what is available and many of the bikes are sold at cost or
donated to course schools. That said, I did not like the cruiser
style of the motorcycle I learned on. The saddle placement and
angle was relaxed instead of alert and I did not feel aligned
enough for quick responses. I felt sunken and had trouble
accessing the rear brake as it felt too far forward, not directly
under my knee and hip in a way that allowed for quick, solid
movement. Likewise, my reach felt less mobile. I could easily
get both feet on the ground, and this was perhaps most impor-
tant. The standard shape of the Suzuki GT185 allows me to line
up head over ribs, ribs over hips, hips in a nice angle to my
knee and foot. I can put my feet firmly on the ground as well.
With each outing, my fear lessens and my confidence
increases. Soon I’ll be one of the nearly 20 percent of pilots
who are female and own a motorcycle. While I still love to ride
pillion, piloting is a new thrill. It feels good to come to terms
with some fears as I age and prove to myself that I can create
a new worldview in spite of cultural norms. I like to think that
I’m one of many women out there changing perceptions about
age, ability and gender. Women pilots offer differing motiva-
tions for wanting to own and operate motorcycles. My guess
is that these are just as diverse as most male motivations for
the same activity. Fortunately, there are different machines for
different motivations and routes to match each one of these. I
am excited to explore, however slowly, the many roads ahead.
When I’m ready, I might just wave to you. MCCoach Mike Adams (seated) explains the test sequence to (from left to right) Chandra, Bonnie, Melissa and Jean.