VaVaVroom

This blog has moved to vavavroomonline.com!

2010-12-06T09:37:00.003-06:00

Hi everyone. Just a short note to tell you that this blog has moved to VaVaVroom's website. You'll find new posts there. Eventually, we'll shut this blog location down to avoid confusion. Thank you for reading and sharing the road of life with me.

Riding home from Redmond, Oregon - Day 16

2010-07-25T18:18:00.004-05:00

Total Miles = 154

Libby, her family, and I all went our separate directions around 7:30 am. I was happy to snap a picture of her youngest on my bike! He looks like he is enjoying it. My trip from Madison to Chicago took longer than expected. It continued to rain the entire time until I reached the Des Plaines Oasis on the outskirts of Chicago. And then the traffic picked up and it got HOT. But do I really want to complain in my last post for my awesome trip. No! Let's sum up how awesome it was.

4, 488 total miles, 11 states (4 of them I had never been to before!), countless smiles and oohs and ahs.

Going home from Redmond, Oregon - Day 15

2010-07-25T17:23:00.005-05:00

Total Miles = 353

So I thought today was my last day on the road, but the tornadoes in Southern Wisconsin had other plans for me. I knew I would encounter some rain today and put on rain gear just west of the Minnesota-Illinois border on I-94. The rain became so bad that it was difficult to see so I stopped in about 20 miles to wait out the storm at McDonald's (let's call this McD's #1). By chance, my dad and stepmom were traveling north on I-94 and our timing was just about perfect for meeting for lunch in Osseo, Wisconsin (at McD's #2). After lunch, I was on my way, but encountered black, nasty looking skies and pummeling rain. I exited in DeForest, WI and camped out at the Citgo station for a while - the home of the pink elephant!

I learned at the Citgo station that a tornado had been spotted about a mile away. The word was the tornado warning would lift at 6:00. I traveled down the road to McD's #3 to wait it out. I had also talked with my childhood friend, Libby, who lives in Madison. Being only 30 minutes north of Madison, I thought perhaps I would stay with her if the weather did not let up. Libby later called to tell me to wait until at least 7:30 pm to leave, as more tornado warnings were in effect. At that point, I made the decision to travel to Libby's as soon as the warnings were done. Around 8:30, I arrived at Libby's and caught up with her, her husband and two boys. I had not seen them in over a year and my had the two kids grown. It was great to catch up and I look at it as a blessing to have had this time with them. As I got ready for bed that night (the oldest son volunteered his room to me!), I noticed a map of the United States on the wall. I became curious. Now that I've hit some new states on this trip, how many states have I been to? Well, turns out I have been to 41 - only 9 more to go! It reminded me of a great t-shirt that Bob's BMW carries. It's called Keep Score and you check off the states and provinces you have ridden through as you do so.

Going home from Redmond, Oregon - Day 14

2010-07-21T21:11:00.007-05:00

Total Miles = 532

I crossed in North Dakota fairly quickly into my ride. In doing so, the landscape changed quickly - going from a combination of rocky and open plains to "lumpy" hills and more green. A nice treat was viewing what I think were the Painted Canyon or North Dakotan Badlands in Theodore Roosevelt Park. Really beautiful. It looked like the Badlands in South Dakota only smaller and greener. Very cool. As I contemplated the sights, I got to thinking how grateful I am to live in a country that has such varied and breathtaking landscapes. Even some states have multiple climates and looks. Traveling by motorcycle allows me to see this first hand. After I crossed into Minnesota, the landscape changed again - more green, more farmland - less ranching, more growing - more trees - as you would expect Minnesota to look like. It was a fairly uneventful day on I-94. No rain, no weirdos (well, not too bad). Met some nice bikers from all over the country. I'm still loving my new windscreen. Stops for has were in Bismarck, ND, Jamestown, ND, Fargo, ND, Fergus Falls, MN and staying in St. Cloud, MN at the Quality Inn. I like Quality Inns. I've found that they are a good value and pretty nice. As a bonus, I arrived early enough to enjoy a beer and some dinner at the attached Old Chicago restaurant.

On the way home from Redmond, Oregon - Day 13

2010-07-20T22:53:00.010-05:00

Total Miles = 477

Driving out of Butte, MT on I-90 E this morning was beautiful with more curves, rock formations and green trees. But quickly, the landscape turned to the typical look of Montana.

Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful, but it looked basically the same for 400 miles! Stops were made in Bozeman, Columbus, Custer, Miles City, Glendive, and finally I stayed in Wibaux at the Beaver Creek Inn.

Today consisted of interstate driving and was kind of boring. I spent my stops re-adjusting my new Airhawk seat cover (I had too much air in it) and the windshield. I had to keep raising it. My new ZTechnik windscreen really makes a difference at highway speeds. A nice UPS man in Custer helped me re-attach the windscreen. I realized as I headed down the road that I didn't extend the brackets on the windscreen, so I stopped at the next exit in Bighorn. I watched the UPS guy pass by and then lost a piece of the bracket for 20 minutes! When I arrived in Glendive to rent a hotel room, the hotels were all full. Thankfully, Jonny had called ahead to Wibaux and reserved a room for me there. And good thing too, because I was getting tired!

On the way home from Redmond, Oregon - Day 12

2010-07-19T23:55:00.015-05:00

Total Miles = 446 miles

Today, I woke up refreshed and well-rested and was on the road by 8:30. The landscape as I left Walla Walla was breathtaking. Amber waves of grain as far as the eye could see. And when the landscape was green, it was very green. The contrast between different crops was so vivid. I thought it couldn't get any better and then I reached the Idaho border and rode US Rte. 12 across Idaho... 200 miles of winding, curvy roads through national forest. I didn't encounter one stoplight or one stop sign for the entire 200 miles. The road winds along the Lochsa River. The beauty was truly awesome. My pictures do not do them justice, but here they are.

Walla Walla wheat fields with contrasting green fields.

The next town beyond Walla Walla - Yes, that's a camel!

The view along the Lochsa River in Lowell, ID.

Resting by the Lochsa River.

They really do sell cows! - Drummond, MT.

Once into Montana, the speed limit increased and in Missoula, I found 90 E where I buzzed along to Butte, MT. My new windscreen did wonders and I didn't mind the highway speed at all.

Leaving Redmond, Oregon - Day 11

2010-07-19T23:24:00.017-05:00

Total Miles = 258

I had planned to sleep in today, but nature called and I needed to use the facilities. I guess I'm up at 5:30 am again today. Turned out to be a good thing because it took me six hours to get out of there between a shower, breaking down camp, packing, Jerry putting my new grips on my bike, losing my keys, saying goodbye to the Bob's BMW crew, saying goodbye to Nancy Foote and Walt Fulton of Streetmasters Motorcycle Workshop, saying goodbye to Scott and the Canadians, running to Walgreen's for Jonny, and lastly, getting gas. Whew! I finally got out of there around 11:30. I wasn't feeling all that well, so I took it easy through the windy roads of Oregon. My route was 97 N, 293 E, 218 E, 19 N, 84 E, 730 E, 12 E to Walla Walla, Washington.

It really was beautiful throughout. 293 and 218 were especially fun with some twists and turns. 84 is scenic along the Hood River. On 730, I crossed in to Washington and began to follow the Columbia River. Walla Walla is a nice tourist town with many wineries. The best hotel rate was at La Quinta. A nice place with all of the necessary amenities.

Scott from Neenah, Wi and me - We met Scott last year at the MOA rally in Johnson City, TN.

Jerry putting on my Grab On grip covers. Grip covers extend the life of your expensive grips and reduce vibration. Jerry was proud of me for getting a bunch of free stuff - a new ZTechnik windscreen, ZTechnik headlight cover, ZTechnik GPS mount (I guess I better get a GPS now), microfiber cloth, the grip covers, a book by Mary Lou Dobbs (I will interview her on Side Stand Up); and a great deal on a new Airhawk seat cover and a PIAA headlamp. I also bought new cooling sleeves from LD Comfort. They are dual purpose - cover my wrists so I don't get sunburn due to my too short sleeves on my riding jackets and you can soak them in water and feel cool on your ride.

Mike with his 3rd place ribbon from the GS contest. Go Mikey!

Jerry and Sharon with the medal and 1st place ribbon from the GS contest. They got two extra points because Sharon was wearing a VaVaVroom shirt that matched the yellow bike!

Staying in Redmond, Oregon - Day 10

2010-07-18T23:29:00.009-05:00

Total Miles = 0

No time to ride when you are working like a dog. Up by 6:00 a.m. to shower and ready to work the booth around 8:00. On my way to the showers, I snapped a pic of the mountain range.

The rally site is in a beautiful place. In keeping with tradition, The Chicago Region BMW MOA Owner's Association rented a tent for club members to gather during the rally.

It is nice to have a place to catch up and get out of the sun. Our last day in the booth was busy and VaVaVroom sales were the best of any of the days. In keeping with tradition, Fred cooked for all of the Bob's BMW booth staff. I swear they were the best tacos I've ever had!

Staying in Redmond, Oregon - Day 9

2010-07-17T09:39:00.013-05:00

Total Miles = 0

So my good buddy, Fred, let me in on a little secret. In the RV park at the rally site, there are showers that are barely used because most of the RV's have their own. So, no wait for showers this morning! Yay! Even though the band played until midnight the night before and kept me up longer than I would have liked, I felt less tired today. Here's a picture to give an idea of our tent area.

My first stop of the morning was to visit the LD Comfort booth. I am a big fan of their products - long distance riding underwear. I have the shorts, tights, and long sleeve shirt. I decided on my ride out that I needed to buy the cooling sleeves - for two reasons. One, if you wet the cooling sleeves and put them on your ride they really will keep you cool! Two, because I have long arms, there is agap between my glove and jacket sleeve. The cooling sleeves covers that gaps and helps ward off dehydration and sunburn.

We had brisk sales again at the booth today. I did take a little break from selling in the afternoon to give a seminar on women's motorcycle apparel. It was well attended and I was pleased to hear that many participants found it helpful.

That evening, I had dinner with VaVaVroom's new sales rep in Arizona, Lisa Malachowsky. We chatted about strategy and plan to take Arizona by storm when we return home. I then went to visit my friend, Jonny. Jonny had torn a muscle a few days earlier at the rally and had been in the hospital. He was recovering well and won't need surgery, but in our discussions about riding home, he came to the correct conclusion that he should not ride home. It is just too risky. He will ship his bike back and fly home. Although we were very disappointed, I know it is the right thing to do. After that settled, I chatted with Sandra, Scott and the Canadians. They are a funny bunch!

Staying in Redmond, Oregon - Day 8

2010-07-17T09:26:00.009-05:00

Total Miles = 0

While the BMW MOA rally is a ton of fun, it is also exhausting! I decided to get up at 6:00 am or earlier every day to ensure a timely shower. (The lack of showers this year at the rally is frustrating!). Today reminded me how being on your feet for ten hours straight can be wearing.

However, we had a lot of fun working the Bob's BMW vendor booth today and we sold a lot of stuff. And I do think the booth looks great!

For dinner, I was invited to the BMW ON Magazine contributors dinner. I invited a Chicago Region BMW MOA club member, Mike. It was interesting to hear a BMW Motorrad executive speak about the future of BMW (it looks bright!).

This is Vince Winkel, the editor of the magazine. Vince had tried to play a joke on me in front of everyone, but didn't have the right prop. The prop in question was a thong. Hmmm. I'm glad he couldn't find the prop.

After dinner, Mike and I hung out with the other Chicago club members in our gathering tent. It was nice to see our friend Scott from Neenah, Wisconsin. We met him last year and adopted him as an honorary Chicago member.

Staying in Redmond, Oregon - Day 7

2010-07-16T20:50:00.020-05:00

Total Miles = 45

Now, the business part of my trip begins. Today, at the BMW MOA rally in Redmond, Oregon, I will be selling VaVaVroom through the Bob's BMW booth. We spent the better part of the day setting all of this up. The best part of the day was receiving a new, free windscreen for my motorcycle - a ZTechnik brand - much needed. Since my bike was used as the demo bike at the vendor booth, I get to keep it! That is awesome because I was going to buy one anyway! In the evening, I joined Bob Henig of Bob's BMW and Sam Henig (his son) and Fred Oppido (my fellow booth workers) for the BMW MOA Ambassador's dinner. Here is a picture of Sam and Fred.

