Once again 2012 had us faced with great entries and it was a tough choice to narrow down to the final 4, but after everyone here at Garage-Girls voted, here are our final 4 choices, the rest is now up to you!
Please read the stories for each contestant and place your vote for who you feel most deserves to win the Garage-Girls Ultimate Biker Makeover. The 1 with the most votes will be awarded tons of prizes.
Garage-Girls Poll
Who do you think deserves the 2012 Ultimate Biker Makeover?
Please remember you may only vote once and any additional vote submissions will not be included.
Joe Yates
Hello, Im entering the biker makeover for several reasons, my ride, has been sitting in the garage now for almost 2 yrs, I do start it regularly tho. But I'm in dire need of a makeover. 2 yrs ago my 21 yr old daughter passed away and it tramatized me to the MAX. So I just went into being a recluse, and let all the material things in my life just go to waste. I love to ride, I have 4 wheelers, dirt bikes and of course my Harley. This summer I want to be different, I'm doing alot better, but I have missed alot of work over the last couple of yrs, because of depression. But like I said this summer will be different, my daughter loved to ride and I know she is looking down on me from heaven and tellin me to get to gettin. I actually went and got my tags for the bike last week. But it does need alot of things that I just cant afford right now. My tires are weathered bad, I have a rip in my seat, and my license plate bracket, has most of the L.E.D.s burnt out. I spent alot of money on this bike when I bought it 3 yrs ago, bought it stock and completely went thro it. It's a 2006 v-rod and one of the sickest lookin V's Ive ever seen but it does need to be rode. I hope you can help me out.
Janet Todd
To me, there are a couple different things a makeover would mean to me. My husband and I were out for a ride a few years ago and decided to just stop in a local Harley dealership and look at bikes. Having never ridden a motorcycle, I figured it was just window shopping. Well, to make a long story short, 3 hours later we came home and got the trailer and went back to pick up our new Harley. The next step was for him to get his motorcycle license which he did and we have ridden many miles since. When I met my husband 13 years ago, he was 12 years younger than me and I was thinking like a “cougar” LOL. Well, we married a year later and he has been the best thing to ever happen to me and my children. When we met he was wearing button down plaid shirts and Timberland boots and now he is wearing Harley shirts and biker boots and even has his ears pierced!
Over the years since we have been married, we have faced many trials and tribulations and hard times and bad luck are a huge part of our life. It seems when we take one step forward we take 10 back. In June 2010 we met some friends at a local bike show and joined as volunteers with an organization known as Operation Whitetail. This group brings injured soldiers to our local area to hunt. After joining this group, we became part of their 1st annual Freedom Ride. It was our first group ride and it had over 130 bikes and it was an AWESOME experience! It was at that moment we knew we wanted to be a part of the biker comradery that is unlike any other group.
In October 2010, bad luck again knocked at our door. I was diagnosed with a meningioma brain tumor. I was scheduled for surgery in January 2011 but they were unable to remove the tumor. So, as of today I still have the tumor and they are monitoring its growth and we will decide when the time is right to remove it. As a result of this, it was at this time we made the decision that we would participate in every possible ride for any charitable cause. I also made the decision to get my own motorcycle as that was an item on my bucket list. Then, at the beginning of this year my husband lost his job. So once again, dreams were put on hold.
After sharing all of our “misfortunes” with you, I just wanted to give you some background that leads up to why I need a makeover. We have 7 charity rides lined up so far over the next 2 months, and I would love some new gear to ride in. We missed one ride in April because of cold weather and we do not have chaps so we had to miss that. Whenever we do have a few extra dollars, we try to catch up on bills, so it would be nice to have a treat of some new things. Thank you for the opportunity to enter this contest.
Heather McGregor
I was first bit by the riding bug when I was 16 years old. I lived in the Mountains of North Carolina and was hanging out in a little town called Chimney Rock with some friends when a group of riders came through. They stopped for lunch and needless to say I spent the rest of the day on the back of a bike riding and feeling such a sense of freedom the likes of which I had never felt before…. I knew one day I would head back there and ride those roads on my own.
