The Tires Dilemma

When exactly do you change the tires? With 10,000 miles on my tires and what appears to be a lot of good tread left, I opted to have new tires put on. I attempted to do my research and enlist the advice of many veteran riders who all had different opinions. Some say it depends on the type of tire, the type of riding and on and on. There doesn't seem to be any definitive answers. Unlike car tires that you ride on until the tread is worn, I didn't want to take that chance. Riding on just two wheels is risky in and of itself. I keep hearing about car tires on the rear? If anyone out there has some advice,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,please share!!

Organizing a Ride

This is an all points bulletin!!!

I have been appointed to organize a charity ride for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation here in Houston and I don't have a clue where to begin. If anyone out there can offer some assistance, please email me. I am completely open to ideas and suggestions.................thanks ya'll.

Where DOES The Fear of Riding Come From?

I just keep hearing "I'm too afraid to ride a motorcycle". But you aren't too afraid to drive your car in traffic or eat fast food that elevates your cholesterol or fly on an airplane that you have no control over or smoke or drink and drive or or or,,,,,,? Get where I'm going with this?

Unless you have personally been in a motorcycle accident or know someone that has, your fears could be unfounded. Fear is a funny emotion. My fears are more centered around living until I'm 100 and not having any money and a huge fear of snakes! Fear, even if perceived is real enough to hold us back from doing things we would otherwise love to do.

I don't ever remember being afraid to ride. At 10 when I got my first dirt bike, I was all over it! That was just the best. As I have aged and my fears have aged along with me, riding a motorcycle just doesn't seem to be one of them. I have seen the aftermath of a few motorcycle accidents and it's not pretty. I have also seen car wrecks that have left people dead. Have you ever seen a woman with breast cancer who has lost all her hair to the chemotherapy and she is frightened by the potential outcome of death? These are all visions of someones greatest fears.

For those of you that believe in fate, you are going to die the way you are destined to die. If that is the case, then you should be fearless. You have accepted that when your time comes, no matter what you are doing, you have no control, but this is a conversation for another time and forum.

If you have EVER, even for a split second, wondered how much fun it would be to ride either your own or on the back of someone else's motorcycle, then you owe it to yourself to put your fear to the side and give it a shot. If you determine that it just isn't for you, then no harm done. On the other hand, if you find that it was a good experience and that just MAYBE you would like to do it again,,,,,,,,,,,,,all the better! I promise that if you allow yourself, you will feel empowered and free.

Now, can anybody out there help me with my fear of snakes????

Key West in 2009

Riding down to Key West has long been a dream of mine. I'm looking for other riders, male and or female to help me plan the ride. Let's go and have some fun! I would ideally like to make it a two week trip but am open to ideas and suggestions. If anyone is interested, please contact me and let's get this party started!

Summer Riding in Texas

It has begun! The Texas heat can be relentless. If you are new to riding here, there are some things to remember:

1. Bottled Water - Riding in the countryside may not offer too many places to stop and get something to drink. It's important to stay hydrated. There are coolers that you can purchase and keep in your saddlebags.


2. Keep some snacks with you. I keep sunflower seeds and light munchies in my trunk.


3. DO NOT forget the sunblock!


4. I also have a doo rag that you soak in water for about twenty minutes to activate the beads. This will help keep you cool as well.


5. Cell Phone - But I guess this goes without saying since they are attached to our bodies anyway.


6. Take a GPS with you if you have one or you can do as I did for a long time,,,,,,,call my husband and ask him to get on the Internet to find out where the heck I am!


7. Ensure that your motorcycle is ready for the road. It is not fun getting stuck out in no man's land in the heat with a broken down bike.


8. Rain gear, just in case,,,,this is Texas after all and the weather can change in a New York minute.


9. I personally never leave home without my IPod. I mean, Jammaw has to jam afterall.


10. Stop often if at all possible. The sun and heat can wear you down before you know it. It's good to stop and refresh and re-group.

So there you have my 10 points of non-expert opinion on preparing to ride in the Texas heat. I'm sure there are many more and if you will share them with me, I will put together a checklist and keep it posted.

Happy riding Ya'll and keep the rubber down!

A Different Kind of Family Vacation

My son and his family were living in Gilmanton, New Hampshire. On my second visit to them, they took me for a day trip through the White Mountains. What a beautiful part of the country! And to top it off, every other vehicle going through the Kangamangus Pass was a motorcycle! I knew right then that I would be back but on my bike the next time. Well the next time came the first week of October, 2006 during the peek season of the leaves turning. My son and I rented bikes. A Harley for him ( wore his butt out) and a Goldwing for me (the cadillac of all bikes, leaving no butt fatigue).

