I'm an Independent Tomboy Who Loves Technology and Nature!

by Katie S.
(Barboursville, WV USA)

I'm 19 and I just recently bought my first motorcycle(a used Kawasaki Ninja 650R, (candy plasma blue). I love it! I fell in love with motorcycles as a passenger on a Honda Goldwing. I don't remember exactly when I realized I was in love with riding, but I do remember starting to realize how excited I got when it was perfect motorcycle weather, and always wanting to go for rides. I live in WV so we have 4 definite seasons, and I remember a time going for a ride in the middle of January in like 45 degree weather just because I started to miss it so much and I needed my fix. Haha. So then I decided I wanted to learn to ride by myself. I started out on a Honda 250 Rebel, and then I upgraded to riding another friends Honda Shadow VLX 600.....and now...I'm a Kawi Girl!

I love motorcycles for a lot of reasons, one is because I'm independent. When I'm on my bike, it's just me and the bike, nothing else. There is no backseat drivers, no annoying radio commercials to turn off (usually), and best of all -- no barriers. It's all me! I love it!

Another huge aspect of riding that I love is the combo of technology and nature. I love both, but most people today think that it has to be one or the other. While riding I become one with my bike, I know that sounds really cheesy, but I do. It moves when I move, if it gets hurt I'm probably gonna get hurt, etc. Me and my bike just become this little independent unit. unlike a car, where you know you are securely fastened and if it gets hurt, you know you will probably still be fine. So there's the technology, but then while riding along on some gorgeous rural roads, the technology just falls into place with the surrounding nature. I love how I get to smell every smell, feel the wind, see the colors the way they were meant to be seen (rather than through tinted glass), feel the warmth of the sunshine, or the refreshing cold spots on a hot and sweaty day. It's amazing! I love to read the road and try to see how it carves through the mountains and where its taking me, or even the never-ending see for miles types of roads.

I just love it, I might be obsessed. But when I wake up in the morning, I always hope for motorcycle weather. I could go on and on...I guess motorcycling has just become part of me. It's a part of how i define myself.