Each month we post a blog telling the stories of 'womxn who ride' from all around the world. We hope that by sharing these stories we can help encourage our readers to build their confidence, learn and inspire each other.
For a very special January Edition, we reached out to some of the authors who shared their stories with us this past year, to see where they are now and how their moto journeys panned out over 2021.
Jaimi Harvey. February
LOCATION: Gold Coast, QLD
AGE: 32
BIKE: 2014 Harley Davidson FXDBB Dyna Street Bob
RIDING FOR: 5yrs
AGE: 32
BIKE: 2014 Harley Davidson FXDBB Dyna Street Bob
RIDING FOR: 5yrs
Did you go on any road trips?
We did an overnighter out to Kyogle, NSW which has some of my favourite roads to ride along the way. The whole town is basically one small street and we stayed at the pub in true country road trip style. Something we learned on that trip was ALWAYS take ear plugs! The pub staff forgot to turn off the music videos playing out the back (right below our window) and being a small town you have no hope of contacting a soul until later the next morning. We even scaled fences to try and get access to the courtyard to unplug the horrendous late 2000’s repeating playlist. Needless to say the ride home was a little rough! Bahaha
What are your goals for 2022?
Get back on the bike! We birthed our baby boy at home on Boxing Day and I haven’t ridden since about 18 weeks pregnant. I had been staring at my bike more and more as my pregnancy got closer to the end, the excitement is real but there’s a few bits that need healing and routines that need establishing before hitting the road again. Luckily we live a few minutes from Springbrook Mountain so all I need is a quick hour to escape to get my fix! Also spoiled with Tomewin Mountain Road being about 20 mins away so that’ll be the first longer ride I do away from my little dude!
Have you learnt any tips or tricks you can share with our readers?
ALWAYS leave that warmer layer on! If you’re starting to think you’re warming up at a pit stop along a long ride, think twice before removing that extra layer. It’s always deceiving how much colder you’ll be on the road even as the day warms up. And the last thing you want to be doing is shivering or fighting that urge to pee for the next couple hundred k’s.
Ria the welder. September
Ria's the name and welding's her game!
In September we had the pleasure of getting to know Ria, 33, from Canada. This legend has built a reputation for herself creating unique & custom sissy bars since 2015. She runs her own business and has now made over 300 sissy bars.
"I love working for myself. I can start my day whenever I want. I can stop when I want. I don't have a dress code, I can listen to my own music. I feel like in this day, we are all very fortunate to be able to start our own hustle and make a good living at it. No need to work for the man!" ~Ria
Ashley Juliet Murillo-Beene. March
LOCATION: San Diego, California
AGE: 27
BIKES: 2001 Harley Davidson XL1200C,
2018 Honda Rebel 500,
2020 Harley Davidson Street Bob (my husband's but I ride it more)
RIDING FOR: 3+ years on road, 10+ years on dirt.
AGE: 27
BIKES: 2001 Harley Davidson XL1200C,
2018 Honda Rebel 500,
2020 Harley Davidson Street Bob (my husband's but I ride it more)
RIDING FOR: 3+ years on road, 10+ years on dirt.
Moto highlight of 2021:
I was invited to participate in this year's "Ride to the Warehouse" , a wonderful charity event that shares women's moto passion while raising funds for breast cancer. For info visit: ridetothewarehouse.com or @ridetothewarehouse.
Also, Memorial Day weekend I road tripped Northern Arizona with my good friend @calamidity_sid, where we conquered the historical 89A to Jerome, Arizona 158 curves in 12 miles!
Do you have any road trips planned?
Our roadtrips are always pretty unpredictable, I know that we talked about hitting up Route 66 this year and a trip to LA with some hot stops. We'll most likely play it by ear but my ultimate goal is to ride down Baja California in Mexico, so will definitely plan out some trips down there on the bike and visit our Litas in Tijuana.
5 essential items to take on a road trip:
1. Warm layers
2. Water
3. Fuel Can
4. Phone charger/Sena charger, GoPro
5. Tool set & knife
2. Water
3. Fuel Can
4. Phone charger/Sena charger, GoPro
5. Tool set & knife
Are you part of a riding group?
Proud co-founder of The Litas San Diego. If anyone wants to visit, hit us up for a tour. :) visit us @thelitas_sandiego
Where is your favourite local spot to ride around?
