She Wolf of the Moment- Hayley M

Every month or so, we choose a different woman to spotlight that inspire us!

We feel as if it’s important to introduce real womxn in the motorcycle community as a way to empower and inspire others to follow their dreams and just keep shining! For the Month o March, we reached out to Hayley from Ontario and asked her about what it’s like to be a women builder/creator. Here’s what she had to say:

Please tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got your start. 

Well, I went to school for Computer Science and had a pretty nice job slapping code on a computer for a while until I realized that the highlight of my day was guessing if Gary was gonna talk to me with white shit in the corners of his mouth. I left everything behind and just started aiming for jobs that were fulfilling. It worked, less stress but also a lot less money. I worked rehabilitating dogs for forever homes to grooming dogs. At this time I was already building a bike and working on what I wanted and it turned out my first chop was actually my resume. I was offered a gig at a vintage Japanese motorcycle shop. I jumped into that role with ease. I started out as a parts clerk and then switched shops to where I am now.  I’m the Parts Dept. Manager for a really great shop that specializes in Harley.  Feeds the addiction, basically everything to feed my addiction. I can list off the weirdest part numbers off the top of my head for bikes that date back to the fuckin ‘30s  like what the fuck eh? 

What inspired you to build? 

I’ve always been a pretty aggressive human, naturally. I don’t know exactly where the fire comes from but I’ve always been extremely driven. I was never fortunate to grow up with sober stable parents and figured out early on that I had to take care of myself first. I was pissed off at my upbringing and the shitty cards I was dealt and basically found a really good way to get back at my past by making my future brighter. No better way to say fuck you then to channel your anger in a good place. I am an extremely happy person in general, likely because all my anger gets shoved into every bike I've ever built. Haha Even the cute bikes are full of rage. I’m kidding, I mean I can sit here and pretend I’m inspired to build by a fuckin sunset but the truth is it’s all spite, that's what works for me. The more pissed off I am, the better the bike. 

What do you ride? Did you build it? 

My daily is “ Big Bone '' (a play on what I love and what I am, big bones and big boned) a Honda CB750K8 I chopped up.  I picked it up for $400 after racing a pal to it. Naturally the engine was completely baffed and I had to gut the entire thing. I made her beautiful on the inside because the plan was to make her real mean and ugly on the outside.

Are you currently working on anything right now? If so, what?

I’m working on a couple things right now! I bought a 1977 Dodge B100 Van “Muffy” to hopefully take it down south this year!. A ‘60 Harley Davidson Pan that I’m putting together for fun. A racing lawnmower to go around town in and a couple minibikes.

How many projects do you take on at a time? 

I usually take on a couple! You can choose to hold off on projects and focus on one thing at a time, or what I like to do, buy anything that makes you happy for a screaming deal and make it into something fucked up later. I have a mental note of what order everything gets done in. Sometimes building a chop for too long can get monotonous, I like taking breaks in between and rip around on something else for a week or two until I start missing the chop.

What’s the most enjoyable thing to make? 

I love fabricating, moulding frames, and playing with the grinder. It’s hard to say it’s all fun. I’m rebuilding a 4 speed jockey on the Pan right now and even that’s fun. Hell even when the entire can of metal flake exploded in my face it was fun. My ultimate goal in everything I do is to have fun, if I stop having fun I’ll lose interest real fast. 

What’s it like being a womxn builder in a male dominant environment?

It’s whatever you make it. You can choose to be a “woman builder” and use that to define yourself (not that there’s anything wrong with that, with peace and love) or you can just be a builder and ignore the bullshit. I’d rather be called a builder than have any gender attached to what I'm doing. It’s not a descriptive term for my abilities, this isn’t a sport, it’s dickin’ around with grinders and micrometres. I feel that the playing field should be equal and I make a large effort to not exploit the fact that I am female in everything that I do.

What is the least enjoyable to build/make?

