http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/ Motorcycle rides and riders in Washington Oregon Idaho British Columbia en Wed, 22 May 2013 01:44:25 GMT vBulletin 60 http://cdn.pnwriders.com/images_pnw/misc/rss.jpg http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/ http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/972-adventures-biker-chic-its-been-while.html Tue, 17 Apr 2012 02:54:56 GMT Well... It's no longer Adventures of a Harley Chic Rider...

We traded my V-Rod in last year, 2011, for what you see in my pic to the left: Yamaha FZ6-R. I LOVE it! His name is SPARTACUS I think I'll change my post titles to: Adventures of a Biker Chic!

I haven't really ridden a whole lot in the past 2.5 yrs. I wrecked my V-Rod in August 2010. Not too much damage on the bike... On me however, was a total different monster. I tore up my left knee and shoulder. I didn't ride from August 2010 till April 2011. In that pic, was the first time I was back on 2 wheels since the accident. Vida, the V-Rod, was possessed and was trying to kill me! :shock: I had other crazy mishaps on her. She was a beast.

I'm stoked about the upcoming Int'l Female Ride Day on May 4th. I've posted before about this ride. This year will be the 6th Annual Event. I've attended two other rides; one in 2008 and one in 2010 (3 months prior to my accident). I'm looking to find gals to meetup with for the ride in the Puget Sound Region!
Well, until next time... keep the rubber side down and the shiny side up! vtr2: 8) ]]> LadyGladiator http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/972-adventures-biker-chic-its-been-while.html http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/739-intl-female-ride-day-20100507.html Mon, 24 May 2010 06:13:57 GMT Image: http://lh5.ggpht.com/_sVabvzrJROE/S-oz4Ee-YyI/AAAAAAAAC-c/ZgmKZAnTnlk/s800/IntlFemaleRideDayGroup.jpg The group I rode with in the morning. It was a great ride. :mrgreen: No accidents. No injuries.
The group I rode with in the morning. It was a great ride. :mrgreen:

No accidents. No injuries. ]]> LadyGladiator http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/739-intl-female-ride-day-20100507.html http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/646-adventures-harley-chic-rider.html Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:05:25 GMT A lot has happened since my last post. I fell off the PNWRiders wagon for a long time. My VROD, I named her Vida (Spanish for life), had to have tranny and engine rebuild this past Summer. She was in the shop all riding season. The tranny and engine failed because of a defective manufactured part in the tranny. Basically, shards of metal were thrown into the engine via oil pump. Imagine that! All the bearings got eaten up. She was back on the road long enough for me to get in a few short... A lot has happened since my last post. I fell off the PNWRiders wagon for a long time.

My VROD, I named her Vida (Spanish for life), had to have tranny and engine rebuild this past Summer. She was in the shop all riding season. The tranny and engine failed because of a defective manufactured part in the tranny. Basically, shards of metal were thrown into the engine via oil pump. Imagine that! All the bearings got eaten up.

She was back on the road long enough for me to get in a few short rides before Winter hit. Nothing fantastical to report.

I did have much opportunity to ride 2-up with Chameleon, my husband, from August until October. We made some great runs. I tried to get some good pix. The weather didn't cooperate to well. All my pix turned out gray, like the weather here. You can see some I took here, here & here.

And following in Chameleon's footsteps, I saw this bike, and fell in love. If I could I'd buy it. Buell's are going very cheap these days. ]]> LadyGladiator http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/646-adventures-harley-chic-rider.html http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/363-more-adventures-harley-chic-rider.html Wed, 17 Sep 2008 02:30:16 GMT My first long distance trip. Click here to go to the original post so I don't have to put another one here. ]]> LadyGladiator http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/363-more-adventures-harley-chic-rider.html http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/254-fathers-day-weekend-weather.html Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:17:38 GMT Hah.... I am unable to ride probably for another month.... If figures the weather would get nice just to taunt me. :scratchea

I guess I'll just have to stare at the blue sunny sky from afoot.

My bike is beginning it's repair process at the shop this week. I'm healing at a nice rate. All I have left of my open wound on my knee is the really red tissues that are still building. My left ankle is coming along nicely from the torn ligaments. My right thumb on the other hand is still giving me fits. It was jammed pretty bad into the wrist. I'm just thanking God for being fully geared up and not having a broken face and broken body. HE spared me on this. There's no other explanation. By all the factors it should've been worse. Thank YOU God. ]]> LadyGladiator http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/254-fathers-day-weekend-weather.html http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/151-adventures-harley-chicrider.html Tue, 25 Mar 2008 03:06:37 GMT Today I ventured out alone on the roads to an appt I had in Federal Way. I rode from Tacoma.

