Are You A Passenger?

So what is with Motorcycle Salespeople and people working Demo events assuming because I am a woman and with a man that I am a passenger? I say Salespeople because it happens to me just as much with sales staff that are woman as men. In fact I find men to be more sensitive about it than women.

I find this assumption to be very offensive. In fact it totally pisses me off. I have worked hard to learn to ride my own bike. I have my license that has the endorsement and I have a job that pays well enough for me to be in the market to purchase a bike. So Mr. or Ms. Salesperson do I want to continue the process with you when you just totally disrespected me? Why don't you ask me if I am "just" a passenger? Or tell me that I am "just" a woman. Otherwise inferring that because I am a woman I am  incapable of handling that "big bad motorcycle".

I recently was able to demo the new Indian Chieftain and this comment was the only negative in the entire experience. I was the one who went to the website and found that we could demo the new Indian at the Long Beach Motorcycle Show. I was the one who suggested we go. I had checked in and showed my license to the woman behind the counter. I had the armband that said I was a rider.
So I get the the front of the line to go get on the bike and what does the woman who checked me in ask? She ask me if I was a passenger? And she started to put her hand up to stop me because she assumed I was a passenger. I wanted to say many not nice things, however I just said "no, I am a rider". I wanted to say, What the hell lady? Are you that stupid? Why would I want to buy anything from you? (And many other assorted comments that are not appropriate to put in print.) But I did not say any of those. However Joe got an earful of my wrath and he never makes the assumption that I am a passenger, so what good did that do me or him?

Therefore I decided to put my rant in print, in the hopes that at least one Motorcycle Salesperson will see this and change his/her ways and not make the assumption that I am a passenger because I am a woman.

I demo'd the new 2012 Harley's and had the same question ask, not once but twice. I have been on sales floors at dealerships and been ask this question. This is a whole new version of discrimination. I have never heard someone walk up and ask Joe if he knows how to ride, or ask if he is a passenger. Yet they assume because I am with him and I am female, that I am a passenger.
So Mr. or Ms. Salesperson, wouldn't it make more sense for you to assume that I am a rider. Let me correct you, if I am not. To assume that I am a rider would be a whole lot less offensive. It would put me in the frame of mind that I might actually like you and therefore want to do business with you. You might even get me to buy something and give you money.
So please, from this day forward don't ask someone if they are a passenger. If you have to ask, just say "Are you a Rider"? Better yet, just don't ask at all

.

I rode the new Indian and I liked it!

The new Indian Chieftain ain't just for the men! It is smooth, sleek and sexy. I truly want this motorcycle. I used to think Harley Davidson was the only one for me but the Indian is back and will give Harley a run for it's money. And Ladies, give this bike a long look if you are in the market for a new ride. This bike has the styling, handling and performance we all want.
I have always loved the Indian Motorcycle. Whenever I saw one it just spun my head around to look and stare. The styling, the classic fender, the logo's and lots of chrome. The Indian has always been my ideal. Not that I haven't turned my head to look at a Harley Davidson, because I have and I do. I turn and look at my current ride of a 1994 Dyna Wideglide (Betsy). I find it to be a beautiful bike with lots of chrome and it turns heads going down the freeway. But the Indian has always drawn my attention. Maybe it was because they didn't make them anymore and it was therefore forbidden fruit. So when the new bike made it's debut in Sturgis and was all over American Pickers TV show, I definitely took notice. I wanted to see one up close and personal. I wanted to touch it, feel it, and I wanted to ride it.

