HER STORY | Britni de la Nuez

Her Story. A series of blog posts telling the stories of 'women who ride' from all corners of the globe. We hope that by sharing these stories we can help encourage other women to build their confidence, learn from others and inspire others.

This month we have a story by Britni de la Nuez, from Michigan, USA.
Britni is proof in the pudding that height shouldn't hold you back from riding your dream bike. 

 We hope you enjoy her story.

My name is Britni de la Nuez. I am 27 years old, from Detroit-ish, Michigan. I’ve always had the privilege of motorcycles in my life. As it is for many in the sport, my father has always been a motorcycle enthusiast. I don’t remember my first ride but knowing my dad I can guarantee he had me sitting on a tank for a ride around the block before I hit two. In 2003 he opened his own dealership, Wolverine Harley-Davidson.

Running free through rows and rows of brand new motorcycles was a dream for an 8-year-old. I was in complete awe of the machines and yet so comfortable around them. I was the only second-grader toting black and orange binders, motorcycle boots and getting dropped off for school on the back of my dad’s Moo Glide.

Those fuzzy feelings quickly faded come adolescence, I like to call it my rebellious phase, I vowed never to ride a motorcycle. It’s always assumed that I would live and die for the sport but if I’m being honest during this time in my life I loathed the thought of riding my own. As I grew and learned more about myself, I’ve learned that feeling was fear. The onset of anxiety and depression stole that passion from me. But as you can gather from me writing this article, that spark was ignited.

I’d hate to be that girl who says she started riding because of a boy, but I would be lying if that wasn’t true. An ex-boyfriend pushed me to start riding my dirt bike that had gone untouched for years. I can’t begin to describe to you the freedom I felt on the trails. Weekends full of dirt, mud, sweat and tears but smiling ear to ear the whole time. I came back from a week of riding only to have to ride on the back of someone else’s bike. I signed up for a riding class at our dealership the next day.

Yes, my father owns a dealership. And yes, I work for that dealership. But I can not tell you enough how much taking the Riding Academy Course has taught me.

When it came time to get a road bike my dad insisted I take no advice other than that of the instructors as to not pick up any bad habits. You read that right, my father, rider for decades, one of the most experienced I’ve seen, insisted I only learn from a vetted instructor. And I’m glad he did. Programming aside, I had two of the best riding instructors a girl could ask for: father and son duo, Dave and Matt Friedel.

I love my dad and was bewildered he didn’t want to teach me how to ride himself, but that man knows his kid. I am analytic, anxious, a total perfectionist, learning in a classroom sitting with instructors and clear cut, technical tasks was the ticket. And I truly had the best instructor in the game, until his passing I could continue to go to Dave for advice anytime I needed it, and 'til this day, I still hear his voice exclaim anytime I do anything he wouldn’t like.

I got through the class and took home the only bike in the showroom I could fit on.  A pearl white, Harley-Davidson Sportster Superlow XL883L. I quickly outgrew that bike and upgraded to a Sportster with a little more power, a Forty-Eight Special. I really appreciated that bike because it rode more like a dirt bike and manoeuvering was so much easier. Taking a lot of uneasiness out of my riding and really accelerating my growth as a rider.
But it was about that time and I wanted to start customizing. The style I wanted was not possible with my Forty-Eight, so I traded again for my XL1200 Iron.

My Iron is my baby. The first bike I had full reigns on customizing and will probably be my favorite bike forever. Aside from all of the customizations it’s the first bike I ever took on a solo ride and the bike I feel the most confident riding to this day. I think my love for this bike comes from that first solo ride freedom.

Riding motorcycles for me is so much more than a sport or a hobby, it has truly taught me so much about myself. It’s so difficult to put into words just how free you feel when you hop on your bike and go out into the world taking any turn you want.

I love my bikes, ascetically, functionally they are works-of-art but I would ride anything with two wheels. I found a part of myself on the road and as long as I had that freedom I would be happy.

I’ve challenged myself to ride bigger bikes, one of my biggest goals is to be able to hop on any bike and take it for a ride. I’m a long way from that goal and there are major learning curves being so small (4’10”) and riding these machines. But I started my journey up on a FXLRS, it has been an experience. Plenty of drops and scares, but I’m getting better every ride.

Riding is truly a sport, it takes your mind, body and spirit. There is blood, sweat and tears that goes into it. And every second of struggle and frustration is worth it. There are new adventures, people to meet and always something new to learn. And I am so grateful to be a part of the few who can say they ride their own.

Thank you for reading my love story to the sport. I am alway open to help tiny riders or those who are new to the sport. Please feel free to reach out on my Instagram @britnidelanuez with any questions you have or to just say hi! I’d love to chat with you.

Technician: Eddie Salas, Wolverine Harley-Davidson