I’ve always appreciated a woman’s perspective on things. The female brain is one of those amazing places that can strike fear or respect in to a man’s heart with a single glance. That can come in handy when you’re ready to eat them alive at the light tree.
Recently a listener of the show sent in an e-mail in response to my request for more female perspectives on the subject of bikes and riding. What I got was more than I could have hoped for, as it showcases everything that most guy’s perspectives lack.
There’s awe and passion. There’s discovery and strength. There’s fascination and realization. There is also respect. Respect that I feel after reading this person’s missive to the show. Rather than blather on, I’ll let her tell her story in her own words. With her permission granted, I’d like you to meet Michelle. American Badass.
“Hey Producer Man!
My best friend and the reason I learned to ride and race, NitrousChris Singsime, got me into your podcast some time ago. I understand that you’re looking for some girls that ride to be a part of your podcast, and I definitely fit the bill!
For quite some time, I rode as a passenger with Chris on what is now, his badass drag bike. It used to be a whole lot more stock and we’d go everywhere together on it. It could be the coldest of temps, or the most gorgeous of sunny days, and we would be out, cruising around, near or far. He had another bike that he raced at the time, and I would go to the track to watch, I’d hang out at the shop here and there, and ask a lot of questions about riding and racing.
Everything changed one beautiful fall day back in 2009. I was hanging out with Chris and the guys, and they were giving me a hard time about not riding myself. One of the guys, as blunt as he is said, “If you have a hair on your balls, you’re gonna learn to ride today!” He went and got his wife’s Suzuki Savage out of the garage and lined me up in the middle of the two lane, rural neighborhood street. I was reminded where the brakes were, was told, “the clutch will save you,” and was instructed just to go to the end of the street, where they would come get me and turn me around. Well, having ridden with Chris so much and having wanted to learn to ride, I was pretty confident even before I got rolling, that I would be fine. I started out slow, got to the end of the road, put my directional on, turned the corner and that was that. I safely made it around the block and back, all while Chris was in some sort of excited disbelief. I owned my first bike a month later, started racing a few months after that, and the rest, as they say, is history.
I bought a stock 2005 Suzuki GSXR 600 that later acquired the name, Midnight Sally. She just goes by Sally these days, and that is the bike that I learned to dragrace on. A short time after I first started out at the track, I got into an accident there which left Sally looking like a stick of dynamite went off in the front end. My leathers and helmet kept me safe, and I healed quicker than Sally did. It took a bit, but a couple months later, we were back out riding and racing at the track. Over that winter, Chris helped me to completely tear Sally down and rebuild her just the way I wanted; a little lower, a little longer and whole lot meaner. We spent a couple more seasons racing together, but since then, Sally has been retired from racing, however, she’ll always be my adventure bike. We just got out for the first time this season yesterday, for a 201 round trip jaunt for some lunch. Chris and Duke, and Sally and I rode up to Wisconsin Dells to meet up with some other friends that ride, had some eats and took the back roads home. That’s the first time I’ve ever ridden with a headset in, and it totally changed the riding experience. Chris and I were laughing so hard the entire way!
Although Sally was great at the track, I wanted something more. Chris had helped build a 2006 Suzuki Hayabusa for a guy who, shortly thereafter, no longer wanted it. Knowing where it had been, as well as who had worked on it, I knew I needed to have it. I bought that bike in 2012 and it has been my primary dragbike since. It’s been ever evolving, with the most major of changes currently in progress. Blue, as I call her, until she earns a better suited name, became my cruiser and track bike. I’ve had Blue at the track one night, and a couple days later, loaded up and with four other friends, set out on a two wheel adventure, roughly 550 miles round trip, to northern Wisconsin to check out the place where the real Dillinger shootout happened back in 1929.
As you know, the world is a different place on two wheels. I’m thankful for having learned to ride. It’s not uncommon for Chris and I to throw a few things in a tank bag or backpack and set out for a day, or an overnight. Often, there is no specific destination in mind, or not much more than a place to go eat. That’s when we find ourselves hundreds of miles from home with several stops along the way to check out neat things we’ve discovered. We’ve been caught in the most awful of rain storms, which now lend to having become great stories. We’ve stopped traffic to rescue animals crossing the road. Riding and just motorbikes in general are a great conversation starter, and the reason I’ve met some incredibly neat, interesting and creative people.”