I have gone to the website and built my bike several times. I am amazed with the features that come stock on this bike. The website was as close to the real thing as I could get at the time and it just made the anticipation to see the real thing that much stronger.
My frame of comparison is the Harley Davidson Streetglide. I test rode the Streetglide for 2012 and I have ridden Joe's Roadglide. I always feel like I have to manhandle the Harley. Because of the high center of gravity you have to muscle it to a standing position. So I have been concerned that in retirement would I be able to stand this bike up?
I have been considering an upgrade to a bike with a fairing for a while and also to a newer bike as Betsy is up in years. We take our vacations on the motorcycle and will be gone for a week or more, so I have been considering more creature comforts on the bike.
I got my chance when I found out that I could Demo the Indian at Long Beach Motorcycle Show in early December. Joe and I drove out there from Fallbrook early in the morning before the show opened and the anticipation was immense. All I wanted to see was the new Indian. I was so excited, you would have thought I was going back stage for a Rock Concert when I was 16.  Earlier in the year our friends, Highway and Sash from Roadpickle.com had gone to the factory in Iowa and I was soooo jealous. Now this was my chance!
We walked out to the Demo lot with helmets and gear in hand, turned the corner and there she was, in all her glory and beauty.

Indian does a good job of displaying this bike prior to the Demo ride. They have all three bike styles sitting on display and you can touch them, sit on them, and experience everything but the ride. Then you get in line and the anticipation is overwhelming. I was nervous and excited, you would have thought I was going on a first date. And maybe in a sense I was on a first date.
We waited for a while and the guy started giving an explanation of the Chieftain. Important things like how to start it; where the directional signal controls are, and how to shift it. Then he went into the details, like how you can adjust the windshield up and down with the press of a button. You can't do that on a Harley!
He then explained details like the audio controls. The fact that you can lock and unlock the luggage bags from the bike or the key fob. He went into so many bells and whistles like the 111 cubic in engine that he lost me. I was interested but it turned into wha, wha, wha in my head. I was trying to stay tuned in so that I would not humiliate myself when I got on and not be able to start it or something, but I was mentally riding down the road.
They gave the usual speech about riding in a group and hand-signals, etc. Then we were released to the bikes. We were all hustling to our rides like we were going to the Teacup of choice at Disneyland.
I made it to the "One" and she was red; threw my leg over and  I was actually sitting on an Indian Chieftain. Wow!
The next move was to stand it up and this was the most amazing part of the whole ride. This bike is so well balanced I could not believe it. Where I have to turn the handlebars over and leverage the Harley up to a standing position; the Indian just almost stood by itself. I could stand that bike up with "no hands". Joe said he almost threw it over because it was so easy. In my head I was thinking, how much does this bike weigh? Is it made from carbon fiber or something? Later I found out that this bike weighs 848 pounds. It weighs the same as Joe's Road-glide and I have had trouble on occasion standing that bike up. So now I am not only amazed by the Chieftain, I am in love.
At this point the moment arrived! Start your engines! She started right up and off we went. As we were going out the drive, I was trying to get the feel of the bike and I was again amazed. The slow stuff is the hardest with a bike that size, however this bike rides like a dream. I never felt I was having to man-handle this bike and the ride was smooth and the response instantaneous. The power is always right there waiting for you to ask but you can bring it back just as quickly. The ride is effortless and just plain fun. The fairing is the right distance from the rider. Far enough that you don't feel it is in your face and close enough to see easily. I like that it tells you what gear you are in on the screen instead of having to count and remember in your head.
We did an eleven mile circle and got out on the freeway. It gave us the chance to go over different terrain and fast and slow.  At first I was getting to know the bike and was a bit cautious going out the driveway. I wanted to be sure I could handle this bike, starting and stopping, etc. This was never a problem. This bike lets you pay attention to the road, where you are going, and how much fun you want to have getting there. Whatever you ask of this bike, it is there for you. It never hesitates or fights you. You never feel you have to man-handle it. It just goes where you want. By the end I just wanted more.
My plan now is to do the fly and drive when we retire. I want to order my Indian Chieftain, (currently in black with the backrest and the full audio system; this bike is beautiful in black with the Indian head logo on the tank; and I have never wanted a black bike before). Then we go pick it up and just ride for as long and as far as we want to go. We currently have our bucket list book and we will plan our route to achieve it.
I went on my first date with the Indian Chieftain and I am in love!