Name: Rhonda Smith
Place: St. Margaret’s Bay, Nova Scotia
Age: 55 years old

CURRENT RIDE:
Honda 750 Shadow Aero

HOW I GOT STARTED:

I got my motorcycle license in September 2007 at the age of 53. When folks ask what would possess me to do that, I jokingly tell them I had a mid-life crisis. I had three grandchildren born in the spring of 2007 (between Feb & June) and got my license in September. But I’m getting ahead of myself; let me start at the beginning.

My husband always had a bike. In the beginning, I rode on the back and I was very happy to be there. Then in 1983, we had our youngest child. Between her and our two other children, there wasn’t any time to ride, so he sold the bike and didn’t own a bike for nearly 23 years. During the winter of 2005/06, my hubby was looking at bikes online and said to me that he thought he’d like to get another one. I replied, “I don’t think we need to get back into that at our age”. We talked about it and he really wanted to get back in the saddle, I wasn’t so sure. In March of ’06 he found his new ride.

We travelled around all that summer and it was like we never stopped riding–those 23-years just melted away.

I noticed that there were a lot more lady riders out there than ever before. I made a few comments that I thought I’d like to learn, but never really acted on it, or even believed that I could learn to ride my own. I hesitated to spend the $430 to find out whether I had what it took. Where I doubted myself, my dear husband had complete faith in my ability and for our anniversary in July of 2007, he gave me a cheque for the cost of the course. Now, with no excuses and all the support one could ask for, I signed up for the Motorcycle Safety Course. Unfortunately, I had waited so long to do it, I couldn’t get in until the middle of September.

While I was waiting for the course I told Bob, my wonderful husband, that we needed to find me a bike. He suggested I take the course first, but I reasoned with him that it would give me more of a comfort zone if I could have a bike and ride it around the yard so I have some idea of how things worked; bike shopping we went.

It’s pretty hard for someone who has never ridden a bike to shop for one. After looking at a lot of not so great bikes, we settled on a 1998 Suzuki Savage 650; it was in great shape and a perfect size for a starter bike. Bob, who is 6’4” and over 200 pounds, took it for a ride (sitting on the back seat) so he could work the foot controls. It was pretty funny now that I think of it.

Bob would ride the bike to the empty school parking lot in the evenings and I would follow in the van. Then it was my turn to ride. Bob’s pointers were a great confidence booster for me. Once I realized that I could ride, I couldn’t wait to take the course and learn all there was to know about riding.

The weekend of the course came and it rained heavily on Saturday when we did most of our riding, but it didn’t matter, I loved it. I passed with flying colors. I was a motorcycle Nana, I couldn’t believe it.

Bob and I rode everywhere for the next five weeks or so when I informed him that I found the Suzuki really light on the highway and I knew I was ready for a bigger bike. His response, “I’ve created a monster”. Once again we went bike shopping. I had always liked the Honda 750 Shadow Aero and found one in record time. Bob dickered with the bike’s owner and they finally agreed on a price, which was based on bringing the bike to our house so I could test ride it. While he and Bob were chatting in the kitchen, I went outside on the pretense of looking at the bike. I didn’t want an audience when I pulled away, so while they were still in the house, I rode out the driveway and down the road on the Honda and let me tell you; it was love at first ride. When I rode back in the yard, Bob saw the big smile on my face, shook his head and said, ‘sold’.

I only got to ride my Shadow for about three weeks that season when I had to put her away in a heated storage facility. Last season (2008) I put on over 12,000 km, mostly in Nova Scotia and PEI. This season so far we’ve been around the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton at the end of April, and we are averaging 300 – 500 km each weekend. I also ride with a group of ladies each Monday evening, but those rides won’t start up ‘til June.

I’m registered to take the advanced rider course this summer and want to learn as much as I can about riding. Who knows, maybe I’ll be an instructor some day and help others learn about this wonderful sport I’ve found.

I don’t wish I had done it sooner because I was too busy raising my three wonderful kids, but I’m so thankful I found it now and it’s a great way for Bob and I to spend our free time together. I told the kids that when they all moved out we didn’t have ‘empty nest syndrome’, instead we got a life.

Learning to ride is probably one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever undertaken, and also one of the most rewarding with the exception of raising my children, of course.

To all ladies who’ve ever even thought for one minute that you might like to try riding, I say ‘do it’. I truly believe you won’t regret it. It’s the most amazing experience. MMM