Hey, I just noticed your location. A friend and I rode our motorcycles to New Orleans in April and we stayed in Alexandria going and coming back. Didn't see much of the town, since it was just a stopover for us.

:)
Kimi

Wow, motorcycle momma... that is some cool there Kimi! :thumbs:

Wow, motorcycle momma... that is some cool there Kimi! :thumbs:

Why, thanks Sal....

I rode passenger for years, got sick of depending on somebody else to take me riding, so I bought my own last year and the trip to New Orleans was my 'rite of passage', so to speak. My riding buddy bought her bike two days before I bought mine, so we planned to trip to mark our independence day anniversary!

:)
Kimi

kimi, that is the coolest thing ever...kudos to you!:drinktoth

Why, thanks Sal....

I rode passenger for years, got sick of depending on somebody else to take me riding, so I bought my own last year and the trip to New Orleans was my 'rite of passage', so to speak. My riding buddy bought her bike two days before I bought mine, so we planned to trip to mark our independence day anniversary!

:)
Kimi

Congrats Kimi! :thumbs:

Congrats Kimi! :thumbs:
Notice she didnt say anything about how sore her rear was after the trip?

Notice she didnt say anything about how sore her rear was after the trip?

Nah, she didn't. Inquiring minds want to know kimi, where ya bow-legged for a week?

Kimi,

My bride used to be a triathlete, but had to curtail her on-road bike riding activities after she got hit-and-run by a car two years ago.
(Being knocked off the road and left for dead can kind of take the wind out of your sails, if you know what I mean.)

After she recovered, she couldn't manage the regime of chronic back-pain management and still ride her bicycle on the road. She enjoyed riding on the back of my motorcycle ok, but that was no substitute for the joy she used to get from riding her road bike, and training with the other cyclists.

At some point last year, I told her, "Look, you never have any fun anymore. Let's go get YOU a motorcycle, and I'll train you how to ride it. I really think you'll take to it pretty easy, and I know you're going to love it!"

Long story short, my girl became the proud owner of a brand new Honda Rebel. (She's not very tall, and that bike fits her just right.)
We spent weekends and late afternoons training. First in the large parking lots, then on the quiet residential streets, and then finally graduating to the open roads and highways.

She is now a really good motorcyclist, and sure enough; being in command of her own machine, and being able to throttle her way out of scrapes with the never-ending parade of clueless, thoughtless motorists is quite satisfying.
She loves that bike!!

We're planning our first weekend getaway, to a local motorcyclists-only resort and campgrounds.

Anyway, I'm proud of you for taking the initiative, and for becoming an independent motorcycle mama. Good for you!!
:thumbs:

PS Here's my girl, putting on the 'too cool for school' face for the camera.

http://www.john.sparkman.name/images/Beth_on_Honda_Rebel.jpg

Thanks to you all for the kudos....I'm very happy about my decision and ride "Ruby" every chance I get. My bike is a very comfortable ride, so my butt didn't suffer much on the trip. It was my hands that gave me more problems than anything, but it's amazing what you can deal with when you're experiencing that freedom.

Sparky, that's a great story about your wife.....tell her congrats from a fellow 'motorcycle mama'. Hondas are great bikes....mine is Shadow Spirit 750. My boyfriend is like you are, in that he not only thought my trip was a good idea, he was my biggest 'cheerleader' for the journey. He rides a BMW Adventurer 1100 and has taken a number of long journeys on his bike, so he had lots of pointers for my friend and I before we took off. We took three days getting there, spent three days in N'awlins, then took another three days getting home. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything, and like he told me before I left, it has made all the difference in the world in my confidence and riding abilities. After he finishes getting his PhD, we're taking some trips like that together, and I'm ready!

Somebody shut me up now....I could go on and on about my motorcycle fun!

:)
Kimi

Hi guys and dolls,

I moved these posts to a new thread, since the discussion had progressed far off the topic of the original thread.

Here's a pic of my current bike sitting in the driveway, an '06 Kawasaki KLR-650. Best all-around motorcycle I've ever owned.

http://www.john.sparkman.name/images/right_front.JPG


Previous bikes include the Honda CL-90 Scrambler portrayed in my avatar, a Yamaha MX-100 motocross bike, a Honda CL-175, a Honda VT-500FT Ascot, and a Suzuki GSX-1100GP.

(Sorry about the quality of these photos below, pulled from the internet. I lost all my old photos in the divorce almost ten years ago.)
:(

http://dirtbike.off-road.com/dirtbike/data/articlestandard/dirtbike/232006/332595/YamahaMX100.jpg

http://www.marblesmotors.com/images/Bikes/71CL17501/14600.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/speedway/5284/ascbwf.jpg

http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/images/e/ed/1993-Suzuki-GSX1100GP.jpg

Not an American bike mentioned tut tut.

nice bike sir. :thumbs: my dad had a honda shadow.i think thats what it was. im forgiting some things about him. i know he loved it.my moms bf crashed it.im glad he got hurt.

wow Sparkster, that's quite the collection over the years...

very nice...

I wondered what had happened to this thread....thanks for moving it, Sparky!

Those are great looking bikes, BTW. Before I had my bike, I would listen to all these guys discuss their bikes and it didn't hold nearly as much meaning to me as it does now. At any given time, you can hear me and my gal friends discussing our bikes. There are four of us who have Honda Shadow Spirits.....we call ourselves the "Shadow Sisters". I'll ride until I can't straddle it any more, too!

:)
Kimi