285 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:36,440 Speaker 1: of respondents report that omg s, I can't even say 286 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:40,400 Speaker 1: that without laughing, but outlaw motorcycle gangs are the most 287 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:43,400 Speaker 1: violent gang type in their area, and as bad as 288 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 1: that is. Furthermore, biker gangs and white supremacist ideology are 289 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:50,480 Speaker 1: increasingly linked all five of the major white supremacist movements 290 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:53,480 Speaker 1: in the US. That's Neo Nazis, racist skinheads, the Complex 291 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:56,840 Speaker 1: Klan groups, racist prison gangs, and Christian identity groups have 292 00:16:56,960 --> 00:17:01,960 Speaker 1: developed noteworthy ties to biker subculture exactly. So it's interesting 293 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:05,840 Speaker 1: to see what a stark contrast the rise of female 294 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 1: ridership with motorcycles and really primarily as a leisure activity 295 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:14,560 Speaker 1: for women, operates in a very different way, in a 296 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:18,800 Speaker 1: more communal, sort of based way. Well, I guess games 297 00:17:18,840 --> 00:17:21,520 Speaker 1: are pretty communal too, right, but it's it's like one 298 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:24,640 Speaker 1: is much more inherent to your identity. I'm an outlaw, 299 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: I'm a rebel, I'm a I'm part of a subculture 300 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:31,639 Speaker 1: that shares my ideology that sort of traditional common and 301 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:35,840 Speaker 1: the primary motivator behind women's increasing ridership is much more 302 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:37,679 Speaker 1: This is a leisure activity I do for fun, well 303 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 1: for women. It's not connected to this this intense ideology. 304 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:43,280 Speaker 1: And I almost be like, these men are giving other 305 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:46,920 Speaker 1: riders a bad rap. If motorcycling is inherently entwined with, 306 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:50,760 Speaker 1: you know, racist, hateful ideology, as the Anti Deformation League suggests, 307 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:53,880 Speaker 1: what does that say about all the other people, particularly women, 308 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:55,760 Speaker 1: who are getting into this because they want to connect 309 00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:58,240 Speaker 1: with other women and sort of find themselves and be 310 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:01,840 Speaker 1: free on the open road. Yeah, and I would argue 311 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:06,199 Speaker 1: that there are plenty of men who pursue motorcycling as 312 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:08,840 Speaker 1: a leisure activity as well. But it is interesting that 313 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:12,000 Speaker 1: there is a cultural association here to contend with whether 314 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 1: you identify as an outlaw or not. You know, women 315 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:19,640 Speaker 1: have to overcome the hyper macho, misogynistic history and culture 316 00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:23,120 Speaker 1: to even get into it, and I've seen this firsthand. 317 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:26,639 Speaker 1: I think I mentioned this in our Nipples episode because 318 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:31,600 Speaker 1: they're related that I, in a very weird turn of events, 319 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:37,240 Speaker 1: found myself at an East Coast Sturgist rally. The Sturgist 320 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:40,320 Speaker 1: biker rallies, which I think are much more prominent and 321 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:43,199 Speaker 1: popular in the West Coast. I don't even know how 322 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:46,280 Speaker 1: to describe it, but they're basically these huge parties that 323 00:18:46,440 --> 00:18:51,600 Speaker 1: center around biker culture. And women's presence at this rally 324 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:57,199 Speaker 1: was very sparse for starters, and primarily the women I 325 00:18:57,200 --> 00:19:00,040 Speaker 1: saw there appeared to be there for men's entertainment, and 326 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:03,560 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure there were some like professional sex workers present, 327 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:07,480 Speaker 1: which might explain like the fully nude women that were 328 00:19:07,520 --> 00:19:11,880 Speaker 1: in like broad daylight, stripping down just like taking off 329 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:14,520 Speaker 1: their pants and sort of bending over while we were 330 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:19,720 Speaker 1: what we were getting a drink. I founded yourself there? 