It was beautiful out today. I loved how those great big puffy clouds created shade for my eyes at the right times so I didn't have to worry about being blinded by the sun... [long story why I didn't have my shades on].

I made sure to have my hi-beams on to be more visible. I saw several other riders out today. I got lots of waves/smiles/head nods/hellos. I love the camaraderie of the riders & to be acknowledged by others. It felt good to set my own pace and not have to worry about other riders with me. Don't get me wrong; I love group rides as well.

As Paul puts it; my bike is almost like riding in a cadilac. I can hit bumps and almost not feel them unless they are huge. I go around the huge ones [any smart rider would, right?] My seat is nice and comfortable. I've read on other forums for HDs that some riders hate the stock seats. I don't on mine. Now, I might hate them on others. Riding pillion on my HD is torture. I won't do that again. ]]> LadyGladiator http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/151-adventures-harley-chicrider.html http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/137-two-weeks-shop.html Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:24:31 GMT It's time to get my VROD back. They've held it hostage long enough.... It figures the shop wouldn't carry the parts needed for repairs and have to special order them. :angry7:

I don't mind riding bitch (2 up) with Paul. The part I do mind is the feeling that my helmet is going to fly apart from him going so fast my whole body shudders and my flesh feels like it's coming off and getting my 455 soaking wet because someone didn't pack the rain gear in his backpack like he said he suggested. :rant

I was so numb last night I could barely move. My pants were so wet I felt like a little kid with wet pants (you know when you see those kids walking with their legs spread out?). I had to peel my layers off. I put on dry stuff and for one second I could feel the warmth of the fabric on my skin. Then, all of a sudden, that fabric felt like ice. I touched it and it was ice cold too. I was frozen to the core. Thank GOD for heated seats in my car. We had to go to the store after getting back from our ride. My 455 was still cold this morning. OH... and since I was passenger I had the pleasure of carrying the backpack.... I'm going to be taking lots of ibuprofen today!! :shock:

So, I can't say I do not ride in the rain!!! Just not regularly. I refuse to ride in the rain on purpose. That's Chameleon's department. He told me his hands were so cold he could barely function. I just asked him to get us home safely. Of course he did! ]]> LadyGladiator http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/137-two-weeks-shop.html http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/118-dol-debacle.html Fri, 07 Mar 2008 01:18:56 GMT I will admit I was stupid for not having my checkbook or cash on hand... :tard:

However, not knowing that all DOL facilities do not take debit/credit cards is a valid thing. :scratchea

It's stupid they don't take debit/credit cards.

I had never experienced this before when visiting DOL for anything. Maybe back then I carried a checkbook?? I don't remember anymore. :scratchea

I was going to take care of some DOL stuff. After arriving to one facility I didn't notice immediately that they only took checks or cash. Once I finally read almost every sign in the place I got to this one. I didn't have time to run & get cash from ATM or even go back and get my checkbook. Maybe I'm too streamlined with my transactions? I tried to reach my husband to see if he could run some cash to me before it was my turn... He wasn't responding immediately. I couldn't wait any longer. I just got up and left. By the time he responded it was already too late.

Of course I was upset... I called him back as soon as I saw he tried to call me. My voice was raised in my being upset... it made him mad and he hung up on me... :roll:

I ended up just driving home. I'll just have to go back another day. :angry7: ]]> LadyGladiator http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/118-dol-debacle.html http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/103-endorsed.html Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:37:23 GMT :mfclap::mfclap::mfclap::mfclap::mfclap: I did it! Finally! W00T!! :mrgreen: :wav: :cheers: jumpjump: :cloud9: :mfclap::mfclap::mfclap::mfclap::mfclap:

I did it! Finally! W00T!!

