Blinging it on a Sparkly Swarovski Motorcycle

swarovski-motorcycle-feature

For Yvonne Lanthripp of Beaumont, California nothing says BLING more than encasing her motorcycle in Swarovski Crystals. The way the sun bounces off the glittering stones enhances her bike’s beauty while at the same time makes a stunning statement that is as sparkly as Yvonne’s personality.

 
yvonne-swarovski-motorcycle

bling-helmet-swarovski-crystals
Yvonne’s bejeweled Scorpion helmet

 
Yvonne’s shimmering transformation of the Harley-Davidson Softail started at a Long Beach Bike Show in California in 2013 where she encountered Stacy Hawkins, owner of Devas Bling. Stacy specializes in Swarovski Crystals and customizes motorcycles with the shiny stones.

When Yvonne saw all that glittery goodness on display it sparked a “bling diva” within her. Her very first order was to have her motorcycle helmet bejeweled.
 

Sparkle My Ride

It wasn’t long before those shimmery crystals eventually spread to encase Yvonne’s bike. Swarovski crystals were strategically placed to outline key areas on her motorcycle; the mirrors, lights, trim, pinstripe, gas cap, seat rail, saddle bags, horn cover, air filter cover, primary cover, and oil tank. Plus, she added an artistic heart accent on the windshield.

swarovski-softail

harley-davidson-crystals

bling-softail-side-closeup

 
swarovski-motorcycle-windshield

 

 
This video shows how sparkly Yvonne’s bike truly is!

 

The “sparkle” process of covering Yvonne’s motorcycle in Swarovski Crystals was done in five stages over a two-year period. Some of the smaller parts were sent directly to Stacy to work on at her shop while others were done when meeting up with her at various bike weeks like the one in Arizona.

Yvonne’s bike was finally completed last October when Stacy stayed in her trailer in Yvonne’s driveway. Stacy then spent the next four days working to finish Yvonne’s Harley-Davidson motorcycle from the back of the trailer. Even though Yvonne feels that her Swarovski motorcycle is finally completed and looking the way she wants it, her husband John on the other hand continues to insist that her custom Softail needs just a bit more motorcycle bling.
 

Accessorizing the Swarovski Motorcycle

Not only do those Swarovski Crystals shine like the sun, Yvonne also added chrome accessories on the engine and chrome forks to accent the two-tone black and white color combination. She had her Kuryakyn chrome engine accessories done while at a Las Vegas bike week and purchased the chrome forks from Harley Davidson and had her mechanic install them. When it came to comfort, she went with the Shotgun Air Ride, an adjustable suspension system to make those long journeys on the road run smoothly.

custom-softail-swarovski-motorcycle

There is no denying that Yvonne’s shiny custom Softail can be a real attention getter. Not only women are bedazzled by her motorcycle’s shining beauty, but also men are constantly asking Yvonne if they could take a picture to show their wife or girlfriend. Between us, I think the men just don’t like to admit that they really like the sparkle too.
 

Yvonne’s Road To Riding

It is hard to believe that four years ago Yvonne had absolutely no interest in motorcycles. It was Yvonne’s husband John who actually had the twenty-year dream to ride, and when he brought his motorcycle home she had no intention of getting on his—especially as a passenger. Despite her continuous protests and reluctant attitude towards riding, John went ahead and sent her to a beginner’s riding class and then bought her a motorcycle of her own.

yvonne-rides-custom-softail
Malibu ride – before crystal bling on motorcycle

To her complete surprise, she absolutely enjoyed the motorcycle class. When it came to actually riding the motorcycle, she was a natural and adapted quite easily to it. For Yvonne, there just wasn’t any one defining moment for her when motorcycling really got into her “blood,” it just became “fun” albeit with the nudging and persistence of John. Maybe John knew what Yvonne had yet to discover, that deep down inside there was a spark just waiting to ignite in her.

It became apparent that Yvonne found that spark and the “spirit” of the ride when she bravely tackled the West Coast Thunder Ride after riding for only five months. She recalled how terrified she was to ride in such a large group for the very first time, one that usually has about 7000 riders. It now has become a yearly trek for her and her husband to participate in the ride. She continues to fully embrace the motorcyclist lifestyle on her Harley Softail and frequently travels with a local chapter of Hog from her hometown in California.
 

“I now ride more than he does.”

 

Travelling with a Troll

harley-trollAs a sixth-grade Language Arts and Ancient History teacher Yvonne had used an Orange Troll Doll in the classroom as a teaching aid. Each class had its own colored troll and the classes would compete by who read the most books and other similar competitions.

From the classroom the Troll became a travel partner for Yvonne and she began to photo document her journeys with him using Instagram. Her love of travel whether on her bling motorcycle or in a car had her bringing the Troll with her on her many adventures across the country and abroad. Yvonne jokes that she managed to get him into all sorts of places he should not have been. You can follow Yvonne’s Orange Troll on his Instagram account at #trollinthebuff.

One memorable trip that Yvonne fondly recalls with the Orange Troll and his buddies Harley Horse and Pinkie was when Yvonne—with a group of friends—took a 15-day trip out to the 75th Sturgis Rally in August of 2015. They went through six states and stopped at as many landmarks as they could.


 

A Favorite vs. Necessity

swarovski-motorcycle-saddlebags
Yvonne’s favorite piece of bling that adorns her motorcycle is the seat rail.

With all of Yvonne’s travelling she doesn’t really have any particular piece of gear that she considers her favorite, however when the temperature dips down she loves having her heated jacket and gloves that keeps her toasty warm and helps her endure those colder rides.
 

What’s Next?

Seems that there may be another bike in Yvonne’s future as her husband John recently purchased a dual sport and according to Yvonne he is pestering her to get one too. So far she has managed to firmly refuse to do so, maybe he just needs to do a little more nudging or just go and buy her one like he did with her Harley.

Do you have a bling’d out bike? Are you fashionably styling while you ride? Then check out How to get featured as a Biker Girl Bling’n It.

Subscribe to get updates and special offers SIGN UP!

15 thoughts on “Blinging it on a Sparkly Swarovski Motorcycle

  1. Shellie says:

    I travel with a little Buffalo. He was a Beanie Baby. No tag 🙂 He’s been camping and to Hawaii so far. He is in my backpack at all times. This year, I’ll take him for a ride!

  2. Nicole says:

    Stacy at Devas Bling is the best at what she does. No one compares to her quality of work!!!!! Great job on this bike!!!!

  3. Doneva says:

    I am in the middle of bringing my bike out and have done a little swarovski work. What size of Swarovski crystal do you primarily use?

  4. Tina says:

    Swarovski makes a two part epoxy that works great on chrome. I too have blinged my bike out, however, I do it myself. I like to refer to it as bling therapy. It’s very relaxing. E6000 does work great, however, after a couple of years, it begins to yellow, dry out, and stones tend to fall off. But yes, it does work great in a pinch.

Comments are closed.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This