Five years ago, I didn’t own, ride, or predict seeing my future self on a motorcycle. Not that I didn’t like motorcycles, they were just not on my life’s blipping radar. I was a cruise agent with six grandkids, a brick-and-mortar home and, well, I did have a nice little convertible. Transport yourself to the future ‘now’ and you see me riding 5-6 hours a day, many days in a row…and on a sidecar no less. I rode it on the Tail of the Dragon, Twisted Sisters, Talimena Scenic Drive and so many other ‘famous’ road. I’m full timing it in an RV working and riding. Icing on the cake – I’m making a living at it. How the heck did I get here!
- Step one: Your spouse suggests you guys buy a bike and take motorcycle lessons.
- Step two: Two-upping isn’t enough, you get your own ride.
- Step three: Life sneaks up and kicks your ass – you decide how to respond.
I didn’t take naturally to riding a motorcycle. I failed my first class. I went out and bought a bike anyway and practiced in a parking lot for months before I could get up the nerve to take the class again. I passed with a perfect score. About a year into riding, I was in a motorcycle accident (mechanical failure), the bike totaled. Broke my kneecap and nose and was in physical therapy for 9 months. What did I do while I was laid up? I bought a new bike and helmet.
On a cross-country road trip, I dropped my bike at a corner with my weak knee. It took me an hour to feel like I could get back on the bike, but I found I had messed up the gear shifts. My spouse and I two-upped it the rest of the trip. On this trip I decided two things – riding a motorcycle wasn’t for me, not riding wasn’t an option either.
Idea! How about a sidecar. A new journey of resistance, not on my part but for every inch I tried to step forward, something or someone was shoving me a foot back. The first sidecar builder I found botched the job – the wheel fell off at 60mph going down the interstate. The wheel well kept it from flying off and I was able to pull over. At least 10 other things went wrong in this journey until I found the sidecar builder who helped me change my life (to him I will forever be in debt). Thanks Texas Sidecar Company!
I have put over 20,000 miles on my sidecar in less than two years. And like this whole path, I continued to forge forward following my new passion. My spouse and I started RVing so we could ride new places. I had written a couple of articles for Ride Texas Magazine. The editor found out and mentioned it might make a good story. Like everything else, I took it to the next level. I now write a series called Direction Wide Open on our RVing and motorcycling experiences for Ride Texas Magazine which will culminate in the first ever RV-Motorcycle Rally in the U.S end of September 2022 – hosted by ‘Me’.
I looked for new ways to share my excitement about riding and RVing and found several more magazines who would have me. I submitted a short motorcycle story to Continue the Ride which is a series of rider stories that showcase the diversity and shared passions in motorcycling. My story was in the first round picked up and the only one with the unique combination of RVing and motorcycling full-time around the United States. A few months later Progressive reached out to me to present my experiences at the national Progressive IMS Motorcycle Shows across the U.S. As an introvert, I now find myself center stage at six major cities presenting on RVing and motorcycling five times per weekend.
How did I get here? Well, I don’t think I was planning on a shift from being a work from home cruise agent grandma to a RVing, sidecar toting, riding, grandma writer and speaker. But here I am. This has been the best ride ever!
I JUST WANT 2 RIDE!! 
Excellent!
[…] year, as I noted in earlier post, the motorcycle show folks had the Direction Wide Open team there to talk about traveling the […]