:mrgreen:
:wav:
:cheers:
jumpjump: :cloud9: ]]> LadyGladiator http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/103-endorsed.html http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/101-spin-around-town.html Sun, 24 Feb 2008 04:02:10 GMT Today Paul & I went and got our hairs cut. We rode over to the hair place... Where our friend Myong works. The sun felt so good on my face and the heat through my leathers. It was a calm ride and the traffic moved smoothly. It was funny because on our way out we hit every red light between Sprague & Bridgeport on S 12th St. It gave me a chance to work the brakes and the clutch [the friction zone is my best friend LOL]. We weren't sure what side of Bridgeport the hair place was at because Myong moved to a different store to work. So, we turned down the wrong way and had to check the map and turn around and go back through the light and turn into a the right place.

Myong was excited to see us on our bikes. While we were there I discovered there is a barber shop next door and the owner had his puppy in there. It was a French Bulldog see approx what she looks like
Her name is Bella and her owner had a cute denim jacket like shirt on her with Betty Boop on the back. She just ran right up to me and loved up on me. She was adorable. The reason I was so interested in her is because I used to have one of these dogs but she was an adult dog when I got her. She was nothing but troubles with her health. Bella is a puppy though, 8 months old. I gave the owner a few tips on Bella's personal care to keep her looking good. He thanked me and then I went back to Paul as he was still getting a hair cut with Myong.

The ride after that was to Taco Del Mar for lunch. We always get lots of looks while out on our bikes. People seemed to really be fascinated with bikes & bikers. After lunch headed home because Paul has been feeling under the weather today. He slept the whole evening away. Poor guy!

I enjoyed the sunshine today. It felt great! ]]> LadyGladiator http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/101-spin-around-town.html http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/98-talk-about-stretch.html Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:24:14 GMT Image: http://216.194.90.151/pics/18/hd881898m.jpg What were they thinking? :shock:

What were they thinking? :shock: ]]> LadyGladiator http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/98-talk-about-stretch.html http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/91-small-group-ride-today.html Mon, 18 Feb 2008 01:32:30 GMT We, being me and my husband (Chameleon), started our Sunday out by riding to church. We had communicated to a few other riders that we were going to go for a cruise around some of our favorite roads between Des Moines & Tacoma. We went and ate lunch after church as part of our meetup with 2 other riders. We met near the entrance of Pt. Defiance Park & Zoo. As Chameleon and I were waiting for our group we watched at least 20-25 bikers come out of the park.

Our group arrived, Chameleon, myself, Beemerkat w/ wife as passenger & kawi650r. We discussed our route. Five Mile Drive through the park, then down through the waterfront in Tacoma. We then hopped on 705 to 509. From there we followed 509 into Federal Way then down to Redondo Beach.

We were going to see if we could eat at Salty's. They closed from 2pm - 4pm. It was about 2:45pm at that point. So, we discussed somewhere else to eat. We all agreed on Pac Island Grill in Federal Way. So, we went up the twistie to 272nd to I-5. Took I-5 to the new exit for the HOV at 317th. And went several blocks to Pac Island Grill.

That was all it took for me to be done. I ate and I was ready for bed :fallinga:. So, Chameleon & kawi650r rode with me back to Tacoma via I-5. Beemerkat & his wife went to take care of errands in Federal Way. Once Chameleon dropped me off at home he and kawi650r decided to take off again.

Thanks for the great ride guys.

One major thing I brought away from this ride is that it's ok to keep your feet down until you are moving past 12 mph. I believe and feel that this is the factor that caused me to drop my bike. By keeping my feet down it allowed me to be able to balance until I was up to speed. The other thing I took away from this ride is that I had a blast. I really do need riding glasses though. My clip-on shades for my regular glasses just don't cut it. It's kind of trippy :online2long: when things have a purple sheen to them through my visor with my clip-on shades. ]]> LadyGladiator http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/91-small-group-ride-today.html http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/89-2nd-time-round.html Mon, 11 Feb 2008 03:36:57 GMT This crap is really getting old....:rant :banghead:

What's with the MSF instructors standing watch over you with stop watches and measuring stop distance and all that?

One freakin lousy point failed me on my endorsement exam today on the practical.

The instructor said that because I was one point off they would allow me to retest with another class. :x

What a freakin hassle!

So, sometime next week I need to call them and setup a date that I can join a class doing their exam to retest.

I saw plenty of crap happening today that should've failed people. It feels like it's rigged.

Oh well, at least it didn't pour rain down on us. I prayed real hard for no rain. I guess I didn't pray hard enough to pass my exam... :roll: ]]> LadyGladiator http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/89-2nd-time-round.html http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/88-20080207-riding.html Fri, 08 Feb 2008 07:19:31 GMT I in no way, shape or form ever indicated I did not want to ride with certain people.