331 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:22,840 Speaker 1: Just how did Emily find herself there? This was a 332 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:25,719 Speaker 1: yuppie hiking trip. Okay, So me and my yuppy friends 333 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:27,359 Speaker 1: were like, let's go out of the woods for a 334 00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:30,159 Speaker 1: hiking trip. And our friend had a house in Virginia, 335 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:33,480 Speaker 1: and so we heard about this whole thing that was 336 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:36,080 Speaker 1: happening not too far from the from the house in Virginia, 337 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:37,960 Speaker 1: and so we're like, what do a bunch of young 338 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:40,479 Speaker 1: urban professionals want to do today? Let's go to the 339 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 1: Sturgis rally and have a beer and hang out with 340 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 1: these motorcyclist laws. As they're doing donuts in the parking lots. 341 00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:48,879 Speaker 1: I had a very sheepish young man come up to 342 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:52,640 Speaker 1: me and say, um, would you show us your wait? 343 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:57,160 Speaker 1: He asked you. Yeah, he was very cool, ex would 344 00:19:57,200 --> 00:19:59,440 Speaker 1: you please show us your talk? Can I trouble you 345 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:02,440 Speaker 1: for your breasts? Please? And then this is in front 346 00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:05,120 Speaker 1: of all of my friends, all of whom were dudes. Right, 347 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:08,440 Speaker 1: So I'm with Brad the Boo and like three other 348 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:10,440 Speaker 1: guy friends who were we were all doing this big 349 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:13,320 Speaker 1: hiking thing that weekend. And I looked at him and 350 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:16,600 Speaker 1: I was like, absolutely not, you know. And he was like, okay, 351 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:18,879 Speaker 1: thank you, and he you know, his friends like dared 352 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:20,959 Speaker 1: him to come up to me. In my mind, he's like, 353 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:23,439 Speaker 1: thank you for your time. I really appreciate it. Yes, 354 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:26,520 Speaker 1: saved the pandas or whatever. And I'm like, yeah, move along, sir, 355 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:29,919 Speaker 1: move along. And meanwhile, there are women next to me 356 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:33,280 Speaker 1: who are pulling down their jean shorts and bending over, 357 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:37,199 Speaker 1: perhaps for fun, I don't know, maybe that's maybe they were. 358 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:39,440 Speaker 1: They seemed like they were enjoying themselves. Maybe they were 359 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:42,000 Speaker 1: making money doing it. I'm not sure. But every time 360 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:45,520 Speaker 1: we drove past the entrance to the rally, because we 361 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:47,080 Speaker 1: had to go on a drive to get out for 362 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:49,199 Speaker 1: our hike and stuff, um, and there was like a 363 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:51,960 Speaker 1: swimming hole nearby that we were swimming in, I was 364 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:54,359 Speaker 1: like on the back of a truck and it was 365 00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:57,639 Speaker 1: like you needed to hide because they were stopping cars 366 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:00,760 Speaker 1: and asking you to like show us your as your 367 00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:03,120 Speaker 1: entry fee to continue on the road. Like women were 368 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:05,560 Speaker 1: just flashing everybody left and right. And here's the thing, 369 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:10,000 Speaker 1: that might not be the most appealing biker rally for 370 00:21:10,119 --> 00:21:12,760 Speaker 1: women who are getting into motorcycling to go to. It's 371 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:16,560 Speaker 1: clearly a difference between seeing women as participants and seeing 372 00:21:16,560 --> 00:21:20,199 Speaker 1: women as commodities or accessories or just sort of things 373 00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:22,360 Speaker 1: that go along with the culture. And it goes back 374 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:24,520 Speaker 1: to exactly what that guy was writing about with the 375 00:21:24,560 --> 00:21:26,800 Speaker 1: example with his wife, Like, if all you are seeing 376 00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:29,720 Speaker 1: is these messages, even if they're subtle, like a girl 377 00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 1: wearing a bikini at a biker show, or not so 378 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:35,000 Speaker 1: subtle like being asked to show your boobs at a 379 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:37,879 Speaker 1: biker event, all of these add up to giving you 380 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:40,679 Speaker 1: the signal that you are not fully viewed as a 381 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:44,320 Speaker 1: participant in this culture. You are just a side decoration. Yeah, 382 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:48,960 Speaker 1: it's very dehumanizing, you know. It's I just I'll never 383 00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:52,879 Speaker 1: forget that guy sheepishly asking me, excuse me, I have 384 00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:55,320 Speaker 1: a request for you. Um well, here's the good news 385 00:21:55,359 --> 00:21:58,200 Speaker 1: to pivot away from my sturgist rally experience, which I'm 386 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:00,399 Speaker 1: happy to talk more about on the internet. I was 387 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:03,840 Speaker 1: also very encouraged to find and we would really be 388 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:06,720 Speaker 1: remiss if we didn't cover this too, that there's a 389 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:09,840 Speaker 1: whole other culture of motorcycling and that is the world 390 00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:14,800 Speaker 1: of cyclocross or moto sports. And just as a disclaimer, 391 00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:18,359 Speaker 1: we're not sports experts here. I don't know a hockey 392 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:21,240 Speaker 1: puck from a baseball like if my life depended on it, 393 00:22:21,280 --> 00:22:23,480 Speaker 1: you might score a goal or a touchdown on a 394 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 1: soccer fielder or whatever. I don't know. But what I 395 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:30,879 Speaker 1: do now is this championship that Anna carrasco one is 396 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:34,359 Speaker 1: super significant. And we can't say that all biking is 397 00:22:34,920 --> 00:22:40,240 Speaker 1: inherently tied to that macho rebel culture because a huge 398 00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:44,280 Speaker 1: portion of motorcycle sporting that's happening is much more of 399 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:47,560 Speaker 1: an athletic endeavor. What I love about Anna's story is, 400 00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:49,600 Speaker 1: like a lot of folks, she's went on a motorcycle 401 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:52,360 Speaker 1: for basically her whole life. She started riding motorcycles when 402 00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:54,400 Speaker 1: she was just three years old, back when her mechanic 403 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:56,840 Speaker 1: father first taught her how to ride um. She trained 404 00:22:56,880 --> 00:22:58,960 Speaker 1: seriously over the next couple of years and began to 405 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:02,280 Speaker 1: compete internationally around age sixteen. And I think her victory 406 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 1: is so significant and symbolic because quite frankly, the headlines 407 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:09,320 Speaker 1: about women in motorsports hasn't been that great lately. I 408 00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:12,240 Speaker 1: mean even New York Times says that women's participation in 409 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:16,280 Speaker 1: top level motorcycle racing has been spotty. A women only 410 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:20,320 Speaker 1: series only lasted two years before they scrapped the whole 411 00:23:20,359 --> 00:23:23,720 Speaker 1: idea last season. You know, recently we saw Dana Kapatrick, 412 00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 1: who's probably the most famous woman in motor sports. And 413 00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:31,240 Speaker 1: granted she's a NASCAR race car driver, not a motorcyclist. Um. 414 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:33,320 Speaker 1: You know, despite winning an Indie car race in two 415 00:23:33,320 --> 00:23:37,080 Speaker 1: thousand and eight, she lost her job fairly recently. It 416 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:40,000 Speaker 1: just this past month with Stuart Hawes Racing, and her 417 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:45,399 Speaker 1: driving future is unclear. So while women have been showing 418 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:48,520 Speaker 1: up when it comes to motorcycling in particular, there has 419 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:50,960 Speaker 1: not been a lot of good headlines lately totally. Well, 420 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:52,800 Speaker 1: going back to Anna, That's why I think her win 421 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:55,320 Speaker 1: was so important because it really marked a win not 422 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:58,879 Speaker 1: just for her but for women motorcyclists everywhere. When talking 423 00:23:58,880 --> 00:24:00,879 Speaker 1: about her win, she said, we worked really hard to 424 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:03,359 Speaker 1: get here and that we've if she's referring to isn't 425 00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:05,680 Speaker 1: just it's her, it's her father who taught her to ride, 426 00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:09,200 Speaker 1: but it's also this community of women everywhere who ride motorcycles, 427 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:12,520 Speaker 1: and I just love highlighting that despite all of the 428 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:14,920 Speaker 1: negative headlines that women have been getting in this kind 429 00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:17,679 Speaker 1: in these kinds of arenas, going back to seeing a 430 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:21,000 Speaker 1: woman really, you know, excel and having that be at 431 00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:25,160 Speaker 1: victory for all women on two wheels or whatever. Don't 432 00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:27,880 Speaker 1: I shouldn't make sports jokes. I love it. I love 433 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:32,520 Speaker 1: it well on two electric motors, two electric and I 434 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:35,199 Speaker 1: think it's important to note that there are plenty of 435 00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:38,800 Speaker 1: young women and girls getting in a motocross or moto 436 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 1: sports however you want to call it, you know, basically 437 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:45,320 Speaker 1: hopping on motorcycles at much younger ages. And though I 438 00:24:45,359 --> 00:24:48,160 Speaker 1: wasn't able to find like hard numbers on how many 439 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:51,280 Speaker 1: young girls are participating in those kinds of leagues, I 440 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:56,040 Speaker 1: did find that this sport is especially big amongst young 441 00:24:56,200 --> 00:25:00,640 Speaker 1: kids in the American South and Australia in the UK. 442 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:03,440 Speaker 1: That doesn't surprise me at all. Growing up in the South, 443 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:06,159 Speaker 1: I've definitely seen some really really cute little girls on 444 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:08,320 Speaker 1: their on their little bikes with their little helmet. It's 445 00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:10,000 Speaker 1: the cutest thing. If you've ever seen a picture of 446 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:13,520 Speaker 1: a little kid on a like a tiny kid's motorcross bike, 447 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:16,480 Speaker 1: it's the cutest single ever see doesn't like instantly make 448 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:18,880 Speaker 1: you think like you're gonna break your neck, Like get 449 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:22,160 Speaker 1: off the freaking motorcycle because my mom, I think, forbid 450 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:24,920 Speaker 1: me from ever hopping on a motorcycle. It was like, 451 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:26,639 Speaker 1: this is not a thing because her mom is a 452 00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:31,480 Speaker 1: medical professionals. Not the safest thing in the world. But again, 453 00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:33,960 Speaker 1: that shouldn't prevent us from having girls be involved as 454 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:37,359 Speaker 1: not just boys. Exactly interesting, All right, when we come 455 00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 1: back from a quick break, I want to wrap this 456 00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:43,360 Speaker 1: up with a look backwards. We know that women are 457 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:47,119 Speaker 1: a big part of the future of the motorcycling industry 458 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:50,040 Speaker 1: here in the United States and well beyond, and we 459 00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:52,520 Speaker 1: want to look at a few notable women from history 460 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:56,560 Speaker 1: who are pioneers on two wheels. We'll be right back there, 461 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:08,080 Speaker 1: and we're back and there are two women out of 462 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:12,159 Speaker 1: many notable women motorcyclists in history that we have to 463 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:16,600 Speaker 1: talk about. And the first is Bessie Stringfield. Bessie Stringfield, 464 00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:19,120 Speaker 1: I had never heard of her before researching this episode, 465 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:23,359 Speaker 1: but she's my new idol. She's amazing. In nineteen thirty, 466 00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:26,040 Speaker 1: at age nineteen, she became the first black woman to 467 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:29,200 Speaker 1: ride across the United States by herself. Before the interstate 468 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:32,200 Speaker 1: system was developed, road travel was really this like scary thing. 469 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:34,120 Speaker 1: It was a lot more complicated than you might think 470 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:37,320 Speaker 1: of now because the interstate travel wasn't sort of situated yet. 471 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:40,720 Speaker 1: And she did this by herself. But when she came 472 00:26:40,760 --> 00:26:43,679 Speaker 1: back to Florida, this woman who had you know, written 473 00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:46,400 Speaker 1: all over the United States found herself getting run off 474 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:49,160 Speaker 1: the roads because she was a black woman on a motorcycle, 475 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:51,639 Speaker 1: which is is awful despite the fact that the roads 476 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:54,520 Speaker 1: were treacherous from a technical standpoint, because she was such 477 00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:57,159 Speaker 1: a skilled driver, that was one challenge that she was 478 00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:00,480 Speaker 1: able to manage. But beyond that, this is nice. Teen 479 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:03,720 Speaker 1: thirty when she made her first cross country solo track, 480 00:27:04,080 --> 00:27:06,680 Speaker 1: so she faced sort of a double danger in terms 481 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:12,200 Speaker 1: of navigating Jim Crow era discrimination and overt racism exactly. 482 00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:14,840 Speaker 1: I can only imagine like what she was up against 483 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:17,879 Speaker 1: and also doing this by herself. I can only imagine 484 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:20,280 Speaker 1: after her first trip across the United States, she would 485 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:23,560 Speaker 1: go on to complete that journey seven more times, eventually 486 00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:26,159 Speaker 1: visiting all forty eight of the contiguous states in the 487 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:29,439 Speaker 1: United States, plus Europe, Brazil, and Haiti. This is the 488 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:32,000 Speaker 1: coolest thing I've ever heard. One of her favorite games 489 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:34,840 Speaker 1: was tossing a penny onto a map and traveling wherever 490 00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:37,960 Speaker 1: ittt landed. I love that. And this is a woman who, 491 00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:40,320 Speaker 1: like by the time World War two rolled around, she's 492 00:27:40,800 --> 00:27:46,399 Speaker 1: a fixture on the motorcycle circuit. She's a famous female motorcyclist, 493 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:50,320 Speaker 1: and she spent her life sort of making her hobby, 494 00:27:50,359 --> 00:27:53,200 Speaker 1: making this leisure activity her living. Yeah. She said that 495 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:56,160 Speaker 1: she would fund her trips by doing motorcycle tricks at 496 00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:58,159 Speaker 1: local carnivals, and that's how she would get money to 497 00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:01,040 Speaker 1: go on these amazing motorcycle journeys. Yeah, and get money 498 00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:04,560 Speaker 1: to own the twenty seven Harley Davidson's that she owned 499 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:06,959 Speaker 1: over the course of her lifetime. She then went on 500 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:10,920 Speaker 1: to work with the Army as a civilian motorcycle dispatch rider, 501 00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:13,440 Speaker 1: which is just a whole other level of badassory for 502 00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:16,800 Speaker 1: this woman. Unsurprisingly, she was the only woman in her 503 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:20,080 Speaker 1: unit at the time, and she ended up fixing an 504 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:23,919 Speaker 1: Army crest to the front of her blue Harley sixty one. 505 00:28:24,040 --> 00:28:27,520 Speaker 1: But despite her service really to the nation and her 506 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:32,040 Speaker 1: fame as such a skilled in talented motorcyclist, in the 507 00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:35,320 Speaker 1: nineteen fifties when Stringfield made her home in Miami, where 508 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:38,400 Speaker 1: she became a registered nurse and founded the Iron Horse 509 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:42,479 Speaker 1: Motorcycle Club. Her community wasn't initially all that welcoming of her, 510 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:45,320 Speaker 1: were they. That's to say the least of it. Basically, 511 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:47,520 Speaker 1: when she was trying to ride around she was pulled 512 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:50,960 Speaker 1: over by the police had said blank insert floor here, 513 00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:54,560 Speaker 1: women are not allowed to ride motorcycles. Which, again, if 514 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:57,760 Speaker 1: you had spent your life pouring all of yourself into 515 00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:00,680 Speaker 1: this craft, finding ways to finance this aft through your 516 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:03,520 Speaker 1: ability to find motorcycles, being told by her own community 517 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:07,480 Speaker 1: that that's not okay is horrifying, but by your community 518 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:11,760 Speaker 1: like armed police, right. But rather than quit, what she 519 00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:14,240 Speaker 1: did was arranged a meeting with the chief of police, 520 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:17,040 Speaker 1: took him to a local park and proved her motorcycle 521 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:20,440 Speaker 1: skills firsthand. She was never targeted by police again after 522 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:23,640 Speaker 1: that demonstration, and instead she ended up performing in races, 523 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:27,480 Speaker 1: earning the nickname the Motorcycle Queen of Miami. After winning 524 00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:30,000 Speaker 1: one race disguised as a man, she took off her 525 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:34,120 Speaker 1: helmet to claim the prize and was subsequently refused. How 526 00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:40,600 Speaker 1: badass is this woman? So badass? So despite all the bs, sexist, racist, 527 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:44,720 Speaker 1: you know, intense, life threatening obstacles that were put in 528 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:47,920 Speaker 1: her path. She was eventually inducted into the Motorcycle Hall 529 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:51,000 Speaker 1: of Fame in two thousand two, and in June, the 530 00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:54,880 Speaker 1: Miami Times reported that two female riders would travel to Stringfields, 531 00:29:54,880 --> 00:29:59,240 Speaker 1: South Florida home to honor the late pioneer. One last 532 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:01,520 Speaker 1: thing about her that I love. It's sort of maybe 533 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 1: a little bit reckless, but god, it's so badass. Doctors 534 00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:07,640 Speaker 1: advised her to stop riding because of a heart condition, 535 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:10,160 Speaker 1: and she said, I told him if I don't ride, 536 00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:12,600 Speaker 1: I won't live long. And so I never did quit. 537 00:30:13,240 --> 00:30:17,719 Speaker 1: Stringfield died in at age eighty two, and her badass 538 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:25,280 Speaker 1: legacy lives on to this day. It rides on. I'm 539 00:30:25,320 --> 00:30:29,360 Speaker 1: loving how much you are embracing funds right now. Okay, 540 00:30:29,720 --> 00:30:33,880 Speaker 1: one other incredible woman motorcycle badass we have to talk 541 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:37,680 Speaker 1: about is named Elspeth Beard. Now. She is a more 542 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:41,840 Speaker 1: modern take on a badass motorcycle woman, and she became 543 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:46,680 Speaker 1: the first english woman to ride a motorcycle across the 544 00:30:46,720 --> 00:30:50,120 Speaker 1: world in two which I just think is like such 545 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:55,240 Speaker 1: an incredibly audacious goal to even vocalize, much less succeed 546 00:30:55,240 --> 00:30:59,160 Speaker 1: in achieving because think about it, it's before smartphones, navigation, 547 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:02,720 Speaker 1: all that before the Internet. Really, while mainstreaming of the Internet, 548 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:05,960 Speaker 1: I guess like pseudo email was available ben So at age, 549 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:08,880 Speaker 1: el Smeth had just finished the first three years of 550 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:12,680 Speaker 1: her architectural studies and saved about a thousand pounds or 551 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:17,080 Speaker 1: American dollars working behind the bar at her local pub, 552 00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:20,920 Speaker 1: making her the most English woman ever. This is exactly 553 00:31:20,920 --> 00:31:24,000 Speaker 1: what my experience studying in London was like. And she 554 00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:28,000 Speaker 1: started her journey in New York after buying a ticket 555 00:31:28,120 --> 00:31:30,400 Speaker 1: for her and the bike to go one way to 556 00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:32,960 Speaker 1: the States from the Big Apple. She went up to Canada, 557 00:31:33,040 --> 00:31:35,520 Speaker 1: down to Mexico all the way to l A, where 558 00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:39,080 Speaker 1: she then shipped the bike to Sydney, but stopped off 559 00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:41,560 Speaker 1: to see New Zealand on foot while the bike was 560 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 1: in transit. She ended up in the like this is 561 00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:47,240 Speaker 1: making her sound like all of my English friends who 562 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:49,800 Speaker 1: did this and there around from place to place to 563 00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:52,680 Speaker 1: place and winding up places, which I think is something 564 00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:54,960 Speaker 1: we Americans could learn a thing or two about. She 565 00:31:55,040 --> 00:31:58,160 Speaker 1: ended up spending seven months in Sydney working in an 566 00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:02,440 Speaker 1: architectural practice because she ran out of money. What is 567 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:05,640 Speaker 1: her life? I know, so she's you know, she's gaining 568 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:11,240 Speaker 1: experience in her professional domain and replenishing her diminished funds. 