Riding At Night How to be safe There are extra precautions riders need to take when riding after dark. Click here for a checklist of things to remember...especially now with warmer nights approaching.

Women Riders Doing Great Things 3/27/2008    Printer friendly version All-Women Bike Build Wows Crowd   Builders (l-r): Kim, Laura, Jessi, Jasmine with Moose bike custom seat maker, Jan.   Congrats to the four women of Gina Woods XX Chromes All Women Bike Build who built a custom chopper in nine hours spread over three days during the Chicago IMS Show in February. The talented bike builders and/or mechanics are Laura Klock from Klock Werks Kustom Cycles in Mitchell, South Dakota; Jessi Combs of Nashville, who appears in "Extreme 4x4" on Spike TV; Kim Jordan, a mechanic from Las Vegas; and Jasmine Bluecreek Clark of Bluecreek Art Works in Denver.   The Moose chopper is a rigid-frame five speed, with an 80-inch Evolution V-twin engine. Airbrushing done by Airephix of Chicago with the base paint job being done by the Paint Spot of Chicago. The custom leather hand-tooled seat made by Woodstock Leathers of Chicago.   The women built the bike, dubbed the Bull Moose Chopper, for charity with proceeds from the raffle of the bike going to the Moosheart Child City and School, in Mooseheart, Illinois, an organization for kids with problematic home situations. The bike will go on a raffle tour all over the country with the winning ticket drawn on August 11, 2008 at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Tickets are available by clicking here. Motorcycling Mentors Web Site What a great idea! Brooke Pape, marketing coordinator at House of Harley-Davidson dealership in Milwaukee and newly minted rider, started a Web site to hook up new motorcyclists with a riding mentor.   New rider Brooke Pape, marketing coordinator of House of Harley-Davidson.   Experienced riders looking to share road advice with new riders should visit the site, as well as new riders looking for some support. Visit http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Motorcycle_Mentors/ to check it out. Girlz of Graceland On June 21st, 13 women riders from San Diego who dub themselves the Girlz of Graceland will fire up their motorcycles to make a 15-day "Journey to Graceland" through 13 states. They will have a documentary filmmaker along for the ride because they say this trip is about so much more than just getting to Graceland. It's about a journey as women, a celebration of why women ride, and an homage to the rebels of yesteryear who saw the open road as an escape, a challenge, and a friend. The documentary will be submitted to the Sundance Film Festival in October 2008 for its 2009 season.   The Girlz of Graceland have their own logo.   When they reach Memphis, they'll be stopping at Presley Place, a homeless shelter supported by Lisa Marie Presley and the Elvis Presley Foundation. While the dozens of parents at the shelter attend a two-hour Life Skills class, the riders will babysit their children taking photos on the motorcycles, and leading a cooking class on "How to Make a Biker Meal." WRN wishes them best of luck on their journey. For more information, click here. Riding Group Profile   Some members of Island Breeze.   WRN loves the name of this riding group: The Island Breeze. This chapter of Women In the Wind is located in southwest Florida. The group has been around for five years, and as Sandi Jones, the group secretary tells WRN, members include women from a wide range of professions including education, medical, legal, insurance and business owners, as well as all ages. She says, "We have some grandmas in the group and I'm one of them."   Thanks to Sandi Jones, secretary of Island Breeze, for sending us this info.   The group's meetings are held the first Monday of every month at the Club House Restaurant on Santa Barbara Boulevard in Cape Coral. The road caption plans a monthly ride and usually leads the group on a scenic ride and a new eatery. The Island Breeze women also participate and help plan charity rides for various causes such as veteran issues and many others. Sandi says the group is always looking for women to join them who share their passion for the open road. For more information, visit witw-ib.com. To submit your riding club profile, send several pictures and a paragraph about the group to readers@womenridersnow.com and put Riding Club Profile in the subject line.

 

Group Riding
Seventeen tips to ensure everybody has a great day.

By Bill Andrews

The engine purrs beneath you as a string of motorcycles snakes through the hills in front of you. With a quick look in the mirror, you see your buddy following close behind with a smile on his face that matches yours. The camaraderie forms because, at just this moment, you're all on the same page.

That's what a group ride is all about. It's an opportunity to share the open road and wonderful scenery with other like-minded people.

But like most motorcycle experiences, this one is best enjoyed by following a few simple guidelines that keep everyone safe. And that's the idea behind a new videotape put out by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation that focuses on group riding. You can get your own copy by visiting the MSF website at: www.msf-usa.org, but here's a few tips from the country's foremost motorcycle safety experts.