I welcome anyone to ride with me. I don't care if you're from hades & have red eyes and breath fire. As long as you don't burn me up and we have an enjoyable ride it's ok by me.

I like riding with all kinds of people. I have many friends who are not from the same faith as I am. I am a respecter of all people. When I am disrespected that is when I cut my losses and move on.

For those who get to know me will see in me a selfless person who would give the clothes off my back if someone needed them more than me.

That being said if you care to ride with me then do so. Just be respectful and respect will be given in return.

I, like most living people, like to have a good time. So, let's ride like the wind and have fun. ]]> LadyGladiator http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/88-20080207-riding.html http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/65-misadventures-biker-chic.html Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:10:43 GMT My 1st solo ride
1/20/2007

On a Sunday morning it didn't totally clear up but we rode to church on our motorcycles anyway. There was a bit of a mist, but tolerable. I had prayed for sunshine before church. While pastor was doing his sermon about 1/2 an hour before church was over we noticed in one window that the sun was starting to shine outside. We were excited. People were excited to see us at church. LOL there was one guy who seemed like he didn't recognize us. He passed us in the parking lot and stopped briefly to say "It was nice to see you at church, Come again". I just responded, "Yes". We've been attending there for over 2 yrs now. Oh well.

We went on a group ride after church. I was doing really good, I thought. We were on our way to meet the group after church. We met at the mall in Federal Way.

We were all going forward so we could get out on the road. I was the last one. I went to go around a turn and I dropped my bike on my foot. I smashed my right pinky toe a bit, nothing major. The bike has very minor scratches in a couple spots. The tilt sensor was triggered and cut the engine off. Immediately the other seven bikes stopped. My husband, Paul, and one other guy sat my bike back up. Paul, managed the situation and moved the bike out of the driveway to a parking spot. He then turned the key switch off to reset the bike computer. He started it and made a loop in the parking lot to make sure the bike had no damage. Then he pulled it up where I could hop back on and he was like "don't do that again, you scared the crap out of me, please do not hit anyone." [he told me that twice, LOL] I didn't plan on hitting anyone. I'm sure I scared the crap out of everyone. I was just glad I didn't do any damage or hit anyone. I was inches away from the back bumper of an SUV.

We'd been riding for hours without stopping. We then stopped so others could take a potty break. Everyone was coming and asking me if I was ok and if the bike was ok... blah blah blah.... One guy said I was braver than him that he wouldn't have been able to continue the ride. I just said "ah, I'm ok. I could probably die and still be ok". He looked at me weird and walked away. I've been told many times that I'm *weird*.

Getting to see & take in God's wonders of nature was the most precious thing during the ride. I got to feel the warmth of the sun on me. I got to see the snow capped mountain tops as we passed them. I partook in the curves of the road and felt it in my body. I glanced over at a river momentarily as we passed it. It was a fantastic ride.

The only part I didn't like was that they waited almost to the very end of the ride to make any kind of stop. We stopped and took one potty break. Upon leaving where they took a potty break they decided to go somewhere to eat. We went to a place that was in the same city we made our first stop in that was probably like 3-4 miles away. The neat part about this little hole in the wall place is that it used to be an automobile service station converted into a Mexican restaurant. It has the original floor the service station used. It is an interesting little Mexican eatery. After everyone ate they were tired and didn't want to continue. I'm sure some still rode a bit afterward and then went home. It was getting colder as the sun was setting.

The sun had been shining and felt good on the black leather I wore. I need to get my special riding glasses. The sun was almost murder in spots. I couldn't see a thing for about 3 seconds at times; and going around curvies you NEED to see.

I did well despite the bright sun and my sore foot. My father, a Gold Wing guy, was the very first person I shared about my very 1st solo group ride. His response was, "beautiful, did you have a good time?" I replied, "It was a beautiful day & the ride was awesome. We rode the curvies".

My foot is working on a bruise. However, I've been taking Arnica Montana. I think the bruise should be gone in a day or so. Instead of being all black it's just red this morning. I'll be alright. It was a blast none-the-less.

I hope the group I rode with reads this and enjoys my little story. ]]> LadyGladiator http://pnwriders.com/blogs/ladygladiator/65-misadventures-biker-chic.html