WITW member

Monica

Member since 2007

What was your first bike? And why did you choose it?=

My first bike was a used red 1979 Kawasaki KZ400 (400cc). &nb= sp; I guess I didn’t choose it, it was just there. Bought in 19= 89 for $375. It needed a bunch of work, chain, sprockets, tires, basi= c maintenance. I was it’s third owner, it came from BC, and it&= #8217;s first owner was a lady! She had never been stored indoors, an= d I was no exception. She was with me from 1989 until I just couldn&#= 8217;t resurrect her carburettors in 2001. She’d been stolen an= d pushed, (yes pushed - it was early spring and there was no battery!) seve= ral city blocks and abandoned in a park where the police impounded her.&nbs= p; Repairs exceeded reasonable cost - however, repair would still have been= cheaper than a new bike. Oh well.

What advice do you have for anyone just starting out= ?

Take a course from a professional, learn how to ride slowly and sa= fely. There is no shame in starting with a small used bike and spend = the time to find something that fits you. You can always trade up lat= er.

You are invisible. Do everything and anything to be visible = - helmet colour, reflectors, clothing, lighting, and your riding position o= n the road. Drivers blind spots are your dead zone.

Fitting a bike - the *right* bike - can be a challenge. Not = all bikes are for everyone. Don’t let anyone convince you to bu= y larger than you need. 250cc really IS big enough for your first rid= e. Bigger is not better in this case.

And get good gear. A properly fitted helmet is worth the mon= ey. Your head is worth it. I also wear chaps because my le= g touches both exhaust pipes. Things you don’t necessarily noti= ce when you are in the showroom (because the pipes aren’t hot) or so = excited about your first ride.

What was one of your most memorable moments/rides (f= un, exciting, meaningful) and why?

So many. I suppose it would be my first real group trip

and road trip on a bike - our 4 day Casual Cruise to BC with= the Yamaha Northern Stars of Alberta group fall 2007. We were to be 6 bike= s, 4 gents and 3 women, (one couple together on one bike). Bikes rang= ed in size from a Honda Shadow to Yamaha Ventures. We went cruising f= rom Edmonton to Calgary, picked up the Calgary Northern Stars the next morn= ing, and headed west to BC stopping in the Crowsnest Pass to pay a visit to= a Northern Star member who was unable to join us, he had to work. We= accepted his invitation and we showed up at his workplace only to find out= he had gone home for lunch! The staff treated us well, water, coffee= etc. and it was a perfect rest stop for us to change gear and rest. = Then on to our first overnight stop in Creston, (except for me, there was n= o room at the Inn - I got my own little place a ways down the highway which= turned out the better place to be), and then on to New Denver at the Valha= lla Inn. From there, we headed towards Radium and the Hotel Bavaria -= very nice little place. After that ride, we were heading back to Edm= onton through Jasper to stop at the Icefields, but the weather was so rainy= and miserable, we were concerned about running into snow at higher elevati= ons. We ended up detouring east through Cochrane to head north on Hig= hway 22. A nice scenic, and rather straight road! Scenery was s= pectacular, friends were plentiful, and folks were really friendly. I= certainly learned how to pack. And when we stopped, I noticed less stares,= and lots of “...that’s a pretty big bike for little you.”= ;

What is one little known fact about yourself that yo= u would like to share with the other members?

I couldn’t get an apprenticeship as a mechanic in the ‘= ;80’s, so I became a computer tech. I specialize in Macintosh c= omputers. Quite a lot easier on the knuckles.

When I started riding - (late ‘80’s) I was sure I was = going to be the only woman in the class. To my surprise, almost 50% o= f the class were women, and as of last year, that hasn’t changed!

I encourage everyone to take at least one Motorcycle Safety Course= . And once you pass, ride within your own comfort zone. That me= ans: ride the bike, the locations and the speed that you are comfortable wi= th. Don’t let anyone make you feel that you have to keep up to = them. Get a map, know your route and meet up whenever YOU get there.&= nbsp; Take it easy.

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