International Female Ride Day 2021 - Spotlight Stories

Jen

2020 Indian Challenger Dark Horse

"My Daddy bought me my first bike at 9 years old. It was a Honda. We always had something to ride around fields and the dairy I grew up on, but the bike was the first of many. I use to ride every day with my brother Richard after school as a teenager. Riding has always been a part of my life, except when my boys were little. Now, my son rides with me. He's 28. It was that first bike riding across the fields and pecan orchard that gave me the love of riding. I'm really surprised we didn't kill ourselves back then! We use to dodge the trees in the orchard!"

Stevi

2022 Indian Chief Dark Horse

"It started when I was a little kid, I was about 6. I had four Uncle's that were 10 to 13 years older than me, plus all their friends. They would use me as the "Guinea pig". They would build mini bikes out of lawn mowers and old frames and put me on it and tell me the steer to see if I would wreck. As I grew up, always rode dirt bikes and mini bikes. Then, when I became an adult. I realized who my friends weren't. I then gravitated toward the biker community and realised who real friends were. So, I worked really hard, had Harley-Davidson Sportsters In my 20's and 30s. Now that I'm going on 48. I decided to quit waiting on others to take me for a ride. I decided to buy my own again. I sat on about a 50 different bikes. I was wrestling with what I wanted and how much I wanted to spend. My mom finally told me "don't look at the price tag, get what's comfortable." She told me that I have worked hard. I deserved to buy something for myself. So I bought it!"

Maria

2020 Harley Davidson Street Glide Special
2020 Harley Davidson Road King Special
2017 Indian Scout Sixty

"May of 2020 in the midst of a pandemic, and working from home I decided that it would be awesome to have something to do that would allow me to social distance, meet new friends, and spend time with my better half! It is something that I never thought I would do, but once you do it you realize that visually there is an entire other view of the world from the seat of a motorcycle. I love to ride!"

Kim

2021 Indian Scout bobber Twenty

"I made riding a motorcycle my goal and project for the covid-19 quarantine/shut down last year. I had never ridden a motorcycle myself before, but worked in the industry. I have worked alongside Indian through some amazing contracted opportunities since January of 2020 and have loved the brand and company. I took a MSF class in June of 2020 and bought a 250cc bike immediately after to build up confidence. I demo-rode my first Scout bobber while at Sturgis, 2020, and fell in love! Not even a year after learning to ride, I had my heart set on adding a new Scout Bobber Twenty to my garage. After working Daytona Bike Week this past March, I was ready to make the upgrade. I am so happy to finally own an Indian motorcycle after making so many memories with this company."

Taresa

2020 Indian Scout Bobber

"My best friend encouraged me to try something new, and she had been riding for years. So in June 2020 I decided it was time to learn since nothing else was going on in the world. My Bobber was my therapy. The feeling I get when riding, I can’t even put into words!! I would go everywhere, just me and my bike. Because of my dear friend, I discovered a new passion for two wheels. I ride a lone or with friends but I’m happy as long as I’m riding."

Beatrice

2016 Indian Chief Dark Horse

"I had just turned 10 November, 9th, and Christmas Is just right around the corner. Every year my parents knew what I was going to ask for.

My family was just like the movie 'A Christmas Story', and Ralphie was asking for the new Red Ryder BB Gun. Every time Ralphie asked for that BB gun, his mother would reply "You can’t have a Red Ryder BB Gun because you’ll shoot your eye out!"

Now the time has come for my father to ask the question my mother dreaded every year. "What would you like to have Santa bring you this year?"

I could feel lightning bolts starting in my toes and go straight to my face, I couldn’t belt it out fast enough and it just rolled off my tongue like honey!

"I would like to have a Suzuki 100 dirt bike!", and hoping beyond hope I wouldn’t hear the dreaded squall of my mother. No more than seconds after that rolled off my tongue I heard the words "You’re too young for a bike like that! You will break your neck!"

My father was a good and fair man, and he took my hands and looked me in the eyes and said, "You know, sweetheart, maybe your mothers right, and let’s shoot for next year, when you’re a little older."

As Christmas day came and went my heart was broke that I had to wait another year to maybe get a Suzuki 100 dirt bike.

My father came over to me on the couch and sat next to me and said "Did you have a nice Christmas?" I looked up at him with tears in my eyes and said yes that it was wonderful.

He said "Go get your coat and boots on, and let’s go for a walk out to the barn." My heart was so sad I really didn’t want to go for a walk, but I also didn’t want to disappoint my father.

As he slid open the barn door, in the middle of the arena was the most beautiful, amazing Suzuki 100 dirt bike I’ve ever seen! With three red cans of gas lined up in a row.

I looked up at my father and said "I love you, Dad" and he looked down at me and said, "I love you, daughter. Your mother is right most of the time, but not all the the time, so, please, don’t break your neck!"

Teri

2018 Indian Springfield Dark Horse

"I road in my 20's, but started riding again at 51 in 2013 for a family and friend memorial ride my brother put together for my niece who was killed by a drunk driver in 2012. I wear neon green (her favorite color) wings for her on my vest."

Lenore

2018 Indian Chieftain Dark Horse
2008 Kawasaki Vulcan Meanstreak

"I always wanted to ride and own a motorcycle, I didn't have anyone close to me that was currently riding at the time that I was interested.  My father and uncle encouraged me to learn, so I researched, and found a Basic Riders Course in my city. After taking the class, I purchased my first motorcycle two months later, it was a 2006 Yamaha Virago 250. I started meeting people in the motorcycle community shortly afterwards. Sadly my father, one of my biggest supporters, passed almost 2 years ago, yet I’m happy he and my uncle got a chance to see and help me transition from all the different motorcycles I've owned previously and currently. Those are my most the cherished memories for me.

I didnt ride with him on a motorcycle together, but the day i picked up my 250, he test rode it for me, and I still have the video to this day. I remember my uncle telling me that it been years since dad had hopped on a motorcycle. Man, that was the best day ever. Bringing the Yamaha 250 home, and he woke me up the next day to work on it! Changing out spark plugs, oil and battery, all that, and washing it in the end. I finally was brave enough to ride on the interstate and went 88 miles one way on the 250 to the Barbers Motorsports Museum & Park in Leeds, Alabama. I was really proud i made this decision to take on a new adventure in my life and meeting wonderful people along the way. That something i will do again in a heartbeat."

Eveready

2015 Indian Roadmaster

"'You don’t need a motorcycle!', were the words I spoke for 3 years, until my husband begged me to ride on the back with him!....It’s been 6 years since I’ve been a LadyRider and I take every nagging word back!"

Dara

2019 Indian Scout

"I started out riding when I was 16. My cousin raced motocross, and my Dad, brother, and other family members rode (mostly Harleys). My 1st bike was a Yamaha, but I loved my friends Honda. Years passed and I met a guy that owned a 1958 Indian. Needless to say ... I fell in love (and I liked him too) We got married, 2 kids, 2 dogs and 5 Indians later! We have a 1922 Powersport with a sidecar, 1937 Chief, 1958 Royal Enfield Scout, 2016 Chief (his) and my 2019 Travis Pastrana/ Evel Kneival look-a-like. I didn’t ride for years because of kids, work, etc. and I love to sit behind my guy and hold on with the wind in my hair - but I realized I missed being in my own control. Going as fast as I wanted without saying, “okay you can grab the handlebars again!” I enjoy riding so much. My father at 80 still rides and is the oldest WartHog in NY. Maybe it’s in my blood, maybe it’s because I fell in love, or maybe it’s because now that I’m brand loyal I wouldn’t want to drive or ride anything else!"