One of my favorite local spots to ride through in San Diego would be the 94 to Otay Lakes Road. It's a beautiful ride close to the city but out in the country with windy roads, cows, lakes, and mountains. San Diego county itself is full of beautiful roads to explore. I could spend a whole weekend riding without leaving the county.
Natalia Hernandez. April
LOCATION: Melbourne, Australia
AGE: 38
BIKE: 1994 Yamaha SRV250
RIDING FOR: 7+ years
AGE: 38
BIKE: 1994 Yamaha SRV250
RIDING FOR: 7+ years
2021 felt like a barren desert when it came to anything remotely exciting. But scrolling back through my camera roll, there were quite a few Leatherettes rides that got me through the year (if it wasn’t just me riding to pick up ice cream during lockdown).
The Leatherettes participated in shoots for local photographer Em Jenson, which lead to a wild overnighter up in Ballarat to support her exhibition. We celebrated Halloween with a dress up/cemetery ride and Christmas with a Christmas lights ride. Not to mention the few little squirts we did when we could.
After another tough stint with lockdowns, I decided to get myself some bling to feel excited about riding again. So I purchased a disco ball flake helmet. It’s been a solid purchase. I also got a puppy in 2021 as well so I’m looking forward potentially having her on the bike with me in 2022
Nadine Purificato. June
LOCATION: Portland, Oregon USA
AGE: 31
BIKE: 2015 Harley Sportster Iron 883
RIDING FOR: 8 years
AGE: 31
BIKE: 2015 Harley Sportster Iron 883
RIDING FOR: 8 years
Highlights of 2021:
Being able to get out riding even during the pandemic proved to be the therapy I needed. With so much in flux, so much uncertainty, riding grounded me and helped me heal. Helping out with group rides for BLM and other causes was a great spark for the year as well. I’m excited for the future!
Favourite local spot to ride around:
There is a lot of versatility here in Portland when it comes to riding. I’m a really big fan of bopping around the city; switching lanes quick, avoiding road hazards, stopping for pizza with friend and then popping right back on the bikes to go somewhere else. Then there is the beauty of being able to quickly charge into the more rural areas to go on longer backcountry twists and turns. My favorite ride by far is heading towards Mt. Hood (not during the winter of course). The air is crisp, the mountain and walls of trees are gorgeous. It’s one of those rides where you really get to see the PNW.
Mods to the bike:
Doing mods to my bike took longer than I anticipated, which cut my riding season short. I was able to get a little more height out of my bike by adding 2” taller rear shocks as well as extending my front forks 2” as well. Being 5’9” I sometimes felt the bike was a little small but even with just those two inches it has significantly improved my riding and my stance when coming to a stop. I’m super pleased and proud of myself/the help of my friends for getting this done!
Any one item from Moto Est.:
The Military Tobacco duffle bag has my heart! Love that it’s handmade, 24L, so not too big not too small and the colour choices have me swooning.
Annette Eldridge. November
LOCATION: Melbourne, Australia
BIKE: 2021
Royal Enfield Meteor 350
RIDING FOR: 4 years
My highlight from 2021 is receiving the Royal Enfield Meteor ‘Fireball’. It has been awesome getting to know the bike and riding something a little bigger than my Suzuki TU 250x. It’s fun to ride in a cruiser position too. I am really looking forward to doing more long distance rides on it in 2022.
My next ride will be a favourite route of mine which is up to Kinglake and through Toolangi Forest. These roads offer a nice amount of twisty roads and a pie stop in between. There are a few roads around Gippsland I wouldn’t mind exploring over the summer either. I’ve acquired some Flying Solo Gear to pack for longer road trips and wouldn’t mind giving them a try.
My favourite motorcycle accessories are a stylish leather jacket and helmet. I feel these items are a really good investment for safety and style. From Moto Est., I own a Walden Miller jacket & I love that there is more & more gear available for female riders and glad they now stock ATWYLD gear. I plan on popping in for a visit to check out their new stock and to say hello!
Tamara Tusia. August
LOCATION: Naarm (Melbourne), Australia
AGE: 34
BIKES: 1981 Kawasaki KZ440 (Ozma) and a Honda Shadow 200cc named Sylvia.
RIDING FOR: 8 years
What are your goals for 2022?
