AYANO RACING AT CHIRIHAMA 2016
VC team talks is project sparked by conversations with the everyday pioneers that are at the heart of everything at VC. Bold women influencing a next generation, from racers, adventurers, groundbreakers in extreme sports, motorcycle builders & women travelling to war zones to the unsung heroes, friends, collaborators & creators we at VC live our lives around every day, coming together to talk about their lives & the incredible things they do.
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VC Team Talks are conversations & Q&A's between some of these amazing women joining together across their different disciplines to share their stories & discuss their experiences, kickstarting a series of worldwide conversations between women from all walks of life to inspire others to get out on the road less travelled.
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AYANO HIROSAKA
CHOPPER BUILDER & SAND FLAT RACER
In Japan the scene for women riders is blowing up. Chop riding women are burning around the streets of Tokyo on their custom built wheels & doing it with some serious style & individualism unlike anywhere else in the world. Famed for being one of the main countries at the forefront of custom motorcycle culture Japan has always been paving the way for some of the most incredible parts of custom culture but until recently it seems the new wave of women riding hasnt hit as much as it has in the US & Europe.... Well not any more.
In the midst of planning a trip out to Japan this year we were sat in our studio with a a friend of ours who had just returned from a long trip out there. "I met the most incredible girl out there that you should hook up with when you go... I think you're really gonna dig each other". And shit he was right!
Ayano Hirosaka is not only into riding choppers, having learned how to wrench & build over the last few years but she's found that where she loves to ride them isn't exactly where you'd think a hardtail chopper would be most at home. After beginning to compete at the world famous Chirihama beach race in Japan a couple of years back she's now a regular face on the vintage racing scene in japan riding her Triumph chopper on beach, dirt & tracks. Oh, and she's fast... really fast.
Name:
Ayano (*a.k.a Roc)
Where are you from originally & where do you live now?
I was born in Hiroshima (west Japan), and lived in Chime (west Japan), but now I live in Tokyo.
Profession:
Product & packaging designer, buyer of a house-ware, hardware & kitchen-ware company
Tell us about the Black mamba (Ayano’s Triumph chopper)! Its an incredible bike!
The Black Mamba is a Triumph TR-6, 1961. When I first got the bike it had a metallic-blue body and it looked really neat and clean. That changed over time.
What made you want to begin to build your own chopper?
When I was a university student in Ehime prefecture, I bumped into some crazy guys at a bar one night . They were from a Haley-Davidson custom shop named “DoLuck Motorcycles”. We just clicked, and soon after that I became really into choppers and Drag racing. I just wanted to be one of them so I started chopping my HONDA NC26 (Steed). I still really love them and their style to this day.
Also i’m only 4’8” and to make matters worse, I’m pretty short-legged so customizing my motorcycle is essential for me to ride. I am always jealous of people who ride their motorcycle and don’t have to change them for that reason.
What was the inspiration for your Triumph? what mad you choose a Triumph to start with?
Inspiration ; Motorcycle riders in World War II and my favourite movie “The Wild Angels" I chose a Triumph because they’re easy to handle, lightweight, they have amazing acceleration and THE BEAUTY OF THE ENGINE SHAPES!
How much did you know about mechanics before staring your Triumph build?
None. I didn’t know even the difference between Unit and Pre-Unit engine.
So you raced at the Chirihama Sand track races last year! What is it like to race there?
It’s basically a race with tons of old motorcycles at the beautiful summer beach in rural area of Japan.
If you love old motorcycles, I’m sure that you can easily imagine that it is heaven for us. This year was my second time racing at Chirihama.
It’s hard for me to describe the feeling when I race. Im under extreme tension, nervousness and fear but when I stand in front of the start-line and the flag is waved, I sense nothing. I can just feel only my heart beating and my bikes incredible speed on the sunshine beach. That feeling is worth every thing!
A hard tail chopper isn't exactly the most practical bike to race on a beach set up! ha ha. Was it pretty difficult to keep it rubber side down??
Exactly yes. But I have no choice as I am short-legged ha ha. I think, a hard tail chopper is the best way to enjoy the sand races! Feeling the sand of the beach under my tires, it is so much fun! Slippin’ and Slidin’ all over the place!!
Do you have any more races lined up soon?
Yep! There is the Dusters cup, dirt race for old motorcycles at Aomori prefecture in May.
Were there a lot of other women racing at Chirihama this year?
5 women hailed from all over Japan at that race. Most of them rode Harley-Davidson but we soon became friends. We had a common point: that we didn’t want to lose or for people to think “She is a woman so she lost”.Woman at motorcycle races is extremely rare in Japan, so guys watch us pretty curiously.
P : M.Roberts at speedtractor.com
Do you like to ride with other people or do you usually prefer to ride by yourself day to day?
Not much, I’m so shy and introvert so I like to mostly ride alone.
There seems to be a growing amount of women riding & building choppers out in Japan at the moment! How quickly has the scene grown there? Are there alot of women doing this?
Because of social media like Instagram, we can easily find other women that ride & builds choppers now! If you do your research you can find lots of other women who post about their motorcycles so you can get inspired to try things yourself.
In old times, Japanese woman should be humble and modest. So If you said “I want to ride a motorcycle, Dad!” you would probably get slapped (it basically happened to two of aunts!) Compared to old times, women are definitely becoming stronger and more free in Japan.
-Up until the new wave of women riding motorcycles in Japan my only real knowledge of some riding there are the famous images & videos of Bosuzoku women. Does the new wave of riders take any inspiration or have any links back to the bousouzoku history of female riders & gangs?
Hmm. I think, There is not so much relationship anymore to be honest.Bousouzoku had a golden age in 1970 to 1980 in Japan and most of them were teenager without driver's license. Riding motorcycles is just one of the way that they expressed their rebel spirit to society. You may actually be surprised to know that the roots of Bousouzoku came from the yearning for American culture back then like they saw in the movie, “The Wild One”. Of course at that time it was hard to get a foreign motorcycle so they customised their own domestic motorcycles. They just wanted to be “free” or “being bad boys/girls" like in the movie.
Also riding motorcycle gave them the feeling of “freedom” and made them have a strong presence. On that point I can really relate, working woman in Japanese society. I can imagine how the Bousouzoku girls felt tough cause they needed them to exist in a male dominated society.
What other women inspire you?
Definitely, You VC girls!!
- Any advice to other women wanting to build their own choppers?
Just express your feeling in your motorcycle and do what you really want to do.
If your husband or boyfriend meddled in, Say “Butt out.”