I also ran into my old friends, Walt Fulton and Nancy Foote, of Streetmasters Motorcycle Workshops (pictured here in their Streetmasters red!).

After the dinner, Bob, Fred, Sam and I took a really quick ride to Smith Rock. We stopped to see "the rock" over looking a beautiful stream with hikers below and rock climbers above.

This trip has been full of beautiful and inspiring geography.

Riding to Redmond, Oregon - Day 6

2010-07-16T09:29:00.017-05:00

Total Miles = 320

Days like today make days like yesterday all worth it.

The highlight of the day was riding Hwy 26 in Oregon through a mountainous, cavernous, gorgeous (gorges!) landscape. Roads just technical enough to engage us but not tiring. I highly recommend this route to any riders or travelers. On our first gas stop, we encountered some fellow BMW travelers (see our helmets all lined up together?) and the inside of the gas station had a bison head hanging as well as other local game.

It also had funny signs up all over - reminding customers not to pee on the seat in the washroom, etc. We arrived in Redmond around 5:00 pm at the BMW MOA International Rally site. We found a place next to some Canadians that quickly become friends. Mike from Trenton, Ontario and Jerry and Sharon from Niagara Falls. They are a ton of fun and we enjoyed dinner with them at Coyote Ranch. A good time was had by all, ay.

Riding to Redmond, Oregon - Day 5

2010-07-16T09:18:00.010-05:00

Total Miles = 442

We had a lovely brunch at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. Sandra and I parted ways with Jonny at this point. Jonny was riding north to participate in an Iron Butt. Sandra and I were heading west to towards Oregon.

As we left Yellowstone Park, we saw more bison and beautiful sites. As you mayhave heard, there is a lot of construction going on in Yellowstone. We waited for 30 minutes at one point due to a lane closure. We met two very nice couples from North Dakota on Harleys. It takes a while to get out of Yellowstone. Yes, there is traffic and construction, but I found the stay there completely worth it. I only got to see a small portion of what the park has to offer but the sights I did get the chance to see were truly amazing.

Our plan was to continue on Hwy 20. This took us through Montana briefly and then into Idaho. We missed an exit for Hwy 20 and had to re-route northwest for a bit. On this road and when we returned to Hwy 20, we encountered very high winds. At least 50-60 mph. It was scary and I was so tense!

I'm pointing to the place on the map where we rode through 50-60 mph winds.

Because we were riding through desert, there was nowhere to stop. We tried stopping once, but just got blown around more. So we carried on until we reached the town of Unity. After resting and getting our nerves under control, we carried on.

There were winds but they felt like baby's breath compared to what we had just been through. The rest of the ride was quite nice. We rode through the Idaho National Forest, by the Magic Reservoir and saw lava rocks along the way. I didn't know what they were then and I was puzzled by the sight of them. Our stay for the night was in a Comfort Inn in Boise. Ron, the manager, gave us a good rate. Thanks, Ron! We met some other fellow BMW riders, who were on their way to the rally as well.

Riding to Redmond, Oregon - Day 4

2010-07-13T10:54:00.008-05:00

Total Miles = 108

After breakfast in the Canyon Lodge cafeteria, we headed for Old Faithful in Yellowstone Park. Along the way, we encountered hordes of bison. We stopped to take pictures and came very close to some of them. Too close for my liking! I couldn't believe how many people walked really close to these bison to take pictures. Bison weigh up to 2,000 pounds and can travel at 40 mph. Every year, park visitors are injured by bison.

We also took pictures by Yellowstone Lake in many spots. We stopped at one of the many sulfur springs, which was cool, but the highlight was seeing a bear down below from a small cliff. It was fun to take a picture at the Continental Divide, but watching the famous Old Faithful erupt was even more fun. Our final destination for the evening was the Mammoth Hot Springs, which are in the northwest corner of the park. The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel was built in the 30s and quite nice. After dinner, there was the most vivid rainbow I have ever seen.

We then enjoyed a challengingwalk to visit the many locations of hot springs in that area. Below Sandra contemplates the meaning of life watching over Cleopatra's Table.

Riding to Redmond, Oregon - Day 3

2010-07-10T15:37:00.015-05:00

Total Miles = 360

We left our lovely motel in Douglas, WY at 8:30 am in search of the World's Largest Jackalope and the world's even larger jackalope!

We were lucky to see them as they are quite rare : ).

We also got a quick look at the locomotive museum.

On one of our gas stops, someone walked off with my coat (which was sitting on my bike) and left it in the parking lot. Nothing was gone. Were they looking for a wallet? A nice lady found it and brought it inside. Luckily, I was walking by just as she was doing so. Note to self: Don't be so trusting in tourist areas! We had a beautiful ride on U.S. 20 by a lake into some elevation. Sweepers! My favorite. Alas, it started to rain and we had to be more cautious. By the time we got to Thermopolis, WY, the wind were blowing something fierce.

We ducked into the Fountain of Youth Diner to assess the situation. A quick internet search alerted us to a serious storm so we decided to wait it out. Yummy food there - tater tots, brisket. Mmmmm.

Bear spray? Let's hope a situation where that would be needed never arises. Just in case, tips on how to handle a bear attack, here.

When the stormed cleared, we made our way to Yellowstone! As we took winding roads through Yellowstone to our cabin at Canyon Lodge, we passed bison and saw spectacular views of Yellowstone Lake. Words cannot describe the beauty. The sun was going down, creating a beautiful blueish purple hue over the lake. We made it to our cabin just before dark!

Riding to Redmond, Oregon - Day 2

2010-07-10T15:22:00.014-05:00

Total Miles = 442

The motel in Osmond, Nebraska was very nice and new! The nearby mini-mart ladies were also very nice. We left Osmond around 10:00 am - too late in my book, but we were on our way. As we continued on U.S. 20 west, we went through many small towns, including Eli with a population of 2.

I've never seen the sky look so beautiful with the wide open spaces, big blue sky with fluffy clouds dotted across the landscape.

Our favorite stop of the day was in Merriman, where we stopped to rest and eat at the Sand Cafe. An old fashioned diner with pictures of customers on the wall, shakes and malts with fresh ingredients, and the best club sandwiches ever - fresh ham cut from the bone. It makes a difference!

When we went out to our bikes, Sandra and I discovered ants in our helmets! Lesson not to put your helmet on the ground!

This little guy hitched a ride on Sandra's bike.

After we crossed the border into Wyoming, we say many longhorn sheep and bison. We passed through a town called Lusk - known for the only legal cathouse in Wyoming at one time. They are no longer in service but there is a monument to prostitutes on the outskirts of town. We settled on Douglas as our resting place for the evening. There was a little league convention in town, so we were lucky to find a room at the Super 8!

Riding to Redmond, Oregon - Day 1

2010-07-08T22:24:00.009-05:00

The next several blogs will chronicle my trip from Chicago to the BMW MOA International Rally in Redmond, Oregon.

Total miles = 551

Sandra and I left Chicago at 5:30 a.m. We met Jonny in Galena for breakfast and then took off for our adventure around 10 am. We traveled west on U.S. 20 the entire day. Our goal was to reach Valentine, Nebraska. We did make it to Nebraska, but only to Osmond. Our ride was uneventful until Sandra got a flat tire in Waterloo, Iowa.

She handled it well and pulled over slowly and calmly. A nice man from the Iowa Department of Transportation pulled his truck behind us to protect us, while Jonny plugged Sandra's tire.

We had enough CO2 cannisters to get her to Weber's Cycle in Waterloo, where she had a new tire put on.

We rode to Sac City, Iowa next where we saw the largest popcorn ball in the world! For some more information on Sac City and the Largest Popcorn Ball, here. There was also a little fake town that had some interesting historic artifacts inside.

We were on our way again and stopped in Belden, Nebraska to find a hotel. We weren't having any luck on our own. Luckily, a nice couple stopped and told us about a new motel 20 miles up the road. Yay! We stayed at the Hill Street Inn in Osmond, NE. Quite nice! We made it just as darkness was setting in...

Sturgis on the River Rally

2010-06-24T11:48:00.030-05:00

Recently, I attended the Sturgis on the River Rally in Davenport, IA on the weekend of June 16-19. Check out these pictures from the rally!

Here’s the VaVaVroom booth and that’s my high school friend Thomas Schroeder who helped me at the Rally. He also does all my media work including web, photography, and video.

The Rally was a success! Last year there were 100,000 people but unfortunately, the weather this year kept many from attending on Friday. Thankfully, Saturday was beautiful and many more people were able to come out and enjoy.

Here I am with my junior high school boyfriend, Rob. It was fun catching up with him.

This is the Wall of Death, America’s Original Extreme Motorcycle Thrillshow, where daredevils ride vintage Indian and Harley Davidson motorcycles and racing go-karts on a vertical board wall sometimes as high as 15 feet above the ground! Check it out here.

Meet Charlie Ransom, one of the stunt daredevils.

An action shot of the Wall of Death! They go around so fast, I couldn’t get a clear shot.

Some other friends who were vending at the Rally included:

Jeff, Alan, and Rob of Traumahead Sportz set up a paintball gallery and shooting range. They also produce video episodes about strategies and tips for paintballing. For more on Traumahead Sportz, here.

Sonia and her son were set up in a neighboring booth. Sonia owns Teranga House of Africa, a boutique and hair braiding location in the District at 1706 3rd Ave, Rock Island, IL. They do professional hair braiding and weaving, and sell unique authentic African clothing, gifts, masks, accessories, and musical instruments. Contact them at 309-788-0801.

Overall, the rally was really fun! There were reunions with old friends, meetings with new friends and exciting daredevils at the Wall of Death!

Ride To Work Day

2010-06-10T10:34:00.013-05:00

Hi! I'm Katlin, one of the current Marketing Interns at VaVaVroom and today I'm guest blogging about this year's 18th annual Ride To Work Day taking place Monday, June 21, 2010. Riding motorcycles or scooters provides economic and environmental benefits, not to mention how fun and practical they are!

Ride your motorcycle or scooter on this day to demonstrate:

The number of motorcyclists to the general public and to politicians.
That motorcyclists are from all occupations and all walks of life.
That motorcyclists can reduce traffic and parking congestion in large cities.
That motorcycles are for transportation as well as recreation.
That motorcycling is a social good.

So this year, reduce your environmental footprint, save money and fuel, and enjoy yourself, by making a point to ride your bike to work on June 21, and for the rest of the summer!

For more information, click here.

Kristi & Kim's Twilight Giveaway

2010-03-15T12:12:00.009-05:00

Ok, I admit it. I'm crazy about the Twilight series. And doesn't Jacob look hot on that motorcycle? So, I'd like to share with you a giveaway contest on Kristi & Kim's blog. Kristi and Kim are giving away the New Moon DVD, which is being released on March 20, 2010, and other fun stuff for Twihards. Just click here and here to learn more. It's easy to enter and so much fun!

Another Give-Away!

2010-02-03T21:15:00.005-06:00

Check out Sweeps4Bloggers.com! They are offering a free Total Moto VaVaVroom tee. Just follow the link and see how you might win. Hurry! All entries must be in by February 8, 2010.

Networking Witches Offering VaVaVroom Give-away

2010-01-05T10:39:00.003-06:00

Thank you to Redneck Witch at Networking Witches for facilitating our latest give-away of a For the Love of Chrome Long Sleeve Thermal in pink! Click here for more info. Ends January 15, 2010.

Streetmasters Motorcycle Workshop - Part 2

2009-11-14T23:02:00.016-06:00

Streetmasters Motorcycle Workshop is owned and run by Walt Fulton (pictured above) and Nancy Foote. Walt is a former motorcycle racer, winning three times at Daytona, and Nancy, an experienced rider in her own right, is known as the Queen of the Backroads. I had the wonderful opportunity to take their workshop today. We started our day at the Hampton Inn conference room in Lancaster, CA. Early on, Walt emphasized the need for head turns and to "look where you want to go". He stated, "If your neck isn't sore by the end of today, I'm going to be disappointed!" The course also teaches a delayed apex in a corner for street riding. The delayed apex gives you a better look into the turn before committing to it. It also helps you stay clear of the center line (and potential center lane crossers) and sets you up for the next corner. It should be noted that this is very different than how you would approach a corner on the race track. The idea of the "tipping point" was also discussed. One comment I found to be very helpful is that your tipping point (the moment you "tip" or "lean" into your turn) should happen once you can see through the turn, allowing you to make a more informed decision about how to approach it.