My humble plans for 2022 are simply to get both of my bikes back on the road, which fingers crossed won’t involve too much stress and heartache. I’d also love to have my Honda Shadow detailed. She really needs some TLC after spending so much time locked away with no attention and the surface rust is starting to take over. A nice wash and polish should have her sparkling again!
My main goal for 2022 is honestly just to ride more. Life takes over so easily and sometimes the effort required to get your gear on and go for a ride feels out of reach. It’s not really possible for me to ride to work daily, so I hope to have more time and space to enjoy riding more regularly in the new year for self care.
What skills have you learnt & value the most from building your own bike?
This is a tricky one to answer. As I’m sure I did learn a tonne of stuff over my lengthy bike build, but at the same time it feels hard to distinguish. Mechanics really doesn’t come easy to the way my brain works, so I’m not sure how much I’ve retained. I probably learnt the most about various tools and what they do/how to use them!
What advice do you have for someone looking to buy/build a custom?
The best advice I could give anyone thinking about or planning a custom build is to really overestimate the budget AND timeframe!!!! HAHA It also helps if you have a reasonably clear vision from the start! Do your research! (Both things I didn’t have or do).
If you want a bike that you can readily ride, enjoy and tinker with immediately then it’s probably better to get something that’s running that you can do some basic aesthetic modifications to.
If you have time, patience, a decent budget and the motivation to lose your mind a few times then a custom build is the way to go for you!!
If you want a bike that you can readily ride, enjoy and tinker with immediately then it’s probably better to get something that’s running that you can do some basic aesthetic modifications to.
If you have time, patience, a decent budget and the motivation to lose your mind a few times then a custom build is the way to go for you!!
Lee Dawn Hershey. December
Last month we interviewed Lee Dawn Hershey from Texas, USA.
They are a model, actor, creator, producer, athlete, Wipe Out champion, and of course a strong moto devotee! From the ripe age of four, Lee set out on two wheels and to this day, motorcycles are still a fundamental part of their life and mental wellbeing.
"As quick as it is to lose a life on a motorcycle, it’s just as easy to gain life and find who you really are. It’s just you and that machine." ~Lee
Nami Migita. July
LOCATION: Tokyo
AGE: 36 years old
BIKE: 1993 Yamaha SRV250S
RIDING FOR: 10 months
LANGUGE: Japanese
What was the highlight of 2021?
I got a motorcycle license and met SRV250S.
Did you go on a road trip?
I took a road trip from Tokyo to Nagano prefecture and ride on a beautiful mountain road.
What are your goals for 2022?
I want to make a road trip with my bike friends I met on Instagram.
What if you could get one Moto Est. item?
What are your most beloved motorcycle accessories?
I like to change gloves to suit my fashion.
Have you learned some tips and tricks that you can share with your readers?
Yes
Stacey Cowell (The VS Chick). October
LOCATION: Queensland, Australia
AGE: 38
BIKE: 2016 Vulcan S 650
RIDING FOR: 5-ish years
Heaps of stuff has happened since sharing my story! The most recent little motorbike project was dressing up as Santa and a Christmas elf with my riding buddy and hitting the streets of Hervey Bay. It was hilarious! We got heaps of waves and smiles and laughs. It was awesome. I'm pretty sure I was giggling to myself the entire time. I also went on my longest motorbike camping trip to date... covering 881km in four days. We stayed on private property booking through an app called "Hip Camp." We stayed in the hills near the Sunshine Coast. Lots of awesome twisty roads in that area. I've also done a few more mods... including a throttle lock and floorboards on my Vulcan... and a puig windscreen, levers and bar risers on my house mates Rebel 500. Good times!
I have also passed the one year milestone on my YouTube channel which is continuing to do really well. It's hard not to have fun when you're on two wheels though right?
Keep living the dream...and ride safe
Stacey - VS
Kim Jeremiah. May
In May Kim from Melbourne, Australia shared her story. Kim dabbled in silversmithing but it wasn't until she started riding & joined a strong community of female riders that she began to build sissy bars and accessories. She is also an ambassador for She Wolf Moto Co. in Melbourne.
"We have all seen animals on the streets and wanted to help, so for me being apart of She Wolf Moto Co. is a way to not only give back and help but I can enjoy riding and meeting amazing people at the same time." ~Kim
We would like to say a huge thank you to all who took part in our special Their/Her Story blog of 2021. You are all truly amazing and we are so very proud to share these stories with our readers.
If you are a reader and want to share your story please do get in touch via the link below!
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