Straight-Up Q&A featuring S&L Rider, Becky Goebel
Before heading to Babes Ride Out 7 x Central Coast this October, we sat down with Slow & Low partner and rider, Becky Goebel to chat life, motorcycle culture, favorite places to travel and more. Be sure to check out her personalized packing list that covers all your essentials. You can listen and follow Becky's personalized Spotify road trip to BRO playlists via the S&L Spotify now, too.
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
A: I’m Becky AKA Axel @actuallyitsaxel. I’m 27 and I’ve been around in the motorcycle world for 6 - 7 years. I’m really into choppers and easy-riding Big Daddy bikes these days but I grew up riding dirt bikes in the fields of Canada, as well as anything else I could get my hands on. I host The Dream Roll and Canada's largest chopper show - LOSERPALOOZA.
My full-time job is riding motorcycles, whether it’s traveling to write stories for motorcycle magazines, riding in movies, TV shows, music videos etc., doing brand ambassador stuff, producing shoots for brands, hosting rides - (including the largest gathering of women on motorcycles in Canada during International Female Ride Day!). I also co-own and invest in a couple of companies that I do marketing and content creation for. I got a marketing degree when I was younger and just put it to use in every way except for getting a job (that lasted about 1 day). My life looks super fast on Instagram and shit but I’ve worked my ass off over the years to get to this point. Before motorcycles I worked at Starbucks, I was a grocery store cashier, I cleaned showers in a mine-camp for 11 weeks, I was a sponsored snowboard bum, I was an intern at Red Bull’s head office for a summer and worked at Vans doing merchandising. I’ve figured out how to make money by being myself and doing what I love and every day my career comes together even more.
I recently moved to Long Beach, California from Vancouver, BC Canada because it rains too much up there and I was pretty over it, and over my boyfriend of 10 years and over motorcycles getting stolen, and over the boy-club companies that have no budget for cool stuff, and the cops being up motorcyclists asses etc. So I bought a van and moved what I could into it and lived in it for 4 months while I figured out how to live down here in the states. I landed a 3-year work VISA for motorcycle stunt work and writing and I finally have a home, an American bank account, a toilet, and a kitchen! Life is good. I’ve got super into surfing and just exploring California in general. Very thankful for where I’m at.
Q: We enjoyed reading about how you grew up in a motorcycle family. Can you share one of your favorite memories that really made a lasting impression on you, or helped shape you as an adult?
A: I grew up in Northern Saskatchewan, Canada which is very very desolate. I kind of had free range with all of our shitty farm vehicles we had laying around. I remember being like 10 and taking this little tin boat with a little engine on its miles and miles down this lake and not seeing one person all day and being terrified the whole time. I also could ride my broke-off snowmobile through the fields for 2 hours to get to my Grandmas's house. Or take my Grandpas high-CC scooter through the woods and just eat shit so bad and not be able to pick it up. I’d just go do this stuff alone, in the blistering cold or hot and my dad would like, ‘well, figure it out’. Independence and choice-making came at a young age for me and freedom was always my priority. My parents always told me to do what makes me happy.
Q: What kind of bike do you currently ride? What’s the best motorcycle accessory?
A: I currently own a custom 1989 Harley Davidson Sportster, a 1969 Honda CM90 and a 1976 Yamaha XT 500. My bike line-up changes every month. I’m currently in the process of buying a Big Twin Evo motor and frame to build a chopper from the ground up.
The best accessory is a good sissy bar bag. If you have a solid bag you don’t have to worry about sliding around, or straps hanging down, or getting soaked in the rain - it is so much less stress on you during trips. My bags are really slim and leather with a waterproof layer under the leather layer and are hand-made in Canada by Mad Squirrel.
Q: In your opinion, is it better to be Slow & Low or High on Rye?
A: My choppers are always pretty low…. And definitely pretty slow. I’m a Slow & Low girl, hands down.
Q: What are the three things you can’t live without?
A: Booze, Bikes and my Buds - not much more to me than those 3 things right there.
Q: If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
A: Like a Girl - Lizzo
Q: We’re stoked to head out to BRO 7 x Central Coast together this fall! Where is the coolest spot you’ve traveled to via motorcycle in 2019 so far?
A: Yes, so damn stoked! I did a motorcycle trip around Uruguay earlier this year for an episode of Ride with Norman Reedus. That country is so cool. I picked up a bike in Montevideo and cruised it up the coast over the course of 4 days.
I also did a solo trip on a brand new Indian Chieftain bagger from Orange County, California to Ashland, Oregon for The Dream Roll. It was a sunlight to past-dark ride every day for 4 days. I did every single inch of the coast possible on the biggest bike Indian makes. It took for everrrr but was really amazing and now I can say I have ridden every inch of the coast from Squamish, BC Canada all the way to Ensenada, Mexico.
Q: Knowing how strongly motorcycle culture influenced your upbringing, we wanted to ask what you hope you infuse into the modern women’s moto-culture?
A: My whole brand since day one has always been to show women that they can do whatever the fuck they want. It doesn’t even need to be motorcycles - it can be skateboarding, breaking up with that boyfriend who treats you like shit, or apply for that job that dudes usually get, etc. Take a welding class, tell someone how you feel, speak up, tell someone to fuck off. I’m sick of women thinking they can’t do something cus we’re small or quiet or “supposed to be” nice - it’s a new day and age and I’m here to fuck some shit up so come with me.
Q: The road less traveled or the path of least resistance?
A: One time I left an event in Oregon alone on my chopper. When I got to the i5 highway, I turned right to go South instead of going left to go home to Canada. It was totally just a random choice and it literally changed my entire life. After that, I left my chopper down south and had no choice but to bring the rest of my shit down there. I’ve always chosen the harder road to follow and I’m used to stress, to mistakes being made and to change. I’ll never be able to sit still and I think that’s FINE. It’s fine to be almost 30 with no kids, no husband and with zero fucks to give. It’s us women’s time to shine: to do whatever we want to do and to make that right hand turn on the road less traveled and leave everything behind.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: The weekend after Babes Ride Out I’m riding to Mexico with my #ChopperHoes. We are all chicks that ride choppers…. And we’re “hoes” for our bikes, nothing to do with chopper boys, they aren’t even invited… sorry boys. After that, I will be at the Roland Sands Moto Beach Classic then I’m doing a Southern Trip with Harley Davidson through Arizona and New Mexico. I’ll also be going to Japan for Mooneyes at the end of November. Really excited to have this season last so long and not be getting rained out in Canada anymore! Bring it on.