Different aspects of each build can be a real pain in the ass. With vintage bikes you don’t know what you’re going to find until you get into it, and by then it’s too late to turn back. Be it a stamp sealed frame you have to hardtail, welding up custom exhausts, leaking gas tanks. Currently fuckin trying to find a barrel and piston for a ‘37 M22 BSA.  The least enjoyable thing for me to do is go online and order brand new parts. I actually haaatttteeeeeeee ever having to do, and it’s rare that I do. But understand that’s what I do, I build my own parts. That’s part of my experience, so for me to buy parts is like paying someone else to do my work.

What are some challenges that you face with what you do? What are your highlights?

Covid!! Swap meets around here came to a screeching halt! I love swap meets more than Encino Man, eating meat with my bare hands and even more than spraying whip cream straight into my gullet. I could easily travel  5+ hours just to hit up a shit swap meet. The ’78 XS650 “Boogie Shoogie” was a complete Covid bike, I used all the parts I’ve collected from years prior to build that bike. Even the carbs I had to salvage from a scrap yard. It was a brutal year for junk hauling. There were a couple months there where swaps opened back up. I found a sweet rear invader set up for the Pan, and some other fun goodies. Then it closed back up again haha. 

What is your most enjoyable experience while riding?

Always and 100% riding with friends, not just tagalongs but the friend that pops in at your shop unexpectedly and calls on ya to go riding. Where no bikes break and no one runs out of fuel. Goofing off on the road, playing tag, having passengers holding out their arms to catch the air. There’s always a good game of rock paper scissors at every red light. You know, the good folk you ride with, the ones you don't have to worry about, the ones that know how you ride and can ride hard. 

What advice can you give to a womxn rider/builder? 

This goes for everyone, don’t miss out on amazing people because you’re too busy trying to be something you’re not. There are beautiful people from all genders and backgrounds that are building bikes and doing incredible things. Don’t sleep on these people because they don’t look like you, or ride your style of motorcycle. Everyone has at least one thing you’ll learn from, so meet as many people as you can and learn from them all. Unless they’re toxic as shit, then leave them the fuck alone, usually a dead giveaway is when they start talking about their ironhead. Im jk im jk not jk okay im jk 

Are there any other womxn builders we should look into that inspire you? 

I asked permission before sharing her info but she’s one of my favourite ladies, IG@the_fairychopmother. She is so relentless in her support. She keeps me grounded and I love her for that. I met her when @hondachopper_dot_com reposted her Honda CB750 and I had to be her friend! HI RALLY!!! 

I’ve been following  @jshia for years. Everything that she does is gold and she is real inspiration and a testament to ingenuity to the motorcycle community. I thank her for that. 

What is a good tip every rider should know? 

In Ontario when the winter melts down and the roads are getting a little warmer, one thing happens like clockwork. Eager riders who can’t wait to get on the road wash the fuck out on loose dirt and destroy their motorcycles. LIKE FUCKIN’ CLOCKWORK, every year. Take it easy when you hop back on your bike after the winter thaw, the roads are janky, your tires are cold and hard  and you’ll fuck up your bike for a shitty ride in the cold. 

What are your other passions/hobbies? 

I have a real habit of doing as much as I can. I bought a silkscreen set up last year and made some really funny chopper shirts, bought a button maker too and made a bunch of funny buttons for the folks at work. I guess you can say I have an entire room dedicated to all the other crafty hobbies that I’ve picked up along the way. I always think if someone else can do it, I sure as hell can too! I wanna try stained glass though, that would be cool to do. 

Please tell us anything else you’d like to! Be sure to add your ig or any other platforms you’d like us to share! Thank you! 

Thanks for the interview! It’s been a real honour. You can follow my Panhead build on tiktok at @haylorization or on IG @haylorization. 

I’m always up for a good chat so don’t hesitate to send me a DM! Thank you for the support. This really means a lot to me. 

Thank you for Hayley, can’t wait to learn more from you and your wonderful videos! You’re an inspiration to us all!