We spent the next 4 days on the most scenic and wonderful bike tour ever. Along with us was my daughter, daughter in-law and two of my six grandchildren. They drove the van and took most of the pictures on our trip. This will forever be one of the very best family vacations.

We started in Gilmanton with great expectations of riding into Pittsburgh, NH that same day. NOT! As we rode up into the White Mountains, it started to rain/snow. Call me a wimp, but I'm not riding in snow! I'm from Houston, Texas and we don't do snow here. As we put on our flashers and slowly made our way through the pass, we stopped at the first motel we came across; Shakespeare's Inn in Twin Mountains, NH where we spent the night. Leave it to me to find the only Rastafarian moose in all of New England. The owner was Jamaican as is my husband,,,,go figure.

The next day brought a little better weather and the ride was unbelievable. I just could not wait to get to the Kangamangus Pass. Riding up that pass into the mountains was so far for me the best ride I have taken. The leaves were unbelievable and we even got to see a couple moose.

We made it to Pittsburg late that night. What a treacherous ride! Twisting and winding logging roads in the rain at night. We reached our destination; The Buck Rub Pizza Pub and Lodge! I was never so happy to see a bar in my life. We pulled in, I parked my bike, went directly to the bar, didn't pass go or shed my leathers, ordered 2 shots of Tequila and all was right with the world again.

Early the next morning we headed across to Maine and a ride down the coast. We ended up staying in Ogunquit at the Horseman's Inn right on the water. The following day the bikes were due back in Boston but we were not ready to take them back. We called and arranged to keep them an extra day. We traveled around the Ogunquit area checking out the sites and then eventually riding down and ending up in Hampton, NH. We rented a cottage for the night. It was a short walk to the water and that night the owner lit a fire in a pit and I enjoyed the company of a couple that was on vacation from Canada.

We were up early the following morning. The trip was over and it was time to return the bikes. What a great 4 days! Not many women will be as fortunate to spend time riding motorcycles with their son as I was. An extra bonus was having my daughter, daughter in-law and 2 of my six grandchildren along. The only thing that could have made it better were if my son in-law and my other grandchildren could have been there with us. Maybe next time.

Great Site for Links to Motorcycle Blogs

Tons of blogs on this site from veteran riders and wannabe's! Check it out

Just Because You're Right Doesn't Make It So

Okay, so I'm out riding my bike on the way to Walgreens. I'm at a stop light and a man pulls up next to me, rolls down his window and shouts "Hey". I look over and he is pointing to his head. Now I know that means he is deeply concerned for my wellbeing because I don't have my helmet on. He continues in his very indignent manner to lecture me at a two minute traffic light on the dangers of riding without helmets. Is he right? It's all in one's perspective. Let me give you my mine:

1. We are all going to die. Maybe harsh, but the fact nonetheless
2. I wasn't born yesterday
3. I would NEVER advocate to anyone not to wear a helmet. It is the smart thing to do.
4. I would NEVER approach another rider and part my lips to school them on the dangers of riding without a helmet. They know.
5. It's a choice

But what if you survive a crash and become an invalid that your family has to take care of? My answer to that is, what if I have a stroke or car wreck that leaves me the same way? The point is this, I'm tired of being afraid to live and do the things I love. If you think about it too much, you would never leave your house. I prefer not to live my life in a confined reality. If I should die in a motorcycle accident (with or without a helmet), I will have gone out doing something I love. Would this man who lectured me be as concerned if I dropped dead of a heart attack while at work because of all the stressers? Hell no he wouldn't! As for my family? Years from now when I am long gone and my granchildren have children, I want them to tell them about their Jammaw. I want them to know that Jammaw always tried to stay true to herself and having a little bit of Rebel in her made her an interesting character. She always tried to do right by others and respect everyone's individuality.

So with respect to the gentleman that felt it was his duty to educate me, thank you for your concern,,,,,and just one last question. Would you have felt so free to roll down your window and give the same lecture if it had been a man on that motorcycle?

Why I Am Passionate About Riding

May 19, 2008


I’m going to assume that since you have taken the time to visit my site and to read this article, you are at least curious about learning to ride.

Riding your own motorcycle and freeing your inner spirit can be very rewarding. Even though I have ridden and owned bikes off and on over the years, it wasn’t until a few years ago that I knew I needed to get back my sense of adventure and feel the wind in my hair again.

