June 23, 2009
Biker Chicks with … “Cowbell”
Everyday, we’re seeing more and more women riding motorcycles, and it’s a beautiful thing. No matter what your gender is, there is no better sense of freedom and expression than hitting the open road, track or trail with your bike, twisting the throttle and feeling all of your cares float away….
At YMC, we’re proud to have a legion of “biker chicks” who are not afraid to get behind the handlebars of a V-Star or kick up some dust on the trails with a TT-R. To help promote and motivate other women to try motorcycling, we’ve asked some women at Yamaha to tell us how they got into the sport and what kind of impression it has made on their lives.
Our first edition of “Biker Chicks” comes to us from one of our Graphic Designers, Amy Campbell. Amy’s pretty cool; she sings, writes songs and plays guitar in her band, “The Gnomes,” she isn’t afraid to hop onto a mighty cruiser, and she can probably beat me in an arm wrestle. Read on to find out how Amy started riding….
“The Story of an Outlaw Scooterist”
By Amy Campbell
I received an email last week practically begging female riders here at Yamaha Motor Canada to contribute some stories to the Bike Blog. (I think that Danny is just being lazy and has run out of things to write about. Who hired this guy anyways?) Anyhoo, I’ve been working here at Yamaha for almost two years and realized that I slipped under the radar, and had not written a blog introducing myself. So forgive my lateness and let me begin….
My name is Amy Campbell (or “Cowbell” as Huggy likes to call me), and I am a Graphic Designer here at Yamaha. Most of those flashy brochures and posters you find yourself collecting at dealerships or shows have graced my desk. But enough about the daily grind, I’m here to share my riding experience.
Before I started at Yamaha, I had purchased a little scoot, which was not a Yamaha (and for my own protection, I will not divulge what kind it was). When I brought it home, I did not have my license but would go out to the garage and pretend to ride it, making very realistic engine revving noises. I’d wax poetically over it, waiting for the day that I could take it out for my first real spin.
After Amy signs her big record deal, this cute little scoot could be worth some serious coin.
Now, it should be said that I am a very impatient person, and could not find the time to get my M1 permit written; the local DMV office had become my nemesis (who sets their hours anyway?).
In November of 2007 I became employed here at Yamaha, and vowed to actually get my license the following summer. As the days grew warmer, I got the itch and found myself hanging out in my garage at home with my helmet on, but my interest had shifted slightly. I still loved my little scoot but found myself flirting with the idea of a cruiser. Just thinking about all that chrome and the loud growl of the pipes made me feel as if I was cheating on my little scoot, but who was I kidding, I couldn’t fight the urge any longer.
So I took the riders training course offered by Humber College one (sweltering) weekend last June, and that was the end of my dreaming. I rode as much as I could last summer. I even loved how my gloves smelled faintly of gasoline (my mom tells me that I should have been a boy).
This summer brings a whole new experience for me, as I didn’t have to wait until July to start riding. I started riding in May and found I was not cut out for the early morning commute. The cold air was too much for me, and I’d arrive at work in the morning resembling a piece of frozen fish left out on the lake all winter. But my determination and passion for riding was not extinguished in those early mornings; I just wore my snowmobile get-up the next day!
Looking forward to getting out on the open road a lot more this summer, perhaps I’ll see you.
Amy “Cowbell” Campbell
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Amy… how old are you? Never mind, will you Marry me? Hahaha… I remember spending 10% of my Co-op ad budget in ‘83 on attracting Female riders to my store in PEI (the “real” Freedom Cycle) Got a call from an exec at YMC telling me it was a “waste of co-op$” and it probably was at the time, but hey… it had to start somewhere. Check my Blog http://themanymisadventuresofdrn.blogspot.com/
Hi Frank,
August 29th, 2009 at 5:05 pmWell I must say that you’re response made my day.
I took a look at your blog and your travels sound awesome. I would love to leave it all behind one day and just ride, especially through “lovely towns with musical names” … [sigh].
Amy
Hi Amy: Your story sounds familiar to me. I’ve always been the passenger and last year really started to get the ‘itch’. For X-mas my dear husband surprised me with a Yamaha V-star 650 classic and ever since then I’ve spent alot of time in the garage doing the “pretend” ride. I go at the end of April for my 3 day course and CAN’T WAIT!! Every day, I get more excited. So by May, we can add 1 more female driver to the list.
Hope to see you in my travels.
Brenda
YAY Brenda!
March 3rd, 2010 at 1:03 pmThat’s great news, congratulations! Cowbell