Pinky's Passion
in print and online motorcycle magazine.
Women Who Ride Rock!
This is a pretty pink and black trike I saw at the Run with the Nuns event in Shreveport, owned by two lovely ladies.
Series on Lady Riders in the Shreveport Area (click on links)
Lady links - sites dedicated to lady riders
Want your link here? It's free!
And, if you see yourself here, do me a favor, and add my link to your site, so we can share with everyone.
Pinky's Passion Column - as seen in LA BIG
Motorcycles have only been around since the late 1800's, and in the early days, most women just didn't ride. It was unladylike and those who did, were snubbed as not conforming to societal rules. But, there were some for whom that didn't matter and they forged the way for ladies today who love the feel of a V-Twin motor and the roar of the pipes as they enjoy this typically male dominated activity. In 1938, the first all female club was started in California and called the Sacramento Cyclettes. In 1940, the Motor Maids was created. One of it's founders, Dorothy “Dot” Robinson, known as the First Lady of Motorcycling, was also the first woman to claim an AMA National Championship. Today, there are clubs for ladies across the country and even in foreign lands. Edward Winterhalder, author of “All Roads Lead To Sturgis”, “The Assimilation”, and
more has teamed up with esteemed Wil De
Clercq, of Canada, to write “Biker Chicz of North America”. This book, released in December 2010
showcases 22 ladies who in modern times, have made a difference in the Motorcycling Community. Pick up a copy at bookstores or order on line at Amazon.com for about $15.
The ladies in Winterhalder and Clercq's book have made a difference to many lady riders and most
continue to be a positive representative for ladies in the mc community. But, we have many lady riders in Shreveport/Bossier area who are making a difference in our local community. There's Theresa Sullivan who has worked with Leather and Lace, the Vets 4 Vets rally, and is currently embroiled in A.B.A.T.E. Issues. There's Lisa DeLaney who spent two years as Ladies of Harley officer in Shreveport and Bossier City, and supports the local Harley Owner's Group. There's Marie Moyers who just loves to ride and who takes awesome photos of her adventures and of other lady riders. There's Jeanie Fewless who spent her time as Ladies of Harley officer and now supports a business that she shares with her husband, Jay, J-n-J Sidecars and Trikes.
Liz Swaine, who owns both Harleys
and Sports bikes makes a difference in the community by spearheading the annual “Run with the Nuns”. Ginny Harrington, a lady rider, owns and operates Harley's Pub, a biker bar for locals, and of course, Erin Wison, is co-owner of this magazine with her husband, Matt. These ladies are all an encouragement to local lady riders. One thing they have in common is that they love to ride, and they support and encourage other lady riders. Do you know someone in the community who positively impacts lady riders in the local area? Send me an email to pinky@pinkysmotorcyclepassion.com and I'll help share their stories with readers.
Until next time, ladies, remember that what you
do to further lady riders in the community is making history. “Ride Safe, and Have Fun”!
Pinky
Wendy Moon
Wendy Moon, well known in the motorcycle safety community, passed away on January 11, 2011. Her blog and stories are still on line for all to read, enjoy and learn from. Check them out above by clicking on the Riderchick and Moonrider Redux icons, and if you have time, click here to read "I am Motorcycle", a long, interesting essay of how she became a rider.
What follows is an obituary written by Bob Reichenberg of the TEAM OREGON group at Oregon Statue University.
"Wendy Moon, staunch supporter of TEAM OREGON and outspoken critic of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) died suddenly at her home in St. Louis, Missouri on January 11, 2011 of a heart attack. She was 57. She is survived by her four children, Rose, Jessica, John and Daniel Leifeld. Private services have been held.
Most of the motorcycle safety community knew Wendy as Moonrider, author of the thoughtful provocative and well-researched blog she established on Journalspace in 2005. She was unwavering in following her motto “Holding Powerful Interests Accountable”.
Before she appeared on the motorcycle safety scene, Wendy was a writer, columnist and author for more than 16 years. With a master’s degree in theology, she wrote for a wide variety of publications, including Screenline, National Catholic Reporter, The Family, and Star Observer. She was a columnist for New Covenant and Catholic Parent magazines and wrote two books on religion. She was also a founding editor of the International Journal of Motorcycle Studies. It’s easy to see what a complex, remarkable and engaging person Wendy was, when you contrast these with her carefully documented reports on motorcycle safety issues, her screenplay for the movie She-Devils on Wheels and her post as Assistant Lecturer at the University of Southern California.
In 2004 David Hough, Fred Rau and Wendy researched and published a series of articles in Motorcycle Consumer News that sparked a national dialog examining the relationship between the MSF and the motorcycle manufacturers who finance and direct its activities. Wendy’s tireless and tenacious research exposed the motorcycle industry’s alleged plan for monopolizing motorcycle training. It also revealed a disturbing trend in fatalities and near-fatal injuries to students in MSF-approved rider training courses.
Wendy and her readers suffered a terrible blow in 2009 when the Journalspace servers experienced a catastrophic failure. Her Moonrider blog vaporized along with hundreds of other blogs. Four years of essays and commentary were gone. Even before that, Wendy was discouraged and ready to give up on her blog. She had invested thousands of dollars on her own, not to mention the countless hours of research and analysis. She was ready to quit, but she wrote:
“I was very discouraged at the time – I felt I had worked very hard for years to little effect . . . and now it was gone forever . . . I thought about it a lot yesterday and decided there is a value in having an alternative view of the efficacy and safety of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation rider training curriculum available on the Internet . . . What was a disaster for Journalspace, then, gives me a chance to re-create a body of work that gives a non-industry and non-governmental perspective on rider training and motorcycle safety . . . So that’s what I’m going to do over time–I’m just going to do it a little differently. And I’ll continue to write on issues that have come up recently and those that will come up in the future.”
So Moonrider became Moonrider Redux, rising from the ashes as Wendy re-established her blog at wordpress.com and took up the challenge again. She continued her quest for the truth until her death. Her selfless dedication to motorcycling and motorcycle safety created a priceless archive of data and history. Wendy was key in opening a conversation that continues to reverberate throughout the motorcycle safety community. It promises to forever change and improve motorcycle training. By questioning the “Sacred Truths” that many had accepted for years, she revealed the greasy underside of the motorcycle safety industry and inspired us to ask our own questions.
Wendy was a personal friend to many of us. Even when we disagreed, I admired her tenacity and razor-sharp B.S. slicer. She loved motorcycling and motorcyclists. She was persistent, resourceful and brave. This was dedicated to another departed friend who shared Wendy’s remarkable qualities. It is now dedicated to Wendy, too:
Endurance
We race the lost trails of the galaxy,
thundering down from hyperspace
for gas and Gatorade,
a hastily scribbled note,
time, date, mileage and a half-forgotten quote,
from a crumbling spire
on the abandoned shore of Mare Copernicus
Alone together on our quest
we dream a grail of smoke and steel,
of headlight-lasered highway signs,
meteors flashing through dark pines,
immersed in wailing mustang wind
the dusty sweetgrass scent of night,
the fire between our wheels.
Drawn ever toward our shimmering goal,
we run to crest the shifting tide.
Freed by trial of spirit, flesh and heart,
by wheeled magic fueled on breath of nameless stars,
we shed our mortal boundaries,
mere riders no more.
Becoming,
at last,
The Ride.
Wendy’s loss leaves a hole in our galaxy that will never be filled.
Bob Reichenberg"
