Road to Sturgis- 1 woman, 1 motorcycle, 10 thousand miles!

by Alystar Mckenneh
(Texas at the Moment)

The great thing about riding a motorcycle around the country is that if you get the urge to do anything…you can stop and do it! I was in the desert, felt like running naked through the desert so I did. I was riding down the road, saw all these beautiful flowers covering the desert floor and wanted to roll in them so I did. I stopped to take a turtle off the road before he got squashed! I danced around in the cow pasture because I was feeling freeeeeeee!! I took a nap on top of my motorcycle, parked at a shady rest stop and I chatted up every cute sheriff in a cowboy hat I could find. WOW are Texas Rangers hot!!! mmmmpurrrrr!

Today I stopped at Bob Kays “A Biker Garage” in Roanoak, Texas, (Dallas/Ft. Worth area). It took them an hour to do a 21 point check-up on my bike. They were happy to see me! I was happy to see them! Bob Kay has his own line of leathers called Toria Chopper Leathers. Being a connoisseur of fine leather apparel, especially riding apparel….. I have to say; I have not seen a better jacket, better pair of chaps or a better leather shirt than Toria Chopper Leathers!

Why don’t other riding apparel manufacturers consider the rider when they build a jacket or chaps? I DON’T KNOW! But Bob Kay knows that we need many secure pockets, jackets that are strong and yet don’t take a year to break in and they need to be fitted so I “look” hot all the time instead of being hot. Because when I’m on the road I wear long underwear, flannel lined jeans and chaps on the bottom. A kidney belt, long underwear, a turtle neck, a long sleeved t-shirt and a large jacket on top. I am layered to death. Sunday rides I’m not so dramatic but for the cold mornings, hot days, chilly nights and the stuff constantly being kicked up from the road I need protection.

He also understands that standing on the side of the road, bent over, trying to get the zipper pulled up on my chaps is just an invitation for trouble. And for you guys maybe not so much trouble unless Bubba is out on parole! His chaps are step in, large pocketed, zip down from the hip chaps. They are cute and are designed like blue jeans (black blue jeans of course) . And his kidney belt is tough enough to hold your guts in after a ten hour ride but you can bend over and retrieve something from your saddlebags without having to snap it loose. Man I sound like a leather commercial but…..Why have I not seen these anywhere else? Probably for the same reason I can’t lane split anywhere else but California. Or that the birth control sponge was taken off the market. Or that the right to carry a gun on your hip or even mention the word gun is outlawed in New York. All the ideas that work, are practical and actually take “me” and what I need into account are just not allowed! If it feels good, works well and prevents road rage which I can assure you all of the three above do…..well then you know it is either outlawed or taken off the market.

Oddly enough I can roll around in the flowers on the freeway and the Texas Rangers barely give me a glance. But try to buy a birth control sponge and they will be all over me. And not in a good way. On the other hand….