1) The first thing you want to do is organize the ride. This can be as informal as standing around in a parking lot, or as complicated as a special meeting to hand out maps and cellphone numbers.

2) Remember that riding in a group does not mean you surrender any decision making when it comes to your safety. Ride your own ride, and don't go any faster than you feel comfortable going.

3) When picking your route and the stops you'll make along it, consider the stamina of the group, the experience of all the riders, and the limits of the motorcycles in the group. Remember, these are your friends. If it's going to be a long ride, be sure to have a few break stops along the way.

4) You'll need to communicate while on the ride, so make sure everyone knows the signals you'll use.

5) When creating your formation, it's wise to have your experienced riders at the lead and running sweep. Consider positioning the less experienced riders immediately behind the leader. This allows the front rider to adjust the pace if necessary.

6) Ideally, the sweep rider will have a cellphone to call for help if a motorcycle is disabled, or if there has been an accident.

7) If the goal of the ride is to keep the group together, the leader should only go at the pace of the least experienced rider.

8) While riding, don't fixate on the motorcycle in front of you. Instead, remember your basic training. Look well through the turn to where you want to go.

9) If the group is riding faster than you are comfortable with, let the sweep rider know you're dropping out and ride at your own pace. So you may reach your destination a few seconds behind the others, but you will get there, and that's what's important. Keep in mind, it's all about fun.

10) All riders are also responsible for making sure their motorcycles are mechanically up to the task. Before you even meet up with the group, make sure you've got plenty of fuel in the tank, and you've taken care of all those maintenance issues. Not sure what to check? Use T-CLOCS. You really don't want to be the reason for stopping the group for something mechanical you could have prevented.

11) If it's going to be a large group, consider establishing a buddy system among the riders, or divide the group into smaller five- or seven-rider packs. That way, if something goes wrong, you don't have 25 motorcycles sitting on the side of a busy highway. Also, smaller groups can more easily navigate through city streets.

12) On the road, motorcyclists should have at least a 2-second cushion in front and behind them. If you want to keep the group tight, consider a staggered formation. Leave enough room per lane so each rider can maneuver side-to-side if need be. Avoid side-by-side formations as they shrink your space cushion.

13) Trikes and sidecars should stay in the center of the lane, and should be given the same amount of cushion as if they were a car.

14) As turns get sharper, or as visibility decreases, move back to a single file formation. You'll also want to use single file when entering or exiting a highway, at toll booths, or when roads have a rough or questionable surface.

15) At intersections where you've come to a stop, tighten the formation to side-by-side to take up less space. As the light turns green, or when traffic opens up, the bike on the left proceeds through first.

16) Remember we share the road with many other vehicles, and it's against the law to block an intersection.

17) When parking, try to get the group off the roadway as quickly as possible. If you can, arrange in advance to have pull-through parking at your destination, or at the very least, make sure there is ample parking for your size group.

Want more group-riding tips for your club or group? Order the MSF Guide to Group Riding video at www.msf-usa.org, cost is $15.00 for a video and a handbook. 

May 2nd Will Be Female Ride Day Second annual event is now international 2/26/2008: Last year’s introduction of Female Ride Day in Canada was such a success that this year it has gone international. Female Ride Day is a synchronized day, worldwide, where women motorcycle riders demonstrate their enjoyment of motorcycle riding. Read the full story.

Girls Learn To Ride Internships Editorial and marketing positions available 3/6/2008: Girls Learn To Ride is in search of hardworking, creative women interested in their internship program. Read the full story.

Motorcycle Industry Council Receives Recognition One of California’s best places to work 3/7/2008: The Motorcycle Industry Council is one of the Golden State's very best employers, according to the study known as California's Best Places to Work. The MIC took first place in the small companies category of the 2007 recognition program sponsored by Employers Group. Read the full story.

Hundreds of Women Ride in Daytona Harley Parade Thousands raised for MDA 3/12/2008: Hundreds of Harley-Davidson women riders joined together in Daytona Beach, Fla., for one of the largest Harley-Davidson women’s rides in history. Originally, the Harley-Davidson Women’s Day Ride benefiting Muscular Dystrophy Association was to be limited to 105 women, but after an incredible response from women riders asking to join the ride, Harley-Davidson decided to increase the size to accommodate the large demand. Read the full story.

In the Saddle with Genevieve Schmitt Debuts Video test rides now on WRN 2/4/2008: WomenRidersNow.com is launching a new feature called "In The Saddle with Genevieve Schmitt," a video segment with WRN editor/founder Genevieve Schmitt test riding a particular motorcycle. Read the full story.