Profile of a Female Motorcyclist Meet Deb

So glad you stopped by my blog today. These profiles are so fascinating to read. Can you believe Profile of a Female Motorcyclist Meet Deb is number 22 in this series?! Ladies, please let me know if you’d like to join in and share your story. Each are so unique and offer lots of encouragement and wisdom.

My next guest is Deb “RuckusGal” from Southern Ohio. She is a self taught rider and blogs about her scootin’ life here on RuckusScooterLove.

Profile of a Female Motorcyclist Meet Deb

How long have you been riding a scooter?

Five years on scooters, a season of riding a motorcycle 20 years before that.

How did you learn to ride?

I taught myself with a little bit of prompting and a lot of practice!

What was your first motorcycle?

First motorcycle (and only thus far) was a 1985 Honda Shadow 500cc. First scooter was a 2006 Honda Ruckus 49cc.

How many have you owned?

Five: 1985 Honda Shadow 500; 2006/2009 Honda Ruckus 49cc; 2001 Honda Elite 80; 2010 Honda Elite 110.

Why did you want to ride a motorcycle or scooter?

Freedom, adventure, FUN! I have always wanted to ride across country ever since seeing that TV show, “Then Came Bronson” and the movie, “Easy Rider” with Peter Fonda.

Tell us about your riding.

Mostly I’ve been riding scooters, as a solo rider, for pleasure, exploring the rural area around where I live. I have a county map on my wall and I have been highlighting every county road that I have ridden in yellow. I ride everywhere in this county and the ones around me, March through November.

I ride also to the grocery store, library, out on photography rides, visiting the neighbors up and down my road, and riding just to get out in nature and “clear the cobwebs.” I’ve also commuted on it to work and school.

This season I am getting a bigger scooter in order to be able to do some real day trips, over-nighters, and ride with others in a group. Eventually I hope to get back on a motorcycle as I want to expand into doing some long-distance touring and ride with “the big dogs.”

What advice do you have for women who ride or want to ride a motorcycle or scooter?

Just go and do it! Don’t be afraid to be different and don’t think you have “all the time in the world.” Life is shorter than we think!

Pick a scooter or motorcycle that fits you and your comfort level. Start out easy so that you can build up your confidence and skills. Ride at your own pace and ignore pressure from others.

Finally, don’t let age and economics stop you: I started back to riding at age 52 and live frugally. There are affordable new and used bikes out there, so go for it!

What is the longest trip that you’ve taken on your cycle?

When I rode the motorcycle, probably 200 miles. On the scooter, probably 100 miles.

Not far enough to suit me on either one! I long to tour …

Do you belong to any motorcycle groups?

I hang out on Scooter Diva, Total Ruckus, and Scooter Cincinnati on-line. No groups, though I am thinking about starting one out where I live in the “sticks” as there isn’t one.

Do you have a favorite riding story?

Not really. Any ride where I enjoy a moving experience of nature or snap a beautiful photograph or meet an interesting person out on the road is spectacular to me. It’s the “little things” about riding that are my “favorites.”

What do you do when you’re not riding?

I work out of my home as an educator for a non-profit to keep the scooter fed and watered.

I also love to hang out with my dogs, play golf, hike, cook, and read.

My name is Pam and I am so glad you stopped by today! I started this blog to document my journey into motorcycling and along the way I met so many other lady riders with inspiring stories to tell I began to share theirs as well.

About the same time I started this blog I joined Twitter (@helmetorheels) and began to meet other female motorcycle riders. These ladies were so inspiring to me because I found other newbies like me to life-long experienced riders who were willing to share encouragement, tips, and their friendship. I was welcomed where I was on my journey. What an incredible community I found online to fuel my desire to ride. 

Catch us on Instagram @helmetorheels and Pinterest @helmetorheels – we are just getting started!