You’ll spot her on the salt flats with her signature pink Performance Machine wheels or in the shop busting out a fierce custom. Jody Perewitz, the daughter of V-Twin icon Dave, has made quite the mark on the industry in her own right and now serves as an inspiration to the next generation of riders.

“I grew up around motorcycles, and I always wanted to do anything that my older brother did,” says Jody. “My parents had a ton of land, so I grew up on dirt bikes and four-wheelers. We’d literally ride every single day until it got dark out, so I always had the love of two wheels.”

While Jody was hooked on the family business early in life, she earned a scholarship to college, and her dad encouraged her to finish school before deciding on her career path. With her bachelor’s degree under her belt, Jody returned home, and now she and dad drive the family business together. And while her day-to-day work is amazing, it’s her racing that is full-on awe-inspiring.

“With racing, I can’t even tell you how many little girls come up to me and say, ‘you’re my hero,’ or, ‘I love you,’ or, ‘I want to be just like you.’ I’m just a regular person, and I just went out and did something that I was told I couldn’t do,” says Jody. “I’m not a model who’s wearing next to nothing and signing a poster. I’m a real person that did a real thing. I push people to be real, be who you are.”

MPN asked Jody what advice she had for dealers who want to appeal to women customers, and she encourages them to see above gender.

“You can never judge somebody by the way they look or their sex,” she says. “We have so many customers that are multi-millionaires, and you would never know that they had any money. They come in wearing dirty jeans and they’re driving a beat-up truck. I think it’s the same with women. You never know who is coming in. A typical biker doesn’t exist anymore – a biker isn’t just leather and tattoos. You want that sale, so don’t approach women like they’re there for their husband. Approach women like they have an interest in motorcycles whether they ride or their husband rides or they’re buying a gift, whatever it is. Treat them well, and they’ll come back. Maybe they don’t ride, but they will come in, see a bike that they love and talk to somebody that’s real enthusiastic, and maybe they will ride. Maybe they just need a little push.”