Your Stories

It seems like Ive always had a motorcycle in my life in one way or another. My brother had a bike when I was little and one of my sisters boyfriends rode a bike and would take me on rides. When I started dating, I was attracted to guys who rode, and eventually married a motorcyclist.

When I rode the Pony Express Relay for the Susan G. Komen Foundation in 2003, I had no idea where it would go. I had just bought my new Harley-Davidson Deuce in Henderson, Nevada, and rode her into California across the Mojave Desert. I planned to ride the relay solo in a group. Now that may sound odd, but I think a lot of you have ridden that way, too.

I have wanted to ride and own my own motorcycle all my life. Getting married right out of high school and having a family put things on a back burner for me for quite some time (like 30 years). When I was nearly 50 years old with three grown children all married and grandchildren I got my first motorcycle, a Suzuki 125.

Why do you ride motorcycles? Arent you scared? Dont you ever worry about being alone on the road? What on earth made you want to travel alone on a motorcycle? Is that big motorcycle yours? If you are a woman who rides, I am sure you may have heard any or all of the above questions at any given time.

In June of 2000, at age 35, I left my last abuser for the tenth and last time. I was done having surgeries on my face. I was done being told, “Youre too ugly to be seen in public with me. And I knew if I stayed there I was going to die at the hands of this man who constantly and repeatedly told me he loved me.

I learned to ride as a child and my sole transportation during my later teen years was a bike. My boyfriend and I rode together, with a shared love for the road. Some 20 or so years later, we were a boring, old married couple. The kids were all grown and too cool to be seen with Ma and Pa. I had a new career after years of being a stay-at-home mom.

From April through September 2006, we ran a contest entitled “Everybody Has A Story,” sponsored by SS Cycle, a leader in performance products for American V-twins. We gave away a prize each month to a reader who submitted a motorcycle story that most touched our hearts and made us feel some emotion.

My best friend, Ron, who is also my fella, has been riding Harley-Davidsons and Gold Wings for years. He encouraged me to take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Class in November of 2004. I thought, “Just do something you have wanted to do all your life…ride!”

Im 20 years old, a senior at Washington State University and have loved motorcycles my whole life. I love the adventures they took me on, the challenges, the thrill of testing my skill, reflexes, and strength against the trail, the road, the occasional hill climb. When I left for college I couldnt bring that with me. The time for riding and fixing was gone, school and work took over over and I had to be responsible.