California…he’s an active duty Marine, on his third tour in Iraq. His
friends let her tag along while he’s away for her to keep in practice
so they can pick up when he returns home. “I made him wait til his
truck was paid off but he got his Harley about a year ago. We wives,
that are smart, pick up hobbies while the guys are gone, so I decided
I was going to get my license as well. (I’d never ridden before, other
than maybe once around the block behind him) He didn’t believe me,
but I signed up for the MSF course, and passed on my first try. He
still didn’t think I’d follow through with it and I think was pretty
shocked that I went and actually got the endorsement on my license.
Even more surprised when I signed the purchase agreement for my
bike a month later.”
They started riding together and have a handful of friends that go
along as well. While Robert is overseas a friend is in charge of
putting a couple of miles on the Harley every couple of weeks, and
Jessica makes sure to take her bike (Yamaha V-Star 650) out of the
garage every weekend, even if it’s on her own. “I’ve moved his from
one side of the garage to the other, but I won’t take it any farther
than that. He’s 6’7” and the bike is stretched out for him. Even if I
could reach the handlebars very easily, the clutch is way too far
away for my fingers to get around it. Sides, I’ve always been under
the impression that if I’m going to drop a bike I’d rather it be my own,
then I won’t have to feel so guilty.”
bike before she dropped a ton on a Harley. Jessica got the Yamaha
for probably a third of what she would have paid for her Harley of
choice, “and it wasn’t going feel like a stab to the stomach if it got a
little scratched and dented.” It took a lot of pressure off of Jessica
those first couple of weeks. Her husband was all for that, although
his reasoning was “I don’t want to spend $... thousand on something
that’ll sit in my garage.” Well, just for that, Jessica signed for the
purchase solo and was bound and determined to ride as often as
her husband did just to prove the point.
Jessica explains what’s nice about this bike is that it has a
comparably sized frame as a mid-sized Harley, but as a 650cc, won’t
throw the beginner off the back end as easily as the bigger engines
will. “I may not be able to get off the line as quickly, but I can cruise
along comfortably with the boys on any freeway or open road. It’s
also lighter weight, which is good to learn on…easier to control
when you come to a stop or need to navigate some tight spaces. Oh
wait, mine is also purple!
that you’re a girl solo on a bike lets you get away with just about
anything.” Jessica says the boys’ bikes may be louder, bigger, and
faster off of the line…but she always gets the thumbs up from other
ladies on the road and a fair amount of impressed consideration
from the men when they see she has her own set of keys.
Recommendation: “Unless you ride with guys who always have
empty saddle bags and don’t mind accommodating your extra
stuff…consider shelling out for some decent bags of your own. It’s
kind of a joke with the guys…”man, when I take my wife with me it
can’t be too hot, too cold, or wet…and we need to pack extra layers,
purse, make-up…” they may joke but some of it is true. Sides, I’d
much rather have anything I might need while out and about for day
long rides. It’s not my fault that we think ahead, and of course, need
to keep up some appearances when stopping for a bite to eat.”
“A good gear link is Fox Creek Leather at www.foxcreekleather.
com. Well made, good quality stuff, and they have a full line of
women’s products. If you don’t fit into stock items, then they custom
fit. My husband and I got both of our jackets, gloves, and I got chaps
from them, and we haven’t been disappointed. He’s very tall so we’ll
have to custom order his chaps when he gets back home.”
To Aaron (aka Dirty) for goading my husband into many things, the least of which being a habit for engines on two wheels.
To Rich for pretending not to mind that I don’t drive down the 5 as fast as he would like.
And to Jose, who I think worries about my husband overseas more than even I do.