A good thing about being in this stage of life—shall I call it the middle—is that you are qualified to join the club called “Experience!” After 30 years in the apparel industry and now as owner of Team Diva, my hat and accessories company, along with multitudes of travels, I have lots and lots of experiences to share. My favorite mode of travel is, of course, on two wheels, and as I ride through this stage of my life, I come across many things and take part in exciting events that I believe would be of interest to you. That’s the premise of my newly named column, Diva Amy’s Bling ‘n’ Blog. So let’s hit it—and keep things shiny! Here’s my first installment.
Here I am with my customized Road Glide—sure makes a statement wherever we go.On February 11, while I was wintering in Arizona, I joined more than 5,000 riders to participate in a ride to celebrate Arizona’s 100th birthday. Bike designer Paul Yaffe, a friend of mine, was commissioned to build a motorcycle honoring the event. The bike he built was so beautiful—a “Copper Chopper” to signify all the copper mining in Arizona. Paul actually fashioned the carburetor cover in the shape of the state of Arizona, all in copper!
Posing with custom motorcycle designer Paul Yaffe. I credit Paul with tranforming much of my custom motorcycle into what I call my Diva Glide.
Paul Yaffe and his “Arizona Copper Chopper” were the center of attention at the start of the ride. Wow, Paul Yaffe is a true artist! Check out this air
cleaner cover in the shape of Arizona. |  The Copper Chopper fuel tank with the Arizona state logo on it. |
We all gathered at the Mesa Riverview shopping center and rode with a police escort to the Arizona State Capitol. I was riding five motorcycles behind country music star (and Arizona local) Dierks Bentley. The highlight for me was to be with all these guys and, most of all, to show off the Diva Glide to Arizona’s governor, Jan Brewer. She loved the bling and was so darling in her white Chanel suit.
Motorcycle News: Diva Glide Gets a New Seat
My trusty ride, the Diva Glide, has 58,000 miles on it now. I have ridden every mile, and it hasn’t been on a trailer since I purchased it in 2007. The Diva Glide, which started out as a 2007 Harley-Davidson Road Glide, is a shiny and sparkly babe now, but just like me, the wear and tear of the road has caused a few wrinkles.
Here’s my original seat. It’s hard to see here, but it’s showing its age. The original custom seat I had made for my Diva Glide was starting to come unstitched, so I decided to upgrade and have it reshaped. Paul Yaffe recommended Guy Tieman from Guy’s Upholstery in Mesa, Ariz. I knew if Guy was good enough for Paul and his custom-built motorcycles, he would work out for me. Turns out, a few years prior Guy had reshaped the seat on my Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, so he and I had already met.
Guy and his wife, Jody, and I talked and designed my next seat. We decided he would reshape the stock silhouette and make it look a little sleeker. I never really ride anyone on the back, so the rear could be slimmer. I also wanted to use sparkly vinyl, as red and purple leather (my color choices) would never hold up in the sun.
Guy doing his magic with a hair dryer, of all things!One thing led to another, and of course I needed “DIVA AMY” stitched across the seat like a western saddle. We decided to have it embroidered with my custom font. Our next decision was to add flames along the sides in purple on top of red. To top it off, Swarovski crystals were a must, which meant I would pick up the seat cover before it was mounted to the pan, take it to my studio, and apply the crystals inside the flames and on the back of the arch. Whew! After this step, it was back to Mesa to watch Guy stretch and mount the cover to the frame. It turned out better than what I’d pictured in my head. A huge thank you to Guy and Jody! Many more miles to ride.
The final product. It’s so fun to see how collaboration can transform an idea into something beyond your imagination.