After our short instruction in the classroom, we all rode over to the Willow Springs Raceway in nearby Rosamond. The course primarily takes place on the Horse Thief Mile track, which is set up like canyon road, but without any pesky oncoming traffic. You may recognize this course from numerous car commercials. We worked on our newly learned techniques and received constant feedback on our progress. I was lucky to have Walt as my track instructor. Actually, the entire staff is great all around. The other instructors are also extremely experienced and "the moms", Peggy and Liz, were there to make sure we ate a good lunch, drank enough water, and to answer any logistical questions. In addition to the "track time" we also worked on "precision exercises" on the practice pad, such as U-turns from a stop and emergency braking. Our graduation exercises consisted of a figure eight and offset weave course and another chance at the Horse Thief Mile, but this time in the reverse direction. I appreciated this final exercise as it allowed me to get a sense for the real progress I had achieved that day. The progress came in steps throughout the day, with a deeper understanding of the concepts as I went along.

In this course, I learned a lot and improved my skills, but I also met some great people - instructors and course participants alike. I had the opportunity to get to know some fellow BMW riders from the BMW Owners Club of San Diego and riders that follow pashnit.com. Oh yeah, and my neck was sore at the end of the day, just like Walt had promised.

I am anxious to practice my newly-learned techniques. I can only hope that the Chicago weather affords me the opportunity....

Note: Special thanks to fellow-student, Kevin Wilson, for use of his photos for this blog.

Streetmasters Motorcycle Workshop-Part 1

2009-11-13T23:19:00.009-06:00

No fear. Today is Friday the 13th. Something bad is supposed to happen, right? Today it was all good. Last February, I entered a raffle to benefit the Women's Motorcyclist Foundation and Breast Cancer Research. In that raffle, I was the lucky winner of a free motorcycle class, but not just any class, the Streetmasters Motorcycle Workshop in sunny California. My hosts, Walt Fulton and Nancy Foote, rolled out the red carpet. Walt picked me up yesterday at John Wayne Airport. We stopped at Kawasaki Motorcycles North American HQ in Irvine, CA, and I got a tour of the facilities. My first bike was a Kawasaki Vulcan Classic, so I have a soft spot in my heart for Kawis.

Today, Nancy and I met Phil (one of the track marshals at Streetmasters) at the Hill Street Cafe in La Cañada for breakfast . (Walt was kind enough to lend me his 1997 R1100RS!) It's located at the base of Angeles Crest Highway. Unfortunately, we couldn't take it, because of recent fires, it's closed... With Nancy, Queen of the Backroads, leading the way, we took 210 West to 5 North to 126 West in Santa Paula, and this where it starts to get interesting. 150 W goes to Ojai where we tooks pictures and got gas. Beautiful vistas. From there 33 North - my favorite part - as we came down the mountain - ahhh sweepers. And Nancy has mad skills, so she was the perfect person to follow (and emulate).

We stopped at the ranger station, Phil and I switched bikes and I rode his Goldwing for a bit. A first for me. I liked it and could see its benefits, especially on the expressway, but I felt way more comfortable on the BMW. From there, we took 166 to the Cerro Noroestre to the Mil Potrero Highway. We had a delightful lunch at La Lena at Pine Mountain. It was startin to get cold, it was in the 30s up there (and we saw snow on the mountain tops)! So I put on my winter gloves and we made our way to Lancaster. A rough guess at our route was taking Frasier Park Road to the old highway to Gorman Post to 138 to 3 Points Road through Elizabeth Lake on Lake Hughes Road to Quartz Hill through Antelope Valley into Lancaster. It was cold when we got there! In the 40s, but it seemed colder because of the wind. Happy to get inside and warm up.

Love of Chrome Thermal Give-Away

2009-11-07T23:20:00.004-06:00

Leslie loves veggies and Leslie loves

motorcycles too. Leslie Loves Veggies Blog

and VaVaVroom got together to honor

Leslie's late brother, Ricky. Check out

Leslie's post and learn more about Ricky

and how you can enter to win a

Love of Chrome Thermal Long-Sleeve.

The deadline is November 11, 2009.

Thanks Leslie!

October Ride

2009-10-25T17:55:00.005-05:00

Big thanks to Kevin and Tom (pictured here) for a great ride today. We started at Flying Saucer in Humboldt Park for breakfast. Great fresh food. Then we set out to ride to Union Pier, Michigan. From Chicago, we took 94 east past Gary, Indiana to 20 east to 12 east through New Buffalo, MI to the Red Arrow Highway. Had a very nice lunch at the Whistlestop. Again, a place with great, fresh food. We were told by the folks in Whistlestop to find the signs for the circle tours. I think they are meant for bicyclists, but we loved them too. The day was gorgeous and the trees were in full color. There are quite a few wineries in the area and we rode past many grapefields. I had never been to that area before, but I know I will be back soon!

Motor Maids

2009-10-22T17:36:00.010-05:00

While at the AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference this past July, I joined the Motor Maids, the first women's motorcycle riding organization in America. On Saturday, I met with fellow Motor Maid, Betty Craft Hartman. We enjoyed a nice lunch at the diner at Kegel's Harley-Davidson in Rockford. The diner is open daily for breakfast and lunch. Betty has been riding since the 1970's. When her son bought a bike, she helped him fix it up and decided that she should be able to ride it if she was fixing it. The rest is history. I am excited to be a part of such a legendary group of riding women!

ACEtoberfest October 2009

2009-10-18T15:21:00.010-05:00

Although it was a damp, cold day, many scooter and motorcycle enthusiasts came out for the 2009 ACEtoberfest at Ace Motorcycle & Scooter in Chicago. The day included vendors, food (brats of course), beer (the good stuff), and a bike show. And I was hanging out with a winner that day. Chris from Criminal Customs took home two prizes! One for best American bike and one for the best custom. Congratulations Chris! Don't miss this event next year.

I Have a New Title - PANK

2009-10-15T15:27:00.005-05:00

Did you know that PANK is the new PINK? Melanie Notkin of SavvyAuntie.com, coined the term in a recent post on She-conomy.com. PANK stands for "Professional Aunts No Kids" (hey, that's me!). Notkin believes that retailers often make the mistake of assuming that all female customers are moms. Women control 85% of all household purchases, whether they are single, married, with kids, or without kids. And let's face it. Women like to shop. So marketers, keep this in mind when devising your sales strategy. Sure, keep the women's section next to the kid's section. That makes sense, but don't assume in your advertising that all of the women shopping have little ones at home.

Last Chance to Buy a Ticket for the Ultimate Bike Raffle 2

2009-09-22T12:43:00.007-05:00

I just bought my ticket for the Ultimate Bike Raffle 2 sponsored by Bob's BMW. Proceeds benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. This is a great cause and you can win some super cool prizes including a 2010 BMW S1000RR. This bike rocks. I saw a prototype at the BMW MOA rally in July. It is super-light, extremely well-balanced, and has three different ride settings. Here is a picture of me testing it out. Street models will be available next year, but BMW already has racing versions on the circuit. Take a look at the Motorcycle Consumer News review here.

In the raffle you can also win an Edelweiss Ultimate Alps Tour and gear from BMW, Olympia, Rev'It and Scorpian. Hurry! Time is running out. You don't to miss this opportunity to help the kids and a very good chance to win some kick-ass prizes.

For outright donations:

http://store.bobsbmw.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=RFK

For the Ultimate Bike Raffle or UBR2:

http://store.bobsbmw.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=UBR2%2D3

For info on the 2009 Ride for Kids:

http://www.bobsbmw.com/

AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference 2009

2009-09-01T13:12:00.030-05:00

What we all have been waiting for - for three years! The last Women & Motorcycling Conference was held in Athen, Georgia in 2006. I attended back then and had a blast. Naturally, I was excited about the 2009 event in Keystone, Colorado in August. This time I went as a vendor for VaVaVroom, rather than a participant. Don't feel sorry for me that I had to work. I still had lots of fun. As you can see, Keystone is a beautiful place with the Snake River running through it. I have never been here in the summer, only to ski. I can't decide which time of year is more breathtaking. So many highlights from the week. I know many women were able to demo all sorts of motorcycles and scooters, shop for cool motorcycle stuff, attend information-packed seminars, and ride beautiful roads.
I am proud to announce that I am a new member of Motor Maids. Motor Maids Inc. was founded in 1940 and is the first women’s motorcycling organization in North America. Here I am with my new "sisters", Eva and Cynthia!

I also had good company around me at the conference. The vendor booths of Shelly Reiner from Girl Gear and Athena Ransom of Vagabond Choppers flanked the VaVaVroom booth. Shelly's company makes great jackets and pants for women and Athena is a custom bike builder.

Can you believe all of the cool people at this Streetmasters motorcycle workshops and Skip Harrison, author of All Who Wander Aren't Lconference? Well, there's more! Pictured to the left is Walt Fulton and Nancy Foote of ost. I am taking the Streetmasters course in November and plan to read Skip's book very soon!

I also had the pleasure to meet another author, Carla King. Carla and I have known each other through our mutual involvement in the Side Stand Up radio program, but have never met in person. What a treat! I now have an autographed copy of Carla's book, American Borders - also on the reading list.

I was visited on Saturday by Susie "Sunglasses" Sandstrom. Susie is the President of Sziols North America, which sells the best sports sunglasses on the market. There are lenses for everyone occasion. (I use them for motorcycling, softball, running, and biking.) And, they are indestructible. Great eye protection for the road and more. VaVaVroom will be carrying this top-notch brand very soon.

I have to give special thanks to my friends from Illinois, Rick and Jan Seymour. They were kind enough to visit me in my booth every day, watch it for me when I went to get lunch, gathered conference swag for me, and helped me pack up after the show.

For more post-conference coverage, go to WomenRidersNow.com. Genevieve Schmitt (pictured below) is the editor and we had a chance to catch up in Keystone.

This is just a small sampling of the many amazing people in the world of motorcycling that I was blessed to meet and get to know. Who knows when and where the next one will be, but I'll mark my calendar as soon as I hear.

Ride to the BMW MOA Rally in Johnson City, TN

2009-08-02T16:07:00.030-05:00

My friend and riding buddy, Sandra, and I embarked on our third annual trek to the BMW MOA Rally. This year the rally was in Johnson City, TN. Here is a travel journal of our trip.

July 13, 2009

402 miles in IL, IN, KY

I left my place in Chicago at 10:00 AM and headed over to Sandra’s to put air in my tires and to pick her up. We left there around 10:45. Took the Skyway to 65 South in Indiana, then off to Kokomo, IN to have lunch with Tom Lowdermilk, the host of Side Stand Up. Tom treated us to pork tenderloin sandwiches and cheese burgers at the local pub. (Thanks, Tom!). Here is a picture of Tom and me after the feast.

Tom gave us a great route towards the KY dams and around Lexington. We hit the best route (229 South) at night. It would have been so fun in the daytime. We probably started looking for camping too late and there was no where to stay on the last stretch, so we rode until midnight until we found an Econo Lodge in Georgetown, KY. For $50/night, it was actually a pretty decent room. Other than a moth in Sandra’s bed, it was clean. Finally to bed at 1:00 AM.

July 14, 2009
312 Miles in KY,VA, TN

The next morning we planned our route – mainly 460 – 11 to 66 to 25 East to 58/421 to 181 South to 23/26 to Gray, TN for the BMW MOA Rally. Great riding especially on 11 and 66 in Kentucky. We arrived at the rally around 6:30 PM, found one Chicago Region BMW MOA member, - Skip and chatted with him a while. We then found Hank and Cindy, also CR BMW members, who led us to the Chicago Region tent and camping area (shown here).

We set up camp and finished that just in time to call in to my segment on Side Stand Up. Tom and I interviewed Sandra on her experiences with track days. I think she inspired a few listeners to try it! We finished that up just in time to join Hand and Cindy for dinner at Alta Cucina in Johnson City, TN. Great meal! Fresh food. Highly recommend it. When we got back it was late and to bed by midnight.

7/15/09
139 Miles in TN and VA

Got up at 6:30 AM to shower and eat. With a little caffeine I made it over to help Bob Henig and his crew set up the vendor booth for Bob's BMW. Sandra offered to help me get the VaVaVroom – wear set up and that made it go a lot faster. Bob was nice enough to bring in lunch. I think the VaVaVroom display looked pretty damn good. Check out a picture here.

After we finished there, we stopped at a gas station and saw Vince Winkel, the editor of BMW Owners News. Here is a silly picture of Vince and me.

We then took of on a short ride. Little did we know how much fun we would have. From Gray we took 23/26 NW to 81 North to Route 19 to 80 East through Hayter’s Gap (pronounced Highters). It was beautiful with lush green trees and fields, winding roads and then it got real interesting. Amazing switchbacks and sharp curves. It was so intense, I loved it. It was like a mini Tail of the Dragon. We barely saw any cars and no other motorcycles. We stopped at the Hayter’s Gap library to the washroom. Karen Poston, the librarian (and a talented musician and singer, was super nice (picture here). She asked us to sign the guest book, gave us a bookmark and recommended a restaurant for dinner. We found her restaurant – Harvest Table in Meadowsview, owned by Barbara Kingsolver and Steven Hopp, who has written many books on good eating. The food is all organic and really it was an amazing meal. Sandra and I shared the Black Bean and 3 cheese Quesadilla and Shrimp Sausage Jambalaya – yum. Attached to the restaurant is the Meadowview Farmer’s Guild – a quaint general store with locally made candies, honey, scarves, quilted bags and more. Really a great place.

It began to sprinkle as we were leaving so we got moving and jumped on 81 to 23/26 back to Gray. The ride wasn’t bad at all. We were happy to share our route with our friends at the camping area. Many new people arrived and it is becoming quite the gathering. See here how it looked with all of the tents. And this is before it got crowded!

July 16, 2009
2 miles in TN

Ah, the joys of camping. Difficult to fall asleep last night, even with earplugs and Tylenol PM. When it started raining though I found it easier – drowning out the people talking (or maybe the raining drove them inside) and someone snoring nearby. Up at 6:00 AM to shower and get ready for a busy day. Long lines by 7:00 for the men’s showers – ha but not for the women – for once we don’t have to wait.

Working at Bob’s BMW was fun this morning and we sold a lot. I gave a seminar on Women’s Motorcycle Apparel at 1:00 PM, similar to the one I gave last year. The room was full and we had great participation. You can find an article with the content of the presentation here.

On the way out of the seminar, I ran into Paul Loconti – who I met last year at our hotel in Gillette. See the Gillette, Wyoming blog for more about Paul. I visited my friends at LD Comfort in the afternoon and then went to say hi to Nate Kern, my motorcycle racer friend, at the BMW demo booth. Here is a picture of Nate introducing the new S1000RR.

Sandra and I were invited to the BMW On Magazine contributors dinner. Good food, nice people. They gave us a case of beer as a parting gift so we took it over to the CR- BMW MOA tent for the climb. After a short stay in the beer tent, we called it a night. It’s been hot – hearing it will cool off tomorrow.

July 17, 2009

0 miles in TN

Cold shower at 7:30 AM – but at least I didn’t have to wait in line. Coffee and donuts in the CR BMW tent and then off to a busy morning at Bob’s BMW booth. I was excited to find the Belice BMW riding jacket and pants significantly reduced at Blue Moon Cycle’s booth. $350 for both - what a deal! I will have to get the jacket altered but it still worth it. I'm sure I saved at least 40%. Sandra, Jonny and I tried to see Nate Kern’s presentation on his successful racing career, but there was standing room only by the time we got there. No room except for in the hallways. I went back to Bob’s booth and it was still busy. (Yay!)

Afterwards, I found Nate Kern and took him, Tallie Shelton (Director of Sales for the Johnson City Convention a nd Visitors Bureau) and Jim Doyle (Nate's pit manager) to the CR BMW BBQ. Many of the club members have heard about Nate so it was nice to introduce him. On the way to get funnelcake. I received a call from Dee Jones. another friend we met last year at Gillette. He had decided to come to the rally. It was really great catching up with him and hearing his crazy stories. Then Jim Doyle came along again and then Nate and Tallie in a side car. The rest of the night was spent in the CR BMW tent talking about riding and ghost stories! Jonny's story was the best.

July 18, 2009
80 miles in TN, NC

“Slept in” until 7:00 AM. Cold shower and breakfast. Worked at Bob’s BMW booth for an hour. Then I ducked out to take a short ride with a group from CR BMW. From Gray, TN, we rode 25 East to 107 South at the TN/NC border 109 turns into 395. The group continued on 226 North I turned back right before that to get back to work Bob’s booth. After shutting down the booth, we went over to see the presentation of the awards and raffle prizes – great prizes by the way! Bob bought The Bob’s – BMW Road Crew dinner (Thanks, Bob!) and we relaxed outside Fred’s airstream trailers. The picture here is the entire crew - Henry, Fred, Mike, Denise, Sam and Bob. When they headed back to their hotel, Sandra and I made our way back to the tents. What a nice surprise to see a great fireworks show. It lasted a long time. Then with our new friend, Scott from Neenah, WI, we made our last trek to the beer tent. Not much sleep again – getting to bed at midnight plan to get up at 6:00 AM to pack up and leave.

July 19, 2009
339 Miles in TN, KY, IN

Up at 6:00 Am but slow going – wet tents and disorganization delayed departure. Here is a picture of the Chicago gang (plus Scott from Wisconsin). With the help of Dan Trampel; Jonny, Sandra and I decided on a route – which was 23 North through Kingsport, TN. I was leading and missed a turn. Luckily, I figured it out, in time and we didn’t have to back track too much. With the help of Jonny’s GPS, we found the road we were looking for – Rte 15 through Kentucky. It was a nice pretty route. Jonny needed to get home tonight, so he left us to take Rte 75 from 64 W North while Sandra and I proceeded along 64 West – stopped at a rest area and saw fellow club member, Sue Daniels, and met some other BMW riders. We checked our directions and found a quick way to 421 North. This was the best road fo the day. Beautiful farmland, sweeping curves.

A nice woman at a gas station in New Castle, KY, gave us directions to get around the 421 detour and get to our final destination for the evening Madison, IN. A cute resort town on the Ohio River. Lots of B&B’s and Antique shops. Too tired to camp. We found a Comfort Inn and ordered Domino’s pizza! Hot showers!

July 20, 209
381 Miles in IN, IL

Wonderful to sleep in a bed! And an actual 8 hours too. Up at 6:30 AM, packing and complimentary breakfast at the Comfort Inn. On the road around 8:45. How did that take us so long? Well I guess we spent some time planning our route. Which was 56 West to Salem, 135 North to Morgantown. Once again many thanks to Dan Trampel for the suggested toute. 135 was a great road – who knew Indiana has such great roads? Lot of curvy roads, through open fields and wooded areas. The ride was really amazing for all but one part, I think I ran over a turtle and hit a bird. I saw the turtle and either I got target fixation (or turtle fixation) or he jumped out in front of me, I think we all know what happened. Sandra says she saw a bird hit my bike but I didn’t see it and I couldn’t find a splat. Well hopefully they are both ok. I felt SUPER bad (and not like the movie). Maybe I just scared the turtle and nicked him a bit. Moving on to better thoughts. Food. We had lunched at Kathy’s Café in Morgantown. Great fresh food. The hot ham and cheese sandwich had ham shaved from the bone, fresh backed chewy pie and coffee is only a dime if you buy food. Our waitress was a delight.

From there we took 252 West to 44 West briefly to 39 North through Clayton and Danville, IN. 236 West through Roachdale 231 North, 234 West. More great roads. Lots of cornfields, open fields in little valleys, more curvy roads, and wooded areas. After we rode through Georgetown and Cayaga, IN we're not 100% sure which roads we took to get over to Rte. 49 in Illinois. We thought we could figure out how to ride by some state parks on county roads (that weren’t marked on the map). Well we did with the help from a nice man from Illiana Seed. We did find a couple gravel roads down the way but over all it was nice to fly along the country roads. We picked up 39 North somewhere west of Catlin and flew by the cornfields and farmhouses until we reached Kankakee. Stopping for gas and McDonald's for dinner. Sandra walked into the men’s room and couldn’t figure out why there urinals in there. She walked out and checked the door, looked up to see the manager watching her come out. No – she didn’t get kicked out. He laughed and said he was watching to make no one else went in. After our healthy dinner of cheeseburgers and fries we took 57 North to 94 East to the city. Home by 8:00 PM.

Really a great trip, amazing riding, got to know some club members better, connected with old friends, good for business. And confirmed that those who wander are not always lost (but sometimes they are).

The Softer Side of Motorcycles

2009-05-13T16:49:00.017-05:00

“Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world,” Susan B. Anthony once said. She wasn’t talking about motorcycles but I believe that quote rings true for women today that ride them. The freedom I feel on my motorbike is like no other experience. That is one of the reasons I am thrilled to be the female correspondent to Side Stand Up, “the world’s only motorcycle radio road show”, where I have the opportunity to share my love of motorcycles with other like-minded individuals. What was once considered a man’s world is quickly changing. Every time we ladies break a barrier, I get pretty excited. When I started riding seven years ago, there were few resources out there for me and other lady riders. A lot has changed since then. I hope that my participation in the show will help inform and entertain not only women, but show more men that we are an important part of the riding community.

Side Stand Up streams live from their website SideStandUp.com every Tuesday from 8:00 – 10:00 PM EST. Many of us listeners and guests of the show log into the chat room during the program, where a lively conversation ensues around the topics of the evening. Riders and enthusiasts of all makes and models are welcome. Side Stand Up was created and is hosted by Tom Lowdermilk, a serious rider with a laid back attitude and sharp sense of humor. Tom started the show in September 2007 after returning from an adventurous motorcycle trip through 40 US states and parts of Canada – 42,656 miles in 178 days. He is writing a book called Side Stand Up about the trip he calls “BFE N BAK” (as found on his license plate). Many people that he met along the way are featured guests on the show.
My segments focusing on the ladies airs every second Tuesday of the month. My first two shows focused on resources for women riders and CTEK battery chargers – the smartest battery chargers in the market. During my segments, I will cover other helpful products in the industry (both equipment and riding gear) and women-focused events like the 2009 AMA Women & Motorcycling Conference. I will also highlight motorcycle businesses that are run by women and helpful for the female motorcyclist.

My introduction to the show was by Nate Kern, who has made a name for himself racing for BMW. Nate is a regular guest on Side Stand Up, updating listeners on the world of motorcycle racing. The highlight of 2008 was when Nate clinched the ASRA Thunderbike championship. I admire Nate’s tenacity on the track and his friendly nature off the track. If you ever see Nate at a race, say “hello”. He appreciates his fans greatly. Other regular guests and correspondents include folks that are experts in motorcycle history, the law (from a police officer’s point of view), dual-sport riding, new motorcycle models coming on the market, medicine and health issues while riding, and motorcycle authors and bloggers.

Please join us on SideStandUp.com every Tuesday from 8:00 to 10:00 PM EST for a show that is fun for all riders. And don’t worry, if you miss an episode you can download past episodes from the Side Stand Up archive.

Photo Shoot at Ace Motorcycle and Scooter

2009-04-27T09:32:00.023-05:00

Last week, VaVaVroom received a message from Motorcycle Product News Magazine (MPN) that we could send them some photos for an upcoming spread. We called our friends at Ace Motorcycle and Scooter at 1042 W. Jackson in Chicago to see if we could use their space for the photo shoot. They said "Sure, no problem!". Awesome. With little preparation, limited pick of models, and a budding photographer, we set out to take some rockin' pics. We took over 300 pictures. We share the best ones with you here.

I HEART Motorcycles long sleeve thermal and Viva Lacet tank

Ride tee from the Chopper Chic Collection. The Ride tee looks great on scooters too!

Talk Dirty to Me in a burnout tee and lettuce edge tee

Those Girls - Sport Bike Edition tank and Scooter tank in white

Dealer Expo 2009

2009-03-25T11:49:00.017-05:00

Last month, VaVaVroom participated in the 2009 Dealer Expo in Indianapolis. This is where motorcycle and scooter dealers converge to see the new products in the industry. I am very thankful for all of the help that I had from my friends. Pat and Sandra made the trip to Indy out of the goodness of their hearts and spent the weekend talking to prospective customers on behalf of VaVaVroom. Ed, one of VaVaVroom's sales reps, was also a tremendous help at the booth. We made some great contacts and made some fantastic sales. Although the motorcycle industry is having its share of issues, there are bright spots as well. Scooter sales were up in 2008, mainly due to the high gas prices last year. That trend is expected to continue as commuters look for inexpensive ways to get to work. Also, many dealers believe that although consumers may not buy as many new vehicles this year, they will not cut out there passion, just cut back. And that gives them the opportunity to stock up and sell apparel and other accessories.

VaVaVroom also received some great press from the show. For example, Vince and Mandy from BMW ON Magazine stopped and took a great shot of the VaVaVroom girls. AND he says he'll feature VaVaVroom in the magazine. Thanks Vince!

The Dealer Expo is not just about buying for the season. It is also about having some fun. Ed, Sandra, Pat, and I had a great dinner at Rock Bottom Brewery. Dinner was followed by an invitation by George, another VaVaVroom rep, to join him and his colleagues for a night of fun. So George sent a car for us. "Why are you sending a car?", I asked. George replied, "Because it's f ' ing Valentine's Day." Ah yes, it was Valentine's Day and we appreciated the gesture. So our driver, Rick, arrived to pick us up and took us to Iaria's Restaurant, a charming, authentic Italian restaurant that's been around since 1933. While George finished dinner with his crew, he made sure we were comfortable at the bar with our bartender, Dominick. Us girls enjoyed martinis and wondered what the night had in store for us. After Iaria's, the night for us ended at J illian's. I always have fun at Jillian's and this night was no exception. I really can't share any more of details of the night, but trust me, we had fun!

Welcome to the 2009 Motorcycling Season

2009-02-10T10:19:00.008-06:00

Well, the motorcycle season has officially started for me. The Cycle World International Motorcycle show rolled through Chicago this past weekend. Although it appeared there were slightly fewer vendors this year, it was well attended and many vendors said that they did better than the year before. Luckily, VaVaVroom sales were brisk at the DGY Motorsports booth. That is encouraging given our country’s economic troubles.

Of course, I had to check out the BMWs and see the latest. The new BMW S 1000 RR race bike will compete in the World Superbike Championship in 2009. There will be a limited number of production bikes hitting the dealerships in Germany this summer. Expect to see this model in the US in 2010.

I also checked out the Vespa scooters. I like this Portofino Green color on the GTV 250 that Sandra is sporting.

I spent my Friday night at the Women and Motorcycling booth promoting the 2009 AMA Women and Motorcycling Conference to be held August 19-22 in scenic Keystone, Colorado. I attended the last conference that was held in 2006 in Athens, Georgia and had a blast. Demo rides, seminars, shopping, guided rides, parties. Although it is a women’s conference, men are welcome to attend with their significant other.

I spent my Saturday night at the Chicago Region BMW Owner’s Association booth, which was celebrating its 40th anniversary. I was a little ticked off that I missed the birthday cake that day, but I got over it - but only because I had dinner that night at Giannotti Italian Steak house in Schiller Park. Not only did I meet my new boyfriend there (pictured to the right), but we had a wonderful meal in a charming environment. Early on, one of the owners Larry came by our table to see how we were doing. When I told him that this was our first time at the restaurant, he insisted that we try the vodka sauce over mostaccioli (for free). We then ordered the house pinot grigio. The waiter informed us that they were out and that we would receive the Santa Margarita pinot grigio for the house price. Then, the waiter misunderstood our order and brought orders of two chicken parmigiana and one zuppa di pesce when we thought we ordered two orders of zuppa di pesce and one chicken parmigiana. We decided we had plenty of food and did not have him correct the order. He insisted on taking one of the entrees off the bill. He did what great restaurants do. He turned a potentially negative experience into a positive one. We will definitely be going back. You can see how happy we look here in front of the lovely Valentine’s Day display. I am now realizing that although this is a motorcycle blog, I got carried away with food. Signing off now…

PMS - Part Three

2009-01-27T14:19:00.009-06:00

Parked Motorcycle Syndrome. Yes, I’ve found another outlet. Last week, I returned from a ski trip in Winter Park, Colorado. Believe it or not, it was warmer at the top of the mountain than in Chicago (my home town). We had three beautiful days of skiing. Sunny and moderate temperatures. I would have taken more snow, but I’m really not complaining.

Seeing that I mostly skied, ate and slept, there were two highlights of the trip. The first highlight was dinner at the Ranch House Restaurant at Devil’s Thumb Ranch. They serve only fresh, organic fare prepared from scratch. This is one of the best meals I’ve had in a long while. Compliments of the chef, we each started with potato leek soup and fried oysters. I had the tilefish with mashed potatoes. For dessert, I shared the most amazing bread pudding with my friend and college roommate, Teri. Here is a picture of her skiing for the first time in many years.

The second highlight was having Bob Barnes, the Director of Winter Park’s Ski and Ride Program, as my ski instructor. Arlyne (who I took my Basic Rider MSF class with) and I took an all day group lesson learning to ski moguls in the annual Mary Jane Bump Jamboree. We felt blessed to have Bob as our instructor. (See Arlyne and I smiling ear to ear with him in this pic?) Ski Magazine calls Bob the “mogul master” and “bump guru”. I understand why. I learned so much from him in one day. As an example, I had an “a-ha” moment when Bob had us do a simple exercise. I realized immediately that my right turns are way more dominant than my left – the source of many a problems on the slopes. Hey once you identify a problem, you can start to fix it.

Do you know what makes Bob even cooler? He races motocross for Elite Motorsports in Loveland, Colorado and founded the High Altitude Sportriders Club and track. In his age category (50+), he often places. I imagine he is somewhat of a legend in the Colorado Rockies…

PMS-Parked Motorcycle Syndrome Parts 1 and 2

2009-01-13T14:48:00.013-06:00

PMS-Part 1

Living in the Midwest is enough to drive a biker woman crazy.

If it’s not too cold to ride, there’s too much ice and snow on the roads. What’s a biker chick to do? Maybe I have the cure for your winter blues. Is there an International Motorcycle Show in your area coming soon? Are you of the female persuasion and would you like to get into the show at a discount or for free?

For your International Motorcycle Show discount, click here to receive ½ price admission on Fridays (Ladies Night!) for the 2009 shows listed below.

Jan. 16 - 18 in New York, NY; Jan. 30 - Feb. 1 in Cleveland, OH; Feb. 6 - 8 in Chicago, IL; Feb. 13 - 15 in Minneapolis, MN; Feb. 20 - 22 in Greenville, SC

Or, do you want to get in free for all three days? To do so, you could volunteer at the Women’s Motorcyclist Foundation booth for a four hour shift. To sign up, please e-mail Sue Slate at wfginsue@aol.com. I will be working the Women's Motorcyclist Foundation booth on Friday night at the Chicago show. Please stop by and say hello if you are there.

I will also likely be working the Chicago Region BMW Owner’s Association booth and maybe even helping my friends out at Open Road Radio like at did last year for their all woman bike build. I’m pictured here with the custom bike and my buddy, Gina Woods, from ORR.

The IMS show is great and although you can’t ride the bikes there, you can try them out for size, shop for new gear and accessories, and talk motorcycles all weekend long.

PMS – Part 2

So I was just whining about not being able to ride my bike and talked about the Cycle World International Motorcycle Show being a good outlet. Well, I found an even better one. Pole dancing. You heard me. Find a stripper pole and let off some steam. Let me explain.

A while back some friends of mine started taking classes at “ladies only” Flirty Girl Fitness in Chicago (there is also one in Toronto). Flirty Girl is a great workout while learning sexy moves on a pole. Beside “Pole Dancing”, they also have other kick ass classes like “Chair Striptease” and “Lap Dancing”. And when I say “kick ass”, I’m not just saying it rocks. It kicks your ass. Well, it kicked mine anyway. I took a class last year. It was a blast, but it was really challenging. I was using muscles that I did not even know I had. I was sore for days. My abs, my arms, my legs. You name it.

For a dear biker friend who shall remain nameless, we have celebrated her birthday with a pole party for the last two years. Last year, it was at the Five Star Bar in Chicago. They have a private room with a pole in the back. The experienced gals showed us all how it is done and most of us gave the pole a try. I brought my neighbor to the party who did not know the theme beforehand. After an hour or so at the party, he leaned over and whispered to me “This party is way better than I thought it would be.” To the left is a picture of Birthday Girl giving me my first pole lesson. As you can see by the picture to the right, Birthday Girl is much more talented than me. This year, Birthday Girl had a pole installed in her home. Now, that is dedication to the sport.

The fun doesn’t stop there. Rockstar Dogs in Chicago also has a pole in their tiny little place. I’m pictured here after a day’s ride. We stopped in one afternoon to have a dog and check out the pole.

Is this the next big thing? I don’t know but it’s fun and good way to keep my mind of winter….

Do you remember what it's like to be newbie?

2008-11-10T16:05:00.008-06:00

I recently received a call from my cousin's wife, Kris. She had just taken the MSF class (in the pouring rain) and received her motorcycle license. Every time she got on her new motorcycle she was scared and nervous that she would do something stupid. Kris pleaded "Would you please come out and ride with me?" I remember what it's like to be brand new. I said "sure thing". I set out from Chicago to Earlville, IL, a small town 75 miles west of the city.

I had always planned to ride out that way. My dad is from another small town in the area called Waterman. I have fond memories of Waterman and smiled as I passed by the library (pictured here) that my grandmother took my sister and me to many times. I then took a little ride by my grandparents old house. Memories. I wish I had brought my camera! The porch was gone and there was new siding on half of the house. Half the house? What? New gray siding was installed on the two sides of the house that face the road. The old green siding (that I remember vividly) was on the other two sides of the house, peeling and falling off. Well, I suppose times are tough, so that's all they could do for now.

When I arrived in Earlville, Kris was happy to see me. It didn't take long before she suggested we hit the road. She kissed her husband (my cousin, Jerry) goodbye. "I love you" she said dramatically, as if she may never return. We rode to her brother's home and back. She had a little trouble pulling out of his incline driveway. She killed it a few times, but finally got it going. I confessed later that I knew she needed the practice on that driveway, so I purposely stopped to give her some practice.

My trip out to ride with Kris was a double-bonus. Not only did I get to ride and see her and Jerry, but I also got to see my other cousins - who are awesome. I was thrilled to hear the fantastic news that Megan and Matt are expecting. Here is a picture of the happy couple.

Kris and I went out for one more ride. She felt brave so we rode on Highway 30 for a bit. When we pulled back in her driveway, she was smiling and that made the trip more than worth it. She now has more confidence and is proud of herself for pushing her boundaries. Next time, maybe she'll pass that truck on Highway 30. Way to go, Kris!

Trip to Washington, DC

2008-10-20T11:59:00.026-05:00

This blog represents my daily travel journal entries from a motorcycle trip that I took from Chicago to Washington DC. Total Miles: 1,722

Tuesday, October 7, 2008
377 Miles

Well, I wasn’t sure if I was going to leave for the trip today but I am happy to say I did. I woke up yesterday with a horrible stomach flu. I didn’t feel great when I woke up at 5:30 AM but started to feel better gradually as the day went on. I finally got to Sandra’s around 10:30 AM and we were off about 15 minutes or so later for a rather uneventful day. We took I-94E to I-80W through Indiana to Ohio. By the time we got to the KOA campground in Streetsboro, Ohio (just outside of Cleveland), it was dark. We lit a fire (it took a while but we finally got it). You can see Sandra here enjoying the fire we worked so hard to start. We used our headlights to set up camp (bad idea, Sandra’s battery went dead). By the time we get started, answered a few emails it was almost 11. No dinner just a few snacks, we’ll survive.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008
305 Miles

I woke up at 7 AM feeling pretty good and refreshed. I slept fairly well, considering I was sleeping in a tent – on the ground – in October. As Sandra and I were packing up, it started to drizzle so we started moving faster. Sandra successfully jumped her bike (luckily I had jumper cables). I was starting to feel light headed (probably from not eating much over the last two days) so we went straight to Denny’s for breakfast. (I'm going over our route in the picture here). The waitress was nice and let us spread our wet gear all over the place. I think we left Denny’s at 10:30 or 11:00 AM. As we exited the toll way, the troll in the toll booth gave me a nasty look for my wet money and toll ticket. Luckily I couldn’t hear what she was yapping about. Biddy.

From I-80 we traveled north on Route 7 and made our way over to U.S.–6 East in Pennsylvania. It was a slow ride, so when we stopped in Warren, PA (3 hours later) we decided to ditch our plan to ride across PA on Rte. 6. Oh – Did I mention it never stopped raining and our water proof gloves, socks and boots failed us miserably? That never happened before. Was it the colder weather? Was the rain so incessant that it found a way to seep in? We couldn’t figure it out. Our plan to ditch Rte. 6 was a good one. Instead we took Rte. 666 (it wasn’t as evil as it sounds) to 948 south/east through the Allegheny National Forest – best ride of the day- to 219 South to 153 South/East back to I-80. Side note – the Harley map says that Route 6 in PA is an epic ride – more like an epic pain in the ass (at least the part we rode). We were relieved to hit I-80 at last to makeup sometime but – buzz kill – 6 miles of road construction. We ended our ride at the Comfort Inn (quite nice and a good rate) in Mill Hale, PA. No camping tonight. After riding in the rain all day, we were ready for hot showers, clean laundry and warm beds. Biker chick was ready too.

Thursday, October 9, 2008
230 Miles

I woke up this morning to find a text from Nate Kern. Found out that he had crashed in South Africa and had 6 broken ribs and a collapsed lung. He flew home today. I was expecting to see him on Saturday at Morton’s BMW in Fredericksburg, VA. I guess he won’t be there but more importantly I was worried about him. Poor guy had to fly back from South Africa by himself in that state. The doctors there were amazed that he recovered enough that he could fly back so soon. Keeping him in my prayers for a quick recovery.

We left our hotel around 9:00 and made our way to US–15 South. It was a beautiful day, quite a contrast from the day before. The ride along US–15 followed the Susquehanna River for quite a while. We rode through Harrisburg – snapped a quick picture of the capitol building and rode on to Gettysburg. I had been to Gettysburg when I was in 7th grade and was excited to see it again. We were given great advice by a nice woman at the Gettysburg Tour Center on US–30/Lincoln Highway. We had a quick lunch and went to the Gettysburg Cemetery. We were too lazy to walk over to the other part of the cemetery so we hopped a stone wall and went to the site where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg address (a picture of Sandra jumping the wall here). We then walked across the street to one of the Gettysburg battlegrounds. We didn’t want to leave this beautiful place, but we wanted to get to the DC area before rush hour. Sandra and I parted ways in Fredericks, Maryland. She continued on 15 to see her sister in Leesburg, VA, I took 270 South to 495 South to George Washington Pkwy – nice ride (even as traffic began to thicken) to my friends' home in Arlington, VA. My friends, Bageshri and Dilip, have two children, Shalin and Saeli, who are super cute and entertaining. Between talking about the recent presidential debates and chasing the kids, we caught up and gladly retired early.

Friday, October 10, 2008
0 miles
I got up early-ish (6:30), so I could leave with Bageshri at 7:30 and get a ride to the Metro. When I emerged from the subway in DC, it was a quiet, beautiful morning. I checked in with the guard at the Supreme Court to see if it was in session. Nope. Not until Monday. I wandered somewhat aimlessly yet somewhat calculated – past the capitol building, came across some kind of hippy-like happening. It was too early to go into the Botanic Garden and by this time I was getting hungry, but couldn’t find any type of breakfast or coffee places except for a ramshackle stand, so I settled for a Dreamsicle for breakfast there.
Wandering further, I strolled through the sculpture garden of the Hirshhorn Museum and a lovely garden behind the Smithsonian Castle. I enjoyed some tea at the Castle and headed over to the American History Museum – to be shut out again – it’s closed for renovations. Of course, if I had done any pre-planning, I would have known that. I made my way to the Washington monument to have a good, close look at it. As I was departing, I came across another “happening” that looked like a Native-American drum ceremony for women. Next I attempted to visit Ford’s Theater. Strike 3, it too was closed for renovations. But I did venture into the house where Lincoln died across the street. And then success - finally a museum open - The N ational Portrait Gallery and the American Art Museum (both located in the same building). I found the staff there to be knowledgeable and helpful. There were a few notable aspects. First, I enjoyed a comparative exhibit of Georgia O’Keefe paintings and Ansel Adams photographs. At first I didn’t see how they compared at all but was interested to find that their art often took them to the same scenes and places. There were also great comparisons of close-up nature photos. I also found the Hall of Presidents to be entertaining and interesting. Finally the courtyard in the building is peaceful and full of light. I took to wandering again and found myself in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. I sat on a bench around the pool, read my book and looked up to see a rainbow in the fountain. That seemed like a great way to end my day in Washington, DC.

After getting slightly disoriented in the Metro underground, I found Bagesheri and we went to the Iwo Jima Memorial and Netherlands Carillon near Arlington Cemetery. After dinner Bageshri, Dilip, Shalin, Saeli and I went to see the new 9/11 Pentagon Memorial. It is a thoughtful remembrance of those that perished both in the Pentagon and those on the airplane. As we watched planes overhead, it made me realize how close Reagan National airport is to the Pentagon. The children, inspired by the overhead planes, asked to view the planes landing and taking off from Reagan National in the nearby park. It seemed that planes were only a few stories above us as they took off. The children squealed with delight and I enjoyed it as well – keeping my squealing to a minimum. We were all tired from a full day and headed home.

Saturday, October 11, 2008
104 Miles

The plan today was to meet Sandra at Morton’s BMW in Fredericksburg, VA at 11:00. Morton's BMW was having their annual Oktoberfest. (And she would have been on time if her sister’s cat hadn’t peed on her bed). I had a pleasant ride from Arlington to Fredericksburg. There were a few particularly bright spots on I-95 and US 1-Jefferson Davis Hwy. When I arrived at Morton’s BMW I immediately met some nice, interesting people including Gordon from http://www.yourdoormat.com/ (they make custom doormats). Morton’s had great food and great deals. Not that I needed them, but I bought two really nice BMW tees for $10 each plus a Nate Kern 2008 ASRA Thunderbike Championship shirt. I met the owners of the dealership – Jeff and Hannah plus their daughter Christine. I can see why they are so successful. They are the nicest people you’ll ever meet. They run a dealership that has fantastic selection of bikes, parts and apparel, plus really great customer service.

Later in the day I was happy to see Nate arrive with his two dogs (pictured left) and a friend. (Thanks to Jim Doyle for the heads up the night before that Nate would actually make the event.) He is still hurting from his crash, but doing amazingly well considering he was seriously injured just over a week ago. His appearance at the event was a complete surprise to the folks at BMW – and they were ecstatic to see him.

After arriving back at Bageshri’s that evening we went to the Arlington Draft House to see the movie, Mamma Mia. It is a great place to see that movie, as it serves food and drink at your table. The movie itself was much better than I anticipated and really fun to watch.

Sunday, October 12, 2008
706 Miles

Bageshri was nice enough to get up early and make Indian tea and scones before I left at 7:30 this morning. Sandra and I met up at an exit off of I -70 in Maryland. The Harley map didn't note that the exit we chose to meet at was only a one way exit, so found each other at the next one. I was so happy to find Sandra's bike there (and her of course) that I took a picture of it. We decided to super-slab it and see if we could get the ride done in one day. Taking I-70 and I -76 (Pennsylvania turnpike) was absolutely beautiful with colors at peak in some areas. The farms scattered along the way added to its charm. As always, we met some nice people along the way. A woman rider working as a cashier at a service plaza, a couple with Joe Satriani shirts on (he’s a rider too), Forest who owns a motorcycle part distribution company, and a deaf man that stopped to thank us for letting him follow us for miles on I-80. Our trip took us from Virginia through DC, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and back to sweet home Chicago, IL. We got home around 8:00 that night tired and happy to have made the trip and happy to be home.

Gillette, Wyoming BMW Rally Trip (and More!)

2008-07-30T09:47:00.037-05:00

This post represents my journal during my last big motorcycle trip out west with my friends, Sandra, Ingrid and Christy.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Got up at 4:40 AM to leave my place to pick up Sandra by 5:45. Alas, a storm delayed our departure by an hour. We got to Belvidere Oasis around 8:00. Christy couldn’t find her wallet until Sandra told her to check her pockets. Ingrid called and said she had ran out of gas one mile east of the Oasis. Luckily, Christy’s friend, Harry, was there to see us off. He and Christy bought a gas can and gas and jumped in Harry’s car and gassed up Ingrid’s bike up. After Harry took pictures, including one of Ingrid by the Doghouse in the Oasis, we were on I-90 about 9:30. We super-slabbed it the whole way (I-90). Crossing over the Mississippi from Wisconsin to Minnesota was beautiful. Shortly after that, the wind kicked in something fierce. I learned that my BMW R1200GS doesn’t handle the wind as well as some other bikes. I was fighting it for a long while in South Dakota and the wind really decreased our gas mileage. Mine especially. I went from 44 MPG to 30 MPG! We had to stop every 120-150 miles because of me! We got to a very nice campground in Mitchell, SD around 8:00 PM. We rode 650 miles today! My longest ride ever in the same day. Amazingly I wasn’t completely exhausted. We set up camp at a KOA Campground, ordered pizza, charged our various electric devices and poor Sandra had to reprogram our routes in the GPS when she couldn’t retrieve her original file. She had worked so hard on it! Finally we went to bed around 11:30. Side note: If you ever have the chance to stay at the KOA Campground in Mitchell the owners are very accommodating and make everyone feel welcome. We certainly appreciated it. Here is a picture of our campsite.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Everyone was up by 7:15, I was the last. We headed into the town of Mitchell to see the Corn Palace. In my mind, I pictured it be made of 100% corn - I was quite disappointed to find that it wasn't. What was more interesting were the novelty t-shirts we saw in the window. This one is so ridiculous, I had to share it. We had breakfast at Betty’s Diner in Mitchell, gassed up and headed out around 11:30 AM. We saw some nice Amish people from Fort Wayne, Indiana in Mitchell and saw them again at our next gas stop. The good-naturedly accused us of following them, but I think they were really following us.

Outside of the Badlands we stopped again and talked to some bikers (on bicycles!) who were doing a two-month bike tour from Seattle to Washington D.C. The group of 40 bikers raised $250,000 for the American Lung Association. Patty Harms, one of the biker filled us in on the details. You can donate to this cause by going to Patty’s link on the American Lung Association website.

The ride through the Badlands was winding and beautiful. At our only stop, a sign warned us to "watch for snakes". We also drove by Mt. Rushmore, stopped briefly to take a picture of it (and some goats) and continued where the trees got thicker and roads more winding. We camped at Hill City Mt. Rushmore KOA. Nice facility with two restaurants, horse rides, heated bathrooms and shower rooms, but our camp site was bumpy, rocky, and muddy. 346 miles ridden today!

Monday, July 14, 2008

235 miles today! “Quality not quantity,” as Ingrid said. I awoke from a somewhat restful sleep at 6:30 AM and I say somewhat because I was sleeping on slight slant and every time I changed positions I slipped slightly down the hill. Also, my sleeping bag wouldn’t zip. I found my butt hanging out in the cold a few times in the night. After a nice breakfast at the campground, we headed out around 10:00 AM. First ride was in Custer State Park through the Needles and the Wildlife Loop. OMG- So cool! Great twisties and tunnels that took you through the rocks. The Wildlife Loop had burros, turkeys, antelopes (did you know there are more antelope in the state of Wyoming than people? Okay, we were still in South Dakota but it’s still a good fact, right?) At the end of the Wildlife Loop we were stopped by a long line of cars. Buffalo were all over the place, crossing the road so that cars could not proceed. One buffalo was growling (or moaning) not far from us. We were getting a little nervous because we were not protected like the cars and we’d heard that buffalo can be mean! We were about to turn back when we saw a huge state park truck making its way down the road through the buffalo. Christy said “Quick, let’s follow the truck to get through.” All worked out fine, but Ingrid will attest to the fact that a buffalo was coming right my way and I had to swerve a bit to miss it. We rode back to the Mt. Rushmore area and had a very good lunch a German restaurant called Oma’s. Too bad the service was slow and our waitress was a bit ditzy. A young, sweet, naïve, ditzy girl. We were using the water pitcher to refill our CamelBak’s and asked for a refill at least three times. On the last request, our waitress said under breath “Holy crud, you must be thirsty.” For lunch, I had braunsweiger- yum. I used to eat it a lot as a kid. Why did I ever stop?

We then road northwest through Lead, South Dakota and into Spearfish Canyon. It was beautiful in the higher elevation. The roads were long and swooping. When we crossed in to Wyoming, Ingrid and I raised our fists in jubilation. We stopped in a town of 11 called Aladdin (the sign says 15, but apparently 4 residents moved to assisted living in the last year or so). It had a rather old fashioned gas pump and a quaint General Store. The only bathrooms were two outhouses out back. Here is a picture of Sandra trying one out. We were told by the shop owner that one family owns the entire town which consists of 30 acres.

After shopping and refueling, we made our way to Devil’s Tower KOA campground. We had a wonderful, grassy campsite with a full view of Devil’s Tower. Ingrid started a fire, bought beer and the party started. Okay we had beer and various snacks (crackers, cheese curds, Doritos, ice cream and lunch meat) because no restaurants were open within 30 miles. Near the main building, the campground played Close Encounters of the Third Kind as Devil’s Tower is the site of the alien landing in the movie. Devil’s Tower is also a sacred place for many Native American Indians. We were so grateful for our best riding day yet through exciting and beautiful roads and now our campsite at the foot of Devil’s Tower. This was our view!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Waking up with a view of Devil’s Tower was really neat. We were still on a high from our great riding day and the view was spectacular. After breakfast we hit the road around 10:00 and headed west and north and arrived quickly got into Montana. Riding across Montana is beautiful yet slightly monotonous. The cool thing is that we went for stretches where we didn’t see another vehicle for miles. You can see how big and colorful the bugs are from my windshield here.

We stopped in Billings to pick up some things at a drugstore. Just 65 more miles and we were in Red Lodge, Montana. As we rode into the Red Lodge area, we could see the mountains in the distance. We started to get excited, because we knew we would be riding in them the next day. We stayed at yet another KOA campground in Red Lodge. We set up camp, ordered pizza and made friends with our neighbors, many planning to go to the BMW rally as well. Ingrid and I took a trip into town for beer. Ingrid started a campfire. We talked to Dee Jones, a fellow BMW rider for a while. He offered to show us some great rides in North Carolina. We may just have to take him up on his offer. We roasted marshmallows that night after having talked about doing it for days.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Early this morning we were greeted by “Doc”, one of our Harley, tattooed-covered neighbors. He approached us at 8:00 AM with a Budweiser can in his hand. We had a nice, slow chat before heading to breakfast. We dressed warmly for the ride to Bear Tooth Pass and got on the road about 9:00. We could see from afar that there was still snow at the top of the mountains. As we climbed higher (highest elevation around 11,000 ft.), we knew it would be one breathtaking sight after another. Not far up the mountain I encountered a small deer and two fawns. So cute, and luckily I saw them in plenty of time to slow down. The overlook area has a nice walk that jets out over the valley. We saw Dee Jones there and he claimed he was going to take some video of us and then pass us (well I know for sure he passed us!) Frozen Lake, beautiful purple and yellow flowers, and snow covered landscapes. Beauty everywhere, and the ride was challenging and exhilarating. We stopped at the Top of the World gift shop (all of us pictured there below, along with our friend Biker Chick) and bought some stickers and pins to prove we had been there. The ride down was just as enjoyable with it’s sweeping curves and beautiful sights.

We then turned on to the Chief Joseph highway. Another amazing ride, with more sweeping turns and red rocks in the distance. After stopping in Cody for directions, we all met up in Greybull for fuel and rest. We split up into group of two again and rode Highway 14 through more amazing scenery, going up in elevation again to 9,000 feet. The highlight was coming upon a sheep crossing and hearing so many of them bleeting. We weren’t afraid of them like we were of the buffalo! We met up again with the rest of the group, where apparently there have been a lot of people pumping and gas and not paying- so goes the explanation- for why we had to prepay. Our last 120 miles were back on I-90 where we took the lonely trail to Gillette. Only one vehicle passed us the while time although we did pass quite a few. We surveyed the rally grounds and found the Chicago Region BMW Owners Association tent at the BMW Motorcycle Owners Rally 2008 . Then off to find our Best Western hotel about 3 miles away. I wonder how it will feel to sleep in a real bed again as I sit here and write while I am waiting for my laundry to dry. I’ve never seen my riding gear so covered in bugs. I suppose it will look like this again when I return home. Why are there so many yellow blotches on everything? Yuck!
We have had lovely weather so far. Some 90 degree days, but on the bike it is quite manageable, especially if I soak my LD Comfort shirt in cold water before putting it on under my jacket.
“Oh laundry please dry soon, so I can go to bed.” I am tired from riding 385 glorious miles today.
While I waited for my laundry I talked with a guy named Paul Laconti. Paul is from New York and he just started riding in April. He has already logged 6,000 miles in order to get ready for this trip out to the rally. He is a musician and a teacher. He rides a Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail. He has traveled the world as a musician. He plays piano and drums, has played with Luther Vandross, Cindy Lauper, and Silver Connection. Silver Connection had the hit “Fly Robin Fly” in the late 70’s. (I like that song!) He had a near miss on the highway this trip when a log came loose from a lumber truck. It just missed him! It’s a great day to be alive. I enjoyed talking with him. You can see Paul’s near miss and other riding footage at his website: Gallery.mac.com/placonti

Thursday, July 17, 2008

30 miles tops today. Since I was up late doing laundry last night, I slept in until almost 8:00 AM, then showered and got organized. Sandra and I started to get on our bikes around 10:00 when a random guy in flip flops came up to us in the parking lot and asked us for a ride to the rally. I didn’t have my passenger seat on the bike, so I was not a very good option. When Sandra hesitated, he stated that he races for BMW, so Sandra asked to see some ID. Things seemed on the up and up, so she said okay! Here is a picture of them before we took off.

When we arrived in the parking lot, we ran into Dee Jones again, who knew our new friend from the Red Lodge campground. Turns out Random Guy is Nate Kern pro racer for BMW in Super Bike AMA, ASTRA, Super Sport-T series and many others. Dee has been one of Nate’s supporters for a while but the two had never met. By the way, if you would like to support Nate, you can join this group to learn more about BMW racing and an amazingly focused and talented racer: http://www.bmwsr.org/. Those two made plans for lunch and Sandra and I followed Nate to the BMW demo tent. He gave us signed racing photos and set up an after-hours demo for us. We agreed to meet back there at 5:00. Here is a picture of me with Dee and Nate.

Sandra and I ran off to register for the rally, eat and shop. There are always so many great vendors. We did end up buying Sokz motorcycles riding socks. I tested the socks on the way home and I like them! They are comfortable. We chatted with many of our Chicago Region MOA buddies. Caught up with Christy and Ingrid too. I gave a seminar on women’s motorcycle riding apparel that afternoon. Many new and old friends showed up to show their support including my three riding buddies, Paul from the laundry room, Nate Kern, and Chicago Region MDA members David Adler and Roger Gunderson. You can see the highlights of my seminar here.

Our Demo ride was nice and easy. I rode the F800S and Sandra the R1200R. Neither of us will run out and buy the bikes but it’s interesting to see the differences of different bikes. We hooked back up with our Chicago Region friends and Nate and his BMW crew for dinner at a Mexican Restaurant in Gillette called Las Margaritas. Thumbs up on my Carne Asada Burrito Loco.

At dinner, we had the pleasure to hear some of Nates’s racing stories and get to know Matt from BMW. It looked like rain (actually like a major storm) so we quickly paid and got back to the hotel. This time Nate rode Sandra on the back of her bike. I guess she figure she could trust him on her bike now. I think he kind of knows how to ride. Early to bed tonight. Many seminars to attend and shopping to do tomorrow.

Friday, July 18, 2008

10 miles tops today. Up and out much earlier today. The first seminar of the day for Sandra and I was at 8:45 AM called “Motorcycle Safety and Design Feature” given by Jack DelPizzo, the BMW Field Service Engineer for the Midwestern region. Nate Kern helped out with his insights throughout the presentation. The three main topics were ABS (Anti-lock Brake Systems), ASC (Automatic Stability Control), and ESA (Electrical Suspension Adjustment). I had a good understanding of ABS and ASC already because I have those features on my 2007 R1200GS. The ESA discussion talked about how pre-load and dampening adjustments can be made on certain BMWs with an easy click. For example, as you move from super-slab riding to mountains or city driving. After the talk, Jack was nice enough to tell me what he thinks is wrong with my fuel gauge (probably need a new fuel sensor). I am guessing (hoping) it will be covered by the warranty. Afterwards, Nate bought us all smoothies and Sandra and I started to shop a bit. But just a bit because we then went to Nate’s seminars on BMW racing. He gave some great tips on leaning into the corners. Brief summary, going into the turn you should lead with your forehead and shoulders. Do not twist your spine. Keep it straight. Even if you tilt your head to one side, your bike should turn. The average head probably weighs 9 pounds. That can make a difference in your turn. He also said that a passenger should just tilt their head to the side of the turn and keep everything else still to be the best passenger. Nate also shared his experiences on how he got started in racing- he was such a natural his friends told him to try it! In his first amateur race at Daytona, he won all eight races and got bumped up to pro at his next race, which was at Virginia International Raceway where he won two races.

Next, more shopping! Sandra had the guys at Ohlins adjusted her suspension setting on her shocks and they were nice enough to show her how to set them up for bags on or off the bike. They did a nice job and she could feel the difference in her ride.

I visited my friends at LD Comfort, Mario and Jane. I think I helped them sell some new product to the guys standing at their booth. I told Mario that I wanted to carry his product for him because I believe in it. But, I do want to try one more brand, just to make sure LD Comfort is the best, so I bought a pair of Bodz riding shorts, made in Italy, made by the makers of Sokz. I will them out on out longest riding day going back, Sunday. (Post note: I did try out the Bodz. They do a good job, but I although they make a better fashion statement, the LD Comfort shorts and shirt edge the Bodz for its advanced cooling technology).

I then went to the “Riding Your GS off pavement” seminar. I realized that if I’m going to learn to ride off-road, I have to take an actual riding class. I am more of hands on learner. So, I left early and went to the ladies BMW apparel seminar. We got a full description of the ladies wear and got to see and try on samples of most of the lines available in unisex (ie. men’s), and ladies cuts. I’ve identified a couple of lines for jackets that might work for me because they come in long sizes or cuts (Streetguard 2 and Santiago). I’d really like to find a good all-weather or 3 season, two-piece riding suit that I can learn from for my own product development. Jack DelPizzo was at the seminar so I chatted with him some more. He suggested that I go up to BMW Motorcycles of Milwaukee and talk to Eric about getting fitted right for apparel. He said that they have a good selection and Eric know how to fit people – men and women.

Next, off to the Chicago Region tent for a cookout, generously donated by Steve Jeffries, Cary Caldwell, and Roger Gunderson. I met Bill from Glendale Heights, who Christy met at the rally, and invited him to the cookout. She may have recruited a new member. 35 members attended the cookout, pretty good for an event so far away from home. I would have loved to stay longer. I was having so much fun, but we saw a storm coming in so us four gals fled for our bikes to get back to our hotel. The 5 ½ miles back to the hotel was wicked windy! The pending storm may have missed the hotel, but word was a nasty storm was coming through. There was a bad storm that came through around midnight the night before and it was supposed to be of similar strength. Time will tell if it hits us. I am glad again to be in a hotel tonight.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

336 miles today. After packing up, gassing up, and checking tire pressure, Sandra and I got to the rally a little after 9:00 AM and attended the “Women Who Ride” seminar. It featured many inspiring women and their riding stories, including a woman who broke her neck two years ago and was told by her doctor that she would never ride again. Well, she is riding and not letting anything stop her. You go girl!

After the seminar, I ate some ice cream and caught up on phone calls and email (CDW and BMWMOA were nice enough to provide laptops and WIFI for all rally goers to use). I said goodbye to the BMW crew- Nate, Matt, Gary and others. I am going to try to go to one of Nate’s upcoming races- possibly the one at Barber in two weeks.

I hung out at the Chicago Region tent until the four of us were ready to go. Here is a picture of Christy with the tent. She organized and ordered the tent for the club. We took off around 12:30 or 1:00 PM. First stop, Aladdin, about 80 miles away. Ingrid wanted to pick up a t-shirt for her daughter and we gladly returned to General Store. We met a few guys coming from the rally. They were riding around before heading back to Idaho. The rest of the day was uneventful when we landed in Mitchell, SD, found a hotel – Kelly’s Inn and Suites – very new and nice. Had dinner at Culver’s (hmm, butter burgers) and hit the sack.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Since Kelly’s Inn and Suites was nice enough to provide a breakfast, we ate there and took off around 7:15. I led the first leg and we found ourselves riding through cold, wet, fog for much of South Dakota. We stopped after 125 miles or so when Sandra discovered that her GPS had fallen from the bike. “I’m so sorry, Sandra!”

Christy led the next leg through South Dakota and into Minnesota. Next Ingrid led us into Iowa. Christy’s tire pressure was low, so we stopped for an air and gas. Sandra noticed that my headlight was out, so I flipped on the high beam and kept going. Sandra led us out of Iowa through Cedar Rapids over the Mississippi in Davenport and into Illinois. At our last stop (pictured here), the DeKalb Oasis, we said our goodbyes, snapped a few last pictures and we all headed home. I arrived home around 7:30 PM very tired but happy to discover that my neighbor, Sean, had bought a new H-D Softail Custom. Nice looking bike, Yay! I have a new riding buddy. 672 Miles today.

My miles were 3,094 for the whole trip....

9 days, 7 states and too many smiles to count!

Oh, to be on the road again...

2008-05-20T17:02:00.009-05:00

Although the weather has been cool in Chicago, I still manage to get out there on my motorbike most weekends. My Gerbing's heated jacket liner helps a lot, so does my UnWind thermal long underwear. I just purchased an UnWind thermal top and I should get a chance this week to try it out. My next purchase, in anticipation of fall, will be Gerbing's heated liner pants. I just hope they are long enough for my 34 inch inseam! It looks like they only come in men's sizes. Okay, so I hope there is room for my butt too! I think I can try them on at the closest Gerbing's dealer, Motoworks in Chicago.

On Saturday, May 10, 2008, after a nice breakfast in Elmhurst, IL, I headed out past Rockford, IL to the Rock River with my friends, Sandra, Ingrid, and Christy. Christy did a great job leading us on routes along the river and into Sterling, IL for a healthy lunch at the Organic Bite Deli & Cafe. You can see from our picture that we left satisfied. After racing after Christy for a bit, we felt we had earned a stop at DQ before heading home. We had a full day, leaving home at 7:30 am and returning at 7:30 pm - very tired.

Making Lemonade Out of Lemons

2008-05-09T18:06:00.002-05:00

You may have heard about the fiasco that was supposed to be a super fun time, Austin's Ironhorse Roundup in Grayslake, Illinois this past weekend. If you didn't hear how the Grayslake mayor shut down the event at the 11th hour, you can find many stories from the past week in the Chicago Tribune and the Daily Herald. Here is a link to one of them: Grayslake police chief stands by motorcycle show cancellation. If you read the story, you'll see that many people lost a lot of money due to this late notice cancellation and many feel that discrimination against bikers had more to do with it than anything. I am one of those people. I was supposed to share a booth with my friends at Racer Cafe. My company, VaVaVroom-Motorcycle Clothing and Gear for Her, was all set to hawk its wares and have a great time. Vince Neil was supposed to perform to a crowd of over 40,000 people. So how did this all go to hell in handbasket? It is rumored that two biker gangs were supposed to "rumble". Okay, they don't call it that anymore but you get my drift. Chances are they would not have caused a problem. For at least the past two years, the Super Cycle Show has had heavy police presence due to suspected gang activity. As far as I know, there hasn't been an issue. If given the opportunity, Mark Khayat, owner of Austin's, would have provided adequate security to assure a smooth event. Stay tuned on this one folks. I think some lawsuits will be hitting the courts soon.

Now how did I turn this lemon into lemonade? Well, I hooked up via motorcycle with my good friend Stevie. I met him and his buddies for a nice day of riding. In the picture here, we have Alex, Tim, Tom and Jorge in the front row and Stevie and I in the back. After a leisurely breakfast, we headed over to Zylstra's Harley-Davidson in St. Charles, Illinois where they were having a pig roast to raise money for the Green Ribbon Rally which will be held on June 7, 2008 and will raise money for University of Illinois Medical Center. I was interviewed by Gina Woods of Open Road Radio and told the listeners about awesome Mother's Day presents that they can find at http://www.vavavroomonline.com/. I'm going to be a guest on the show again on Mother's Day this weekend. The Open Road Radio show airs every Sunday at 11:00 am on the Nines (92.5, 92.7 and 99.9) in the Chicago area. After filling ourselves with pork, we stopped by to visit our friends at Racer Cafe in St. Charles, Illinois. Rob was manning the ship himself since Eric was working off a hangover from his time at a wedding reception the night before. We then headed up to Grayslake with the grand plan of harassing the folks of Grayslake for canceling our big event. With the Lake County Fairground (the intended location of the Roundup) completely empty, except for the hoards of police at each entrance, we ended up where we began our day - at a McDonald's. Big talkers we are! Except for a minor row between Stevie and Tim, it was a thoroughly enjoyable day. I went to bed with a smile on my face at the sheer joy of a great ride with friends.

'Tis the (Riding) Season

2008-04-28T16:30:00.001-05:00

Thankfully, a motorcycle ride is a more common occurrence these days. Saturday was windy, but warm enough. Where did my travels take me? First, to Fox Valley Cycles in Aurora to have Throttlemeister cruise control installed on my BMW R1200GS. The folks at Fox Valley Cycles are super nice and Mark took care of me in no time. I also talked to Chell about their upcoming open house on May 17, 2008. My company, VaVaVroom - Motorcycle Clothing and Gear for Her, will be there to show everyone all of our available styles. Chell also gave me some feedback on a riding jacket that I am working on. I've received excellent feedback so far from my customers. I've attached a picture of the first protoype.

There is a lot of reflective piping on it, so it looks like there are a lot of white lines on the jacket. That is just from the flash. The reflective piping is black. The only real white stripe is the double, vertical stripe on the front. My biggest concern with the jacket is figuring out how to secure the hood so it does not become a drag from the wind while riding. Other features of the jacket include removable armor, an inside pocket, two zip pockets in the front, and adjustable waist and cuffs. In this picture below you can see the hood and the VaVaVroom patches.

From Fox Valley Cycles, I rode to the Autobahn Country Club in Joliet to watch some friends participate in a track day. It was inspiring and I can't wait for my first one in June! We had friends at all levels (novice, intermediate, and advanced) and they all did fantastic. Rob and Eric from Racer Cafe in St. Charles really know what they are doing. They get all of the bikes ready and hauled them out there for Patrick, Ingrid and Sandra, in addition to their own!

From Joliet, I headed to Chicago to check out the Evil Kitty trunk show at Vicious Cycle on Clark St (north of Belmont). Not biker-wear, but trendy, fun, good quality stuff at a reasonable price. I met Lidia, the Evil Kitty designer, and Rhianna, the owner of Vicious Cycle. Both helped me pick out a fab dress and a cute hoodie. I almost didn't get the hoodie until I saw the purple leopard print E on the back (with horns). Too cute to pass up!

With all of this riding and shopping, I was famished, so I ducked into Shiroi Hana just south of Vicious Cycle for a quick dragon roll. Yummmmm. Happily full, I hopped on the BMW and headed home. By the time I got there, I was wiped out, but satisfied with this ride called life....

Finally writing about the Dealer Expo!

2008-04-10T18:47:00.000-05:00

VaVaVroom participated in the February 2008 Dealer Expo in Indianapolis. It was a great show for us. We met so many new people. We received great feedback on our products from customers and prospective customers. The biggest hit was our "Those Girls" Sportbike tee. The phrase "I'm one of 'those' girls", the shapely tee, and the vibrant colors draw the eye right to them. Since it was our first time doing the show, I was very nervous, but all went well (except for leaving the bowling alley Saturday night with our bowling shoes still on!) and we had a blast. Many thanks to Sandra Heise, Shelly Reiner and George Vuckovich for their onsite help at the show. I could not have pulled it off without them! I've included some pics of us from the show!

My Review of Kenyon Polarskins Long Underwear Shirt - Heavyweight Zip Neck, Long Sleeve (For Women)

2008-03-17T08:54:00.001-05:00

Originally submitted at Sierra Trading Post

Closeouts . Kenyon's Polarskins heavyweight zip neck long underwear shirt is made of all-in-one (AOI) performance yarns, engineered to channel moisture faster than you can create it and equipped with four-way stretch, aggressive odor control (making garments last longer), and inherent soil release ...

Functional, but not fashionable

By VaVaVroom from Chicago, IL on 3/17/2008

Fit: Feels too big

Pros: Moisture Wicking, Warm, Comfortable

Cons: Material seems cheap, Poor Fit

Best Uses: Cold Weather, Snow Sports, Running

Describe Yourself: Gym Rat

I returned this product because it did not look of high quality based on the fit and the material. I am 5'10" and have a slim build. This item was loose fitting and had no shape.

(legalese)

My Review of Terramar Long Underwear Silk Bottoms - with EC2 Thermal Regulation (For Women)

2008-03-17T08:51:00.001-05:00

Originally submitted at Sierra Trading Post

2nds. Experience silk's warmth, lightness, natural wicking action and luxurious comfort of silk in these long underwear bottoms from Terramar. EC2 technology provides excellent thermal regulation as well. Can be worn as active underwear or pajamas Machine wash gentle Trim Fit 2nds . China. ...

Great product. I have several pairs.

By VaVaVroom from Chicago, IL on 3/17/2008

Fit: Feels true to size

Pros: Comfortable, Lightweight, Warm

Cons: slightly baggy on me

Best Uses: Cold Weather

Describe Yourself: Gym Rat

I wear these under my clothes on days that are below freezing temperatures. It adds a layer of protection from the wind and cold without being bulky or too hot when I am indoors. I am tall (5'10") and the pants are just long enough to fit under my boots.

(legalese)

2008-01-28T14:49:00.000-06:00

Just tried out the UnWind Thermal Pants that are on the VaVaVroom website. This time in skis in Winter Park, Colorado. It was very windy and cold today up-top and I did not feel a thing on my bottom half! Now if it would just warm up enough to get out on the bike for a bit. From February 8-10, I will be making the rounds at the International Motorcycle Show in Rosemont, Illinois. I'll be helping out at the Open Road Radio booth and the Chicago Region BMW Owners Group area as well. I am looking forward to seeing what's new in the two-wheeled world.

Winter Riding

2007-12-11T09:50:00.000-06:00

I had to test out some new products, so I thought I better get on the bike before the storm hits. I went out on the bike on Friday. It was 34 degrees F. The coldest I ever rode in. With my Gerbings heated liner, heated grips and windproof long underwear (and other layers of course!), it wasn't too bad. I've decided to add the windproof long undies to my site. Just working out details with the manufacturer. They really worked! I also found out that my bike shows a little snowflake on the screen if you ride in less than 37 degree temperature. It's like saying "hey dummy, it's cold out here. What are you doing?". I usually keep my bike out through December. I'm hoping for a few more rides this month if the weather gods cooperate!

Re-launch of VaVaVroom website

2007-11-05T09:46:00.000-06:00

I'm so excited! Today, the VaVaVroom website is being re-launched! It is easier to navigate, has more helpful content and is much, much prettier. :)