Here’s Profile of a Female Motorcyclist Meet Nadieh! I feel like I’ve only found the tip of the iceberg when it comes to meeting lady motorcyclists! I’m so thankful for all the women that have step forward and shared their stories. Each one unique, full of wisdom, and real life lessons to learn. Thank you!
Buckle your seat belts because I am headed to Rotterdam in the Netherlands to introduce you to Nadieh a.k.a. @Shoots40. Nadieh is a motorcycle racer! Check out her web site Nadieh-Racing.nl.
Profile of a Female Motorcyclist Meet Nadieh
How long have you been riding a motorcycle? 3.5 years, plus 4 years of pocketbikes
How did you learn to ride? When I started out racing pocketbikes at 14, my dad took me to a big empty parking lot to do braking and turning drills preparing for my first race.
I didn’t get ride a ‘real’ motorcycle with a clutch and suspension (’97 Aprilia RS250 street bike) on the track until I was 18, and was dragging my knee, foot peg and exhaust by the end of the first day … using skills I mostly learned from reading books.
What was your first motorcycle? The above mentioned 1997 Aprilia RS250.
How many have you owned? The Aprilia is the only one I fully paid for myself. But over the years I’ve had the pleasure of racing full seasons on a Ducati 749RS, Triumph Daytona 675R and Yamaha R6.
Why did you want to ride a motorcycle? I was tired of always watching others ride! Instead of spectating at a race, or being the passenger of either of my parents, all I wanted was to ride a bike myself. Lucky for me we discovered pocket-bikes.
Tell us about your riding. I’m a racer through and through. I took a few lessons last year to see if I wanted to get my license, but did not enjoy riding the streets at all. There are so many things and people to watch out for, to me it’s more like a chore.
Also I have a tough enough time staying out of trouble driving a car (I’ve perfected the racing lines on local roundabouts, frequently push 70-75 on small back roads, etc). My budget doesn’t allow for the fines I’d surely pick up riding a bike.
One day, when my competitive streak doesn’t have the upper hand anymore, I do hope to go on a motorcycle vacation in the mountains of Italy.
What advice do you have for women who ride or want to ride a motorcycle? Just do it and don’t let anyone tell you women are lesser riders for whatever reason, because that’s bullcrap! Other than that, always make sure you’re having fun.
What is the longest trip that you’ve taken on your cycle? I suppose that would have to be my over an hour stint in the 2012 WERA Endurance race at Miller Motorsports Park, haha. Which so far is also the furthest I’ve ever traveled to compete in a race.
Do you belong to any motorcycle groups? Closest to this would be the BWMRC Racing Team. This team was founded very recently, and its purpose is to help promote women in road racing (road as in Isle of Man). I’m lucky to be involved with the start-up process, and will be competing in road races for BWMRC in the future.
Do you have a favorite riding story? It’s hard to pick just one. The absolutely amazing 2 weeks I had at Miller last year with SGA Racing, the awesome 6-way battle at Brno during my first year in the 3D Cup.
When purely about riding though, I’d have to go with my elbow down story. It was my second season of racing, and the first test with my new Triumph Daytona 675. On the last day clouds and lower temperatures prevented any improvement of lap times, so I was thinking of something else to do when I realized my elbow was dangerously close to the ground in one of the corners.
I asked some of the other racers who’d been behind me about the distance to the ground, and they immediately started making fun of me (“yea I got my elbow down once too, and then my butt, back and head followed”). The looks on their faces when I came by to show off my scraped elbow 30 minutes later were priceless!
What do you do when you’re not riding? Really everything I do has something to do with racing. I run my own team, and am in a transition year towards a full season of AMA.
Most days are filled with contacting potential sponsors. I also work out daily, and have come to love riding my bicycle. In my spare time you can usually still find me at the track, hanging out with and supporting my friends.
My other love is music! Whenever I do find a new sponsor, I can’t help but treat myself to a concert or new CD.
Profile of a Female Motorcyclist Meet Nadieh – is an incredible motorcyclist! Thank you for sharing your story. Ladies, your story can inspire other women to ride from – casual to racing – they are all important!
3 Responses
Very nice to see you fulfilling your dream. It helps when both your parents are riders (mine were too) