American Motorcyclist 07 2009 Preview

JULY 2009

FAST FORWARD

SEVEN WOMEN WHO DON’T WAIT AROUND

MEMBER DISCOUNT

CHAR-BROIL GRILL

*30*265º,=,5;:»(;(4,90*(546;69*@*30:;*64-69469,05-6

Snapshots

Winner: Brett Bedell captured his two boys pushing their KTMs up to the line at their local motocross track. “I don’t think my wife and I have since taken a picture that captures the essence of the sport our family loves to do on a weekly basis,” he says. Below: 1) Thomas Ackermann riding in Colorado. 2) Richard Ayer sent this shot of Jillayne Deyoung riding her just-purchased 1980 Suzuki GS 750EX. 3) Bob “Bomber Bob” Becker, Dan “Lieutenant” Nye, Kip “Uncle Kip” Partridge, Steve “Plumber” Dille, Rich “Maverick” Stark and Sean “BigStick” Balaun at Mike’s in

4) Little Bryant Bernard Jr. meets a hero. 5) John Chaves. 6

Ewing snapped this pic in the Great Smoky Mountains. 8) The Vleisides family

in Moab, Utah: Nick, Heidi, Trenton, 15, Noelle, 13, and Trevor 9.

Susan Savene. 11) Greg and Julie Turgeon on the Al-Can

Snapshots

Get Tires Got an image that captures what’s cool about motorcycling? Send it to American Motorcyclist. Send your high-resolution photos and mailing address to: submissions@ama-cycle.org. We’ll even pick one standout photo next month, and send the photographer a set of Dunlop tires.

EDITORIAL OFFICES

American Motorcyclist 13515 Yarmouth Drive Pickerington, OH 43147 (614) 856-1900 submissions@ama-cycle.org

Grant Parsons, Managing Editor

James Holter, Associate Editor

Bill Kresnak, Government Affairs Editor

Mitch Boehm, Contributing Editor

Mark Lapid, Creative Director

Nora McDonald, Production Coordinator Jen Muecke, Designer

ADVERTISING

Ray Monroe, Advertising Manager (815) 885-4445, rmonroe@ama-cycle.org

Misty Walker, Advertising Assistant (614) 856-1900, ext. 1267, mwalker@ama-cycle.org

All trademarks used herein (unless otherwise noted) are owned by the AMA and may only be used with the express, written permission of the AMA.

American Motorcyclist is the monthly publication of the American Motorcyclist Association, a 300,000-member organization representing TV[VYJ`JSPZ[ZUH[PVU^PKL-VYPUMVYTH[PVUVU(4(TLTILYZOPWILULÄ[Z call (800) AMA-JOIN or visit www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com. Manuscripts, photos, drawings and other editorial contributions must be accompanied by return postage. No responsibility is assumed for loss or damage to unsolicited material. Copyright© American Motorcyclist Association, 2009.

Contributors and Staff

GABE ETS-HOKIN, Freelance Writer Gabe is a freelance writer, motojournalist and MSF RiderCoach living in the San Francisco Bay Area. He hates traveling by car, preferring to push or roll downhill on his 2000 Ducati Supersport, which rarely runs under its own power. You can read more from Gabe at gabeunchained.blogspot.com.

CONRAD LIM, Photographer Conrad is a go-to guy when you need photos shot in the Los Angeles area. This month, he did the portraits of Jessica Prokup and Sarah Schilke.

LAUREL C. ALLEN, Road Racer X Laurel grew up in the road race paddocks of North America. She’s the senior editor of Road Racer X magazine, the daughter of a twotime national road race champion, and co-author of BMW Racing Motorcycles: The Mastery of Speed. To look at her these days, you’d never know her degree is in Absurdist and Eastern European literature.

JEFF SHERREN, Moto Adventurer Jeff, who produced “South American Journey” (page 45) just might have the ILZ[

see the world on his motorcycle.

ANDREW R. SLATON Photographer Andrew hails from the Lone Star State, and takes photos good enough to grace our cover a second time. You may remember his work on the May issue, with the cover shot of Capt. Michael Kraft.

AMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Stan Simpson, Chairman P.O. Box 1028, Cibolo, TX 78108

Jon-Erik Burleson, Assistant Treasurer 38429 Innovation Ct., Murrietta, CA 92563

Jim Williams, Assistant Secretary 9950 Jeronimo Rd., Irvine, CA 92618-2084

Erik Buell 2799 Buell Dr., East Troy, WI 53120

(UK`.VSKÄUL 8 S. 18th Ave., West, Duluth, MN 55806

Charles Goman PO Box 81, Winder, GA 30680

Perry King c/o AMA, 13515 Yarmouth Dr., Pickerington, OH 43147

Michael Lock 10443 Bandley Dr., Cupertino, CA 95014

Arthur More 16153 Starlight Dr., Surprise, AZ 85374

John Ulrich 581-C Birch St., Lake Elsinore, CA 92530

Bill Werner +

BILL KRESNAK, Government Affairs Editor “You know what would make the MSF DirtBike School better? If I invited OHSM[

MARK LAPID, Creative Director “Let’s see, if I buy axles and wheels and lace up some new hoops for my DRZ400SM, I can go dual-sporting. No, wait—crud, I’ll need a whole new fork, too.”

GRANT PARSONS, Managing Editor ¸9LJ[PÄLY&*OLJR Points? Check. Wiring harness? Check. Time to dive into this project? Ummm....”

JEN MUECKE, Designer “Weekend after weekend of hanging out at racetracks is awesome! But coming back home after all that travel is pretty awesome, too.”

NORA McDONALD, Production Coordinator “I’ll take one from column A and one from column B: A scooter and a dirtbike! Now where’s my checkbook?”

JAMES HOLTER, Associate Editor “Who would have thought it would be as easy as pushing a button? It’s just like electric start, only in reverse!”

Other contributors include: Mark Gardiner, Shan Moore, Mark Kariya, Dave Hoenig, Chelsea Anne Lopez, Doug Loneman, Brad Wenner, Aga Images, Open Image Studio.

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Grillin’ And Chillin’ And Saving Money, Too, With AMA And Char-Broil

Whether its burgers, brats or brisket, hot food off the grill is the perfect end to a day spent riding. And now, members of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) can save 10 percent on the purchase of top-quality Char-Broil grills, and get free shipping on all orders of more than $100 made from Char-Broil’s online store at CharBroil.com.

“If you’ve ever walked through the pits or paddock of a hare scrambles, motocross, enduro, dirt track or a road race, you’ve savored the tell-tale aroma that tells you folks nearby are having a great time grilling,” says AMA Director of Business Development Jim 4VVYL¸>P[O[OPZUL^ILULÄ[V\Y valued AMA members can buy the best grills in the business for less.”

Whether you enjoy cooking out in the pits or on the back deck in the evening after a day’s ride, a wellmade grill that you can depend on is a must. To take advantage of the price discount and free shipping offer from Char-Broil, AMA members simply enter a promo code when they check out at charbroil.com. The promo code can be found in the Members Area of AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

“With grilling season entering its prime across most of the United States, this is a perfect time to announce this discount,” says Rob Schwing, senior director of brand marketing at Char-Broil. “We’re especially excited about the opportunity to introduce our new infrared products to AMA members.

Whether you prefer gas, charcoal, or electric, want a smoker or fryer, tailgate, camp or are even interested

lifestyle.”

Char-Broil is a leader in bringing infrared grill technology to the market. Infrared technology replicates the radiant, even temperatures of

With a number of infrared-based products, such as the Quantum and Heatwave, pioneering grill masters JHU

The Char-Broil discount is just the latest in a long list of more than two KVaLU (4( TLTILY ILULÄ[ZHUK savings, which now include free AMA Roadside Assistance for all members who sign-up for automatic renewal of their AMA memberships. For more VU[OL ILULÄ[ZVM (4( TLTILYZOPW see the Member Services page of AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

I’m Todd Davis, CEO of LifeLock, and 457-55-5462 is my real Social Security number. I give it out to show just how confident I am in LifeLock’s ability to protect my identity.

Identity theft increased 22% last year for a five-year high of nearly 10 million victims. When you become a victim, thieves can use your identity to drain your accounts, rack up debt, ruin your credit, and leave you to clean up the mess alone.

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So no matter where the road takes you, you’ve got peace of mind knowing you’re protected with LifeLock.

To provide you the same confidence I have, I’m giving all American Motorcyclist Association members an exclusive offer of 30 days FREE and 10% OFF LifeLock membership. Visit www.lifelock.com or call 800-LIFELOCK (543-3562) and use promo code AMACYCLE to protect yourself now.

Todd Davis CEO, LifeLock SSN: 457-55-5462

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LESLIE PORTERFIELD

FAST FORWARD

SEVEN WOMEN RIDERS WHO DON’T WAIT AROUND

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MELISSA PARIS

Melissa Paris may be the wife of current Yamaha factory road racer Josh Hayes, but she’s also a talented racer

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it suddenly dawned on me: What am I doing on the back? Eventually I went

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If you ride a motorcycle, you’re sharing the road or track with more two-wheeled women than ever before— and witnessing a groundswell of passion from which there’s no turning back. Female riders are the fastest

to marketing experts and mapmakers, they share a love of riding and a commitment to letting other women know about it. Their approaches vary—some plot a slow and steady course, while others prefer a 234 mph pass—but in a world where every woman on wheels is a role model to someone, they lead together.

WORDS BY LAUREL C. ALLEN

Genevieve Schmitt is a longtime print editor, currently with American Iron magazine, who launched her own online magazine, WomenRidersNow. com, in 2005, and followed up with two additional online publications: TrikeRidersNow.com and ScooterRidersNow.com, which are aimed at both male and female enthusiasts.

ON HER INTRODUCTION TO MOTORCYCLES // I was working for Good Morning America in 1990, and I was assigned a story on women who rode. I gathered up about 15 women riders, and I was just stunned by all these amazing women on motorcycles. I interviewed them and enjoyed their energy and spark so much that I said, “I want to do this.”

ON HER PATH // You know, I’m a professional. A lot of people come to our industry as a rider, and then [OL`RPUKV

do. I’m a businessperson who just OHWWLULK[VÄ

thought, “What can I do to make this a business?” I never expected to be the one raising the women-inmotorcycling banner, but I stepped back and looked at it from a business standpoint, and I knew I wanted to present it in a fair way, as opposed to, “Hey, we’re women riders, give us attention.” It wasn’t about that. It was about making motorcycling acceptable to all riders, including women.

ON THE CHANGES SHE’S WITNESSED // There wasn’t much recognition of women as a viable demographic until the late ’90s, when manufacturers realized they should be making more women’s motorcycling apparel, and they began including bike offerings with lower seat heights and more displacements. More women began to ride as a result, and then other women saw those women riding and said, “If she can do it, so can I.” Now there are an amazing number of women’s motorcycle clubs, which are great because they nurture new riders.

ON WHAT SHE’S MOST PROUD OF // I’m most proud that my work— my articles on WomenRidersNow. com, my motivational speeches at dealerships and motorcycling events, and my monthly column in American Iron magazine—has inspired women to take up motorcycling. My goal has always been to provide an alternative viewpoint to the motorcycling experience—the viewpoint of a woman. If there are women who’ve come to motorcycling as a result, then I’ve done my job and I feel I’ve accomplished something.

Jenny Lefferts began MAD Maps more than a decade ago with a map, a highlighter and a dream. These days, her company has an extensive national database of scenic rides that manifests as everything from traditional paper maps to high-tech partnering with companies like Navtec HUK.HYTPU;OL (4( ILULÄ[WHY[ULY will be launching an iPhone app this summer.

ON REALIZING SHE WANTED TO RIDE // Every summer, my dad would throw us in a VW Bus for these twoto three-month vacations. I’ll never forget when I was 10: We were driving into South Dakota, and there were thousands of motorcycles. My brother and I had never heard of Sturgis, so our eyes were huge, and I knew right then that I would have a motorcycle. I bought Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance when I was 12.

ON THE START OF HER TWOWHEELED TRAVELS // I upgraded to a Honda Rebel in my early 20s, when I was living in California, so I was riding big-time with a 250cc engine and I ^HZZVÅPWWPUN JVVS 0 JV\SKU»[ILSPL]L it [laughs]. That was the beginning of falling in love with paved, two-lane roads that went to magical places.

ON THE BEGINNING OF MAD MAPS // I’d fallen in love and moved to Boston with my husband, and I decided I was going to start a motorcycle touring company. Then I got pregnant, which made that a little KPMÄJ\S[[VÄN\YLV\[0U HZP_^LLR class at Northeastern University, this very quiet, sweet, demure woman said to me, “Why don’t you do a project that’s a little simpler, like motorcycle maps?” The next day I went home and started calling dealerships across the country randomly, just asking if they had a motorcycle map for the area. Nobody had any idea what it was I was looking for, and I thought, “Wow—here’s an opportunity.”

ON THE CHALLENGES ALONG THE WAY // I think the fact that I was a rider helped enormously, but being a woman in business in general, you’re going to come across different types of attitudes or assumptions. I’ve had a few doors slammed in my face, but I either kick them back open, push them back open, or leave them closed for a while and go back later to see if they’ve been unlocked. I guess you could call me Tenacious J, because I am tenacious as hell. There’s always another solution, and if someone says UV`V\JHUÄUKZVTLVUL LSZL^OV»SS say yes.

Leslie Prevish is Harley-Davidson’s Women’s outreach manager, and it’s her job to create a vibrant community of female riders and a system of dealerships that value women. Her greatest satisfaction? “Hearing from dealers and their customers that lives are being changed by this.”

ON FIRST ENVISIONING A WOMEN’S OUTREACH POSITION // I had a conversation with a guy I was dating in college, and he asked what my dream job would be. When I said, “Marketing motorcycles to women,” he said, “Nobody is ever going to pay you to do that.” I sent him a Christmas card along with my business card last year. I never heard back from him.

ON GETTING STARTED AS A RIDER // I rode on the back with my dad when I was 8, the summer before he passed away. When I lived with my brother when 0ÄYZ[Z[HY[LKJVSSLNL0 RLW[I\NNPUN OPT MVY YPKLZ remembering how much I loved riding with my dad. One day my brother said, “If you take a safety course, you can take the bike out whenever you want.” Until he encouraged me, I never would’ve thought of being a rider, because women were only 3 or 4 percent of total riders back then.

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTORING // We found out through our research that more than half of the women riders we surveyed said they would be interested in mentoring others in the sport. We also know there are a lot of women out there who maybe ULLKH SP[[SL IP[VM OLSWVY JVUÄKLUJL I\PSKPUN[VNL[ into the sport and build their skills. So, we started the “Share Your Spark” mentoring program. You can get more information at HarleyDavidson.com/womenriders in the “Mentoring” section.

ON WHAT RIDING BRINGS TO WOMEN // What I say is that it has brought me unparalleled adventure and the opportunity to experience life in so many ways I never would’ve envisioned possible, especially through the connections with other people I’ve met through the last 20 years around the world. On a personal level, riding along with my senses heightened—the smells and sounds and sights are just clearer and stronger—it’s something that makes me feel very strong, too. It’s the intensity of the adventure that I want to share with others; to have them understand this amazing feeling you just can’t get anywhere else.

LESLIE PREVISH

LOOKING FOR MORE INSPIRATION?

Nothing beats the company and camaraderie of like-minded riders, and [OH[»ZL_HJ[S`^OH[`V\»SSÄUK H[[OLÄM[O

AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference, presented by HarleyDavidson and Buell, set for Aug. 19-22 in Keystone, Colo.

Registration is open now for the conference, held high in the Rocky Mountains 90 miles west of Denver at the Keystone Resort and Conference Center. Register at WomenAndMotorcycling. com, where a pre-registration discount is available through Aug. 3.

“This event represents the best of both worlds for women motorcyclists,” said AMA Marketing and Special Events Manager Tigra Tsujikawa. “We will have the opportunity to connect with and learn from other women riders. And through seminars, activities and classes, we’ll gain the knowledge and skills to ride where the road or trail leads next.”

Among the women who will be at

the conference is Genevieve Schmitt, who is featured on page 40.

“For many years, women have been saying that the motorcycle industry is not paying attention to them,” said Schmitt.

“The AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference is the AMA’s response to that. I see the 2009 conference, with its supremely scenic location in Keystone, Colo., as being the best yet. If you’re a rider, this is an event you need to attend.”

Sarah Schilke’s well-known nickname says it all: “Super Sarah.” :OL»Z[OLÄYZ[^VTHU LSLJ[LK[V the Motorcycle Industry Council’s Board of Directors in the group’s 37-year history, serves on the FIM’s Commission of Women in Motorcycling, has taught MSF classes for more than a decade, is an avid rider and racer both on-track and offroad, and currently owns and operates Moto Niche Marketing.

ON IMPULSE // One night I just kind of blurted out to friends, “Hey, wouldn’t it be cool if I had a motorcycle?” The next day one of the guys showed me an ad for a Honda 250 Rebel. I laughed, but I stared H[[

woman selling the bike, and because of that, I felt comfortable asking questions, and I trusted what she was telling me. She referred me to the MSF class, and I took the class and bought the bike. It was just a crazy idea at the time, and I didn’t have any idea where it would go.

ON THE TRUST FACTOR // Part of the experience of getting involved in motorcycling as a woman is being

creates situations where women YLHJO

their experiences.Then, of course, there’s the usual female bonding and LULYN`·[OH[»ZK

element, too.

ON TRYING NEW THINGS // Motorcycling is fun [laughs]. There is always something else you can do to keep this sport new and invigorating— street to dirt, off-road to motocross, street to track—and that’s why I’ve tried all the different things I have.

ON JOINING THE MIC BOARD OF DIRECTORS // I knew about the MIC and what they do, but I wasn’t sure what it actually took to become a board member, or how well people in the industry knew me. What I did know was that the industry was changing and that the emphasis has to be on looking at younger riders and women. I thought maybe joining was a way I could contribute what I knew about the women’s and other niche markets.

ON TRUE STREET CRED // I’ve really committed myself to always riding with proper apparel, not doing things that make all motorcyclists look bad, and trying to give good advice while letting people learn the sport in their own way. And little kids are fascinated by motorcycles, so whenever I see girls looking at me while I’m riding, I make an effort to lift the visor and wave at them to show them, “Hey, it’s not just your brother who can do this.”

SARAH SCHILKE

Jessica Prokup is the Motorcycle Industry Council’s director of emerging market communications, and her background includes on-air work and magazine editor work. By understanding the female consumer’s experience in the industry—and by using a variety of both traditional and high-tech tools (Twitter, anyone?)—she hopes to foster the growth of the women and Gen Y markets, as well as that of other often-overlooked twowheeled segments.

ON THE WORST THING SHE’S LEARNED SINCE 2006 // I’ve led a sort-of charmed life as a rider, having joined a motorcycle magazine about 10 months after I started riding. So I didn’t really know what it was like to be your average consumer walking into a dealership, starting from square zero. I learned from listening to women who are not part of the industry, and I realize how far we have to go in terms of our dealerships welcoming women.

ON THE BEST THING // I’ve become so impressed with women as consumers in general, because we’re so engaged, and we listen to each other more than anybody else. I’ve learned you can’t be an island. If you really and truly want to reach women and make a difference in their lives, you have to become part of a conversation with them.

ON STUMBLING BLOCKS // I’m also an MSF RiderCoach, which puts me in direct contact with a lot of women, and I think for many of them P[»ZH JVUÄKLUJL PZZ\L :VTL OH]L been talking themselves out of it for years. I’ve coached women who are doing great, doing everything right, and then they’ll suddenly do a quick stop and they’ll have tears running down their face, because they’re just so freaked out by what’s going on. And they’re doing everything right! So I think women themselves can be their own stumbling blocks, because so many just don’t think they can do it.

ON WHAT SHE’S MOST EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW // Being here at MIC in kind of the heart of the industry, I’ve realized that a lot of what we do is really important, really cool, and really misunderstood. So I think what I’m most psyched about is becoming more a part of the conversation and becoming better listeners, because if we can do those things, we’ll make way more headway.

JESSICA PROKUP

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Guest Column

Husband And Wife Racers

The Raines Share A Passion For—And Success At—Off-Road Racing

Jason and Emily Raines are the rarest of couples—a husband and wife who both race competitively, on the same courses. At presstime, Jason, who’s also the defending 2008 AMA Racing Eastern Hare Scrambles Champion, was fourth overall in the 2009 AMA Racing Rekluse National Enduro Championship Series, while Emily was fourth in the series’ women’s class.

Jason: We both started riding when we were young, 5 and 4. Actually, we used to battle it out against each other when we were growing up in the 125 junior class in Washington state. Then I moved back east and started racing and did the national scene. I came back home, and we got together, and here we are racing. When I was racing her, she always got the best starts, and I always had to work around her.

Emily: I think he was always a fast guy, ever since he was born. I didn’t ever really talk to him when we were kids, but everyone knew his name, even when we were younger. The funny thing is that when we look back at some of our parents’ videotapes of us racing, back when we

were kids at Seattle International Raceway, I swear, they had to be sitting right next to each other watching us.

Jason: A lot of the racers’ wives ride, but there’s not a lot of competitiveness. In Washington, people know her, that she’s one of the top riders, but when we go someplace like Florida, we were practicing, and people are like, “Wow your wife really goes fast.” It’s surprising to them. It’s great.

Emily: At the GNCC races, all the racers’ wives, we’re part of the pit crews. But it’s neat to get out there on the start line with him and ride at the same time. It’s not that I see him too much out there anyways. Sometimes we’ll be at a stop together and we can talk about things that are going on. I don’t think a lot of couples get to do that, and that’s neat.

Jason: There’s always some competitiveness in anything we do. She’ll always be like, “Yeah, I’m getting into the ZLJ[PVUÄYZ[ILJH\ZL

by Jason and Emily Raines

[H IL[[LYZ[HY[ than you,” and I’ll be like, “Yeah, and I’m going to plow you down when I come up on you.” It’s fun. We train together and push each other. No matter what, we want

to beat each other.

Emily: 0[OPUR WLVWSL OH]L H WYVÄSL PU mind of a woman racer or something, but I like seeing now that women are feminine and can be girly and race hard—especially the Women’s Motocross Association riders. Now there are a lot of beautiful girls who race, and I think that’s a good thing for young women to look up to.

Jason: One of the best things about KVPUN[OLZHTL YHJL PZ[OH[`V\JHU YLÅLJ[ on things that you’d never see if you didn’t race—how bad the sand whoops were or how tough this section is. Having her out there going through the same motions as I am, she may have her own experiences, but we both remember and can talk about things the same way.

Emily:>LKLÄUP[LS`JHU YLSH[L>L»YL both nervous before the race, so we’re both kind of quiet. At the same time, when we go home, and it’s just Monday through Friday, we don’t talk a lot about dirt biking. We’re surrounded by it, and it is our life, but we talk about the same things everyone else does, things like the grocery bill and everything else, but it’s all fun.

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