569 00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:14,000 Speaker 1: And while she wrote all over Australia, she had her 570 00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:18,880 Speaker 1: first big accident that thankfully left her with no broken phones, 571 00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:21,840 Speaker 1: but a bad concussion that left her in the hospital 572 00:32:21,880 --> 00:32:25,560 Speaker 1: for two weeks. Before continuing on her journey. Later on 573 00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:28,120 Speaker 1: in Singapore, she actually ended up having a disaster of 574 00:32:28,160 --> 00:32:31,040 Speaker 1: a different kind when all of her valuables, including her passport, 575 00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:33,680 Speaker 1: interviews up, were stolen. And we've ever been traveling abroad, 576 00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:37,120 Speaker 1: you know, that's terrifying. She would then go back to London, 577 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:39,480 Speaker 1: where she had been away for three years. When she 578 00:32:39,520 --> 00:32:41,800 Speaker 1: got back to London, she had added forty eight thousand 579 00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:44,440 Speaker 1: miles to her our sixties dodometer, so now it read 580 00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:47,719 Speaker 1: eighty eight thousand. She stripped away and completely rebuilt her 581 00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:49,600 Speaker 1: engine and herself and the bike is actually still in 582 00:32:49,640 --> 00:32:51,480 Speaker 1: working order today, which when you think about it, is 583 00:32:51,520 --> 00:32:54,600 Speaker 1: pretty freaking impressive. And what's even more impressive to me 584 00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:56,600 Speaker 1: is that this twenty four year old we took three 585 00:32:56,680 --> 00:32:59,920 Speaker 1: years to do something insanely audacious like ride her motors, 586 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:04,920 Speaker 1: scile around the Globe, returns to London, completes her architectural studies, 587 00:33:05,200 --> 00:33:10,400 Speaker 1: spend seven years renovating a water tower into a architecturally 588 00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:13,920 Speaker 1: fascinating home of her own, where she then raises her 589 00:33:13,920 --> 00:33:17,960 Speaker 1: own son while working full time and establishing her own 590 00:33:18,040 --> 00:33:20,640 Speaker 1: architectural practice. Yeah. So, what I love about that is 591 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:23,400 Speaker 1: you could take time off to do this incredibly ambitious, 592 00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:27,040 Speaker 1: motor dangerous motorcycle journey on your own as a woman 593 00:33:27,080 --> 00:33:30,040 Speaker 1: across these different countries, come back and just go right 594 00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:32,720 Speaker 1: back to crushing out architecture, and mean a famous architect 595 00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:35,880 Speaker 1: that people make documentaries about exactly. She's award winning, She's 596 00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:38,960 Speaker 1: got two Japanese TV documentaries devoted to her life and work. 597 00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:45,120 Speaker 1: And I just I just love how like her experience 598 00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:49,440 Speaker 1: with motorcycling is just part and parcel of and indicative 599 00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:54,760 Speaker 1: of her adventurous, fearless spirit. I just I'm so impressed 600 00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:58,440 Speaker 1: with the women who ride motorcycles that I'm now tempted 601 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:02,120 Speaker 1: to completely diso a my mother's orders and dare to 602 00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:05,280 Speaker 1: do that myself someday. But first we want to hear 603 00:34:05,320 --> 00:34:08,400 Speaker 1: from you, sinty listeners. Do you ride out on the 604 00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:13,359 Speaker 1: open road? How do you identify with your motorcycle um 605 00:34:13,400 --> 00:34:15,680 Speaker 1: hobby or is it a leisure activity or is it 606 00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:19,200 Speaker 1: a lifestyle to you? And if you have always wanted 607 00:34:19,239 --> 00:34:21,560 Speaker 1: to get into motorcycling but haven't, why why has that 608 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:24,520 Speaker 1: held your back? Let's keep this conversation going. You can 609 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:27,920 Speaker 1: always find us on Twitter at mom Stuff Podcast. You 610 00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:30,279 Speaker 1: can find us on Instagram at stuff Mom Never Told You, 611 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:33,279 Speaker 1: And as always we love getting your emails at mom 612 00:34:33,360 --> 00:34:46,319 Speaker 1: Stuff at how stuff works dot com