Profile of a Female Motorcyclist: Meet Nadine

My first contact with my next guest was last year when I did the collage of lady riders. Nadine from Porter Ranch, CA wanted to join in and sent me a picture. I still had her email address so asked if she’d like to be included in the profiles. Nadine graciously said yes so here is her story!

Nadine

How long have you been riding a motorcycle? I have been riding a motorcycle for seven wonderful years.

How did you learn to ride? I always wanted to learn how to ride a motorcycle, but no one I knew rode a motorcycle. Then, a fellow colleague mentioned that she was taking a motorcycle safety class. I found a MSF class, passed the written and road test, and got my license to ride a motorcycle. Prior to this class, I had never touched, sat, or rode on a  motorcycle, and now I had my endorsement!

What was your first motorcycle? My first motorcycle was a 2004 Honda Rebel.

How many have you owned? Yikes … within my seven years of riding, I have owned five motorcycles and one dirt bike! I currently have two of the five motorcycles, and my dirt bike.

Why did you want to ride a motorcycle? I have always been a bit adventurous and riding a motorcycle fits my need for adventure and fun.

Tell us about your riding. If I started riding when I was younger, I would have loved to race locally. But, this is reality, and I ride for sheer pleasure. I sometimes ride with groups, but mainly, I ride alone. Many times I have ridden over 100 miles alone. I leave the house in the morning, and come back 6-7 hours later. Riding on the less traveled roads alone can be very therapeutic.

What advice do you have for women who ride or want to ride a motorcycle? If you have never ridden a motorcycle before and want to, go for it.  You only come around once in life!

What is the longest trip that you’ve taken on your cycle? The longest trip that I have taken was a weekend trip with a group. We rode about 600 miles or so.

Do you belong to any motorcycle groups? I don’t belong to any motorcycle groups. If I do ride with a group, it’s through a Meet Up group.

Do you have a favorite riding story? I don’t have any favorite riding story at the moment. Every ride is enjoyable for me.

What do you do when you’re not riding? When I’m not riding, you can find me in a classroom. I am an elementary school teacher. My classroom is near the road, so when I hear a motorcycle go by, I’m thinking … wait for me!

Nadine