Your Stories

I learned to ride at 38, and now, at 50 years old, I am racing vintage BMW motorcycles on the Bonneville Salt Flats. I am one of very few women motorcycle riders racing on the salt at Speed Week, and I’m very proud to hold two land speed records. I faced many fears and the loud voice of my mother in my head in order to do this, and I feel it is quite an accomplishment! This is the story of my first run out on the salt flats.

I knew I wanted to ride my own motorcycle after a cross-country trip in 1975 on the back of a 56 Harley-Davidson Panhead. I live in Texas, and in those days, you got the book from the Department of Public Safety (DPS), got a learners permit, learned to ride without much information, and took the test to ride solo. That was the plan.

Moksha is the first Indian woman professional in motorcycling. This story is a chronicle of her two-week solo ride from Manali to the Pangi Valley via the Sach Pass, a high and narrow pass in the Himalayas. By completing the ride, Moksha became the first Indian woman to make this journey by motorcycle.

When we first moved to North Carolina and I discovered the cliffs at Pilot Mountain, it was like a brand-new, beautifully decorated package had been presented as a gift for me to slowly open at my own pace. At first, every time I approached one of the cliffs, my tummy would get that funny tickling sensation that lets you know you should be wary of what you are attempting.

We were halfway to our final destination, with 1,244 miles behind us and about the same ahead. We punctuated our accomplishment with a perfect rib-eye steak at Smokey Joe’s. The celebration was only slightly marred by the logical conclusion that if we had already traveled half the journey, the trip was half over.

After losing loved ones, these women realized that “someday” had become now or never. Rather than be content in the passenger seat, both chose to go after their dream of owning a motorcycle. Read their inspiring stories and share your own in the comments below.

Challenging myself mentally and physically has always been important to me. Over the years, my interests have included barrel racing, golf, skydiving, triathlons and half marathons. While working full-time and raising my daughter as a single mother, I obtained my master’s degree in health-care administration. I’ve just never believed in being a spectator in life.