As I write this I am planning that ride. I am leaving May 5th headed to Linville Falls NC with stops in Robbinsville NC to ride the Dragons Tail and wind my way through Asheville. Black Mountain, Old Fort and riding No.9 over into Chimney Rock and Lake Lure. So far it is 2500 miles roundtrip and I should be home by the 12th of May with a huge smile on my face.
I was married for 17 years and raised 3 children. I knew I always wanted to learn to ride and my husband kept saying let’s wait, let’s wait, let’s wait… Well I got tired of waiting and in June of 2003 I signed up for a Riders Course and learned to ride. I got my license and never looked back. A few months later I was going through a divorce and I could not even afford living ,let alone a bike. I met a group of people of whom one let me borrow one of theirs. And then I started renting. I wanted a bike so badly I couldn’t hardly stand it. Renting and borrowing to ride is a difficult thing to do on a consistent basis and with little to no money. It took a long time but eventually I got back on my feet, so on my birthday in 2009 I said to heck with it and bought myself my bike. Harley Davidson 2009 Fat Boy! Woo Hoo! I was so excited, I would never have to rely on anyone when I wanted to go for a ride! And man did I ride! I have ridden all over Texas and did a trip to Daytona by myself for bike week 2010. 1900 miles in 96 hours with one full day at the Rally. Man what a ride! I had put 25K on her when I was in a very serious accident. November 5th of 2011. I was unable to ride for 5 months. My leg is healing and the dealership put my bike back together but it needs some serious TLC. My ride to NC is important to me on several levels, first I am scattering my Mothers ashes, second I am going to ride those roads that were instrumental in my love of riding and lastly but not least, helping me heal physically and emotionally from my accident.
Winning this contest and getting new gear for myself and my bike would be the ULTIMATE!
Marilyn Bragg
I’m Marilyn Elmore Bragg. At the age of 56 I have been riding for 42 years. In 2004, I stopped working to be a full time caretaker for my Mom. I’m still her caretaker and she depends on me more each year. Over the years, I’ve been able to earn enough money by writing and taking photos to pay for most of the general needs of my motorcycle and myself. Things do change.
I ride a 1993 XL 1200 Anniversary Sportster. She had 1200 miles on her when I purchased her in Oct. of 2004. Today she has about 193,000 miles on her. She’s tired. She’s had 3 top ends. I’ve replaced the drive gear and drive belt, had the tab on my oil tank welded due to severe cracking around the tabs causing a major leak. Of course she’s had other types of work done over the years, but she’s a hard working gal.
These days, she needs a face lift. Her paint on the frame is flaking off. The springs in the front forks are original with almost 200K miles on them. I’ve had seals and fork oil changed over the years, but the springs are shot. I’m sure you are aware of how dangerous these forks are. Another problem I’m experiencing is with the carburetor. I hate it. It’s a CV carb and every year for the past 4 years, I’ve been experiencing problem after problem with it. This year it’s the enrichner that is causing problems. It’s darn near impossible to keep it where it needs to be (closed) during normal operation. Dale Walksler has worked his magic on it the last time I was there (Wheels Through Time), but I know in a season, this carb will be right back causing me problems. I’d like to put on a more dependable carburetor.
I’ve never changed the clutch in my bike either. After 193,000 miles, the clutch is actually still performing and I pray that will still be the case by the end of this season’s ride, but I’m scared. There are a ton of niggly things on the bike that have been ignored over the years in favor of larger issues screaming for attention. With my limited funds, I’ve been picking and choosing what needs to be dealt with and what is little more than cosmetic problems. I can ride with cosmetic problems, but when the bike is puking oil faster than I can put it in, well you know what’s gonna win. My bike will always carry me to where I want to go. I love it: what an amazing little bike.
As for me: I must pick and choose what is going to be important. I don’t buy new clothes, boots, warm weather gear, or anything else. All the leather I currently wear was given to me by a wonderful friend a year ago. When things wear out, I make do with what I have. I figure out ways to make them work. (Many years ago while traveling through a snow storm in New York, I stopped at a truck stop and bought an inner tube which I cut into 2 halves. I stepped into each half and I then had water proof and wind proof chaps. I also used the stem section that I cut out as a pair of glove covers. This kept my hands warm and dry.)
I’m a happy go lucky rider. I ride and ride…and I’ll keep on riding until the road takes me out.