Saturday, January 12th, 2019 - Lucky Wheels Garage
Recent statistics indicate that of the people who ride motorcycles, nearly 1 in every 5 is a woman, and the Women's Motorcycle Show celebrates female riders,a nd the bikes they ride and wrench on. Motolady Alicia Elfving is the driving force behind it, and for this fourth installment at Lucky Wheels Garage, Haynes came on board with some sponsorship to support these DIY ladies. We also donated a selection of our latest Haynes and Clymer manuals (covering popular hobbyist bikes like the Honda Grom, Honda Rebel, Triumph Bonneville, BMW RnineT, and Yamaha Dirt Bikes) to the well stocked table full of raffle prizes. While the rain earlier in the day may have dissuaded some people from showing their bikes, more than twice as many people came to the party.
Last year's event was so popular that the police broke it up when the crowd became too large for the venue, so this year it expended into the parking lot of the business next door for more bikes, art, bands and BBQ. The bikes on display ranged from mini pocket bikes, to Harley-Davidson choppers, dirt bikes, to Ducatis; all of them built, or at least ridden and owned by women. Don't for a minute assume that these were mostly stock bikes with a pretty paint job on then either; these ladies are just as good with a wrench or a welder as any man.
First we ought to get the non-bike details out of the way, then just dispense a gallery of bike photos. Barbeque brisket and pulled pork was cooked up and served by Burnt to a Crisp BBQ truck, then washed down with libations from the bar or Lucky Wheel's fancy coffee house. Music included fuzzed out rock and roll, blues, and other sounds courtesy of Stephen El Rey, Low Volts, and War Girl (which is very appropriate since some of the women in that band own and ride bikes). In the shop, the Real Deal Workshop had women putting on classes in how to weld (with Jessie Combs), pinstripe, and even forge metal with a hammer and anvil.
Over the course of the night it was estimated more than 3,000 people came through and appreciated the bikes, looked at the motorcycle themed art, or just generally came and enjoyed themselves. Harley-Davidsons dominated, as they alwasy do when it come to custom bikes, but there were new and vintage Japanese and European bikes as well.
Elyse McKinnon (a.k.a. Drag Bike Girl) was there taking pictures for Motorcycle Attorney Russ Brown, and showing off her specially modified BMW S1000RR based drag race bike "Blackbriar" (which one best of show). People's Choice went to the vintage Kawasaki 125cc enduro dubbed "Kawasexi" by the builder Amanda Steele, who put it together in about a month and drove out from Colorado for the show, which also won her a prize for longest distance travelled. Personally, our favorite was the Yamaha V-star with paint by Mad Maxxx Garage, owned and designed by Cynthia Ibarra.
If you'd like to see many, many more images check out Motolady's page dedicated to the show with hundreds more - Women's Motorcycle Show 4.
Instagrammer and friend cruise the red carpet on a Coleman minibike
Masked Instagrammer and friend pose on the Coleman minibike red carpet
Lucky Wheels shop was packed as was the lot and display area out back
When there isn't a party gogin on you can get motorcycle parts and merch emblazoned with Lucky Wheel's logo
Amanda Steele built her bike in just 30 days, and drove out to L.A. from Denver
The little Kawasaki won the People's Choice Award, plus a special prize for longest distance traveled
Choppers really look their best with wild candy, metallic, and complicated paint
Old school custom paint job with flake, bubbles, and panels on a Sportster chopper
The root beer brown paint contrasts beautifully with the white vinyl seat
Not a Harley, but a Yamaha V-star based custom with amazingly intricate paint
The tank and fenders of this bike must have taken weeks of planning, masking, and painting
The BMW RnineT is fast becoming a favorite of the next generation custom crowd
This custom cafe racer contrasts carbon fiber, matte gold on the frame, and a deep candy apple paint job on the tank
The band War Girl rocked the party before departing on a European tour
The whole table and the wall behind it was full of great prizes
Alicia Elfving (Motolady) addresses the crowd at the start of the raffle
Alicia Elfving (Motolady) calls up the winner of the raffle prizes
Happy winner of a pair of Haynes/Clymer DIY manuals
Another lucky winner of a pair of Haynes/Clymer manuals
Jessi Combs leads a newbie welding demonstration
Joy Fire's forge heating metal to red hot before shaping
Joy Fire shows a novice how to pound out hot iron
Instagrammer and friend cruise the red carpet on a Coleman minibike