Working in the corporate world for so many years and traveling nearly 3 weeks out of every month took its toll on me. I mean, I’m not 20 anymore! I or should I say, my husband and I were also the caregivers for my mother. Mom struggled with Alzheimer’s . She was also a paraplegic due to contracting polio in 1949. She was one of the sweetest people you could ever meet, until the Alzheimer’s ravaged her mind. Anyway, the pressures of work and home took away my zest for life. The only joy I felt was when I was with my grandchildren. While I love my family dearly, I needed something just for me. I know that there are many women out there that are wearing numerous hats and trying to be all things to their families and their jobs. It’s not possible. If you don’t look after you, you will eventually crash and burn.

I hadn’t ridden a bike in many years let alone own one. I remember the day that I made a decision to buy my first brand new bike. It was one of those rare days that I was at my desk in the corporate office. I had two 3 hour meetings, 3 conference calls and a host of fires that needed to be put out. Out of nowhere came this urgency to ride. For a brief moment, I remembered what it felt like to get on a motorcycle and think about nothing but the ride. That was it. I was hell bent on getting back up on the horse again!

I bought a Honda Shadow Aero 750. It was Red and I was elated. Texas requires a motorcycle license and I didn’t have one. I asked a friend to ride it home for me and I vowed not to ride until I had taken the beginners course and got my license. I lied! I rode it around the neighborhood and down the road a little ways. I WAS BACK!

The Biker Chick in me was pushing her way out and I was so happy to see her. It was like running into an old friend that you haven’t seen in years. I was actually EXCITED about the prospect of shopping, which is so not me. I was going shopping for boots, jeans, gloves and a helmet. The leather jacket and chaps could wait until colder weather….. after all, this is Texas so there was no hurry.

I signed up for the Beginners Class. Since it had been so long since I had ridden, I felt a refresher was due. What big fun! We had a group of about 10 men and women. Some were novices and some were veteran riders. The class was 2 ½ days of classroom and riding instruction. The instructors were great and vowed that everyone would pass the test. I passed but I don’t ever want to have to re-visit “the box” again.

I rode my 750 for about a year. I just needed to get reacquainted with a motorcycle and regain my confidence before I moved up to a bigger bike. I have long lusted after the Goldwing. This is in my opinion is the Cadillac of all motorcycles. I can see the Harley riders cringing as I type! (YOU MUST CLICK ON THIS HYPERLINK – FUNNY AS HELL - WHO SAYS HONDA OWNERS DON’T HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR??) The Goldwing is powerful, comfortable and dependable. The best touring bike on the road, again, in my opinion.

Learning to ride a motorcycle is like any other thing you do in life. If you really want to do it, you will. It is what I do for me. I love it. If it is something that you have always wanted to do, then put your fears and the naysayers aside and just do it. My children were speechless for about a minute when I told them I was getting a bike. My son thought it was unfair that I was getting one and he wasn’t. My daughter just laughed and made some comment about middle age crazy. My grandchildren think I’m about the coolest “Jammaw” in the world. My husband? He was sure I had lost my mind but the truth is, I ended up finding it instead.

I’m more of a Biker Grandma than a Biker Chick now and that works for me. It’s good to be my age and feel comfortable in my skin and know that my grandchildren think I’m cool!

Judy Davis

Finding Your Passions in Life

I've heard it said that we should find our passions in life and find a way to make your living doing them. Okay, so where do I sign up and get paid to ride my motorcycle?

I am a 53 year old female who has joined the ranks of victims of corporate downsizing, which in reality at the company that I worked for means we don't have a reason to fire you, you just don't suck up the way we expect. So therefore I have been successful?! The longer I live, the less I appreciate the facade of Mission Statements and pretentious and insecure corporate weasels.........and you know who you are. Corporate America is corrupt and full of of these people.

Now the humorous thing in all of this is the fact that working for Corporate America afforded me the means and opportunity to have a few of the toys that I do enjoy. Would that be humorous or a contradiction??? Anyway, I am glad to be out of that rat race and would love to never re-visit it, but in reality I have a mortgage to pay and a motorcycle that doesn't run on water.

Just how could I make a living enjoying my passion? What would it feel like to wake up every morning and be excited about going to work? Would it be possible to actually enjoy working long hours knowing it's for you and not their pockets? These are but a few of the questions that play over and over in my head each day along with having a home in the Caribbean, a Catamaran to sail from island to island and ensuring my children and grandchildren have all they need. I see nothing wrong with dreaming big!

I don't have the answers or a lot of time left to find them. What I do know is that I am, for the first time in a very long time, if not ever, open to the possibility that I can re-create myself for myself. I'm excited about the possibilities and the adventure. As my friend Uka would say, "Life is but a walking shadow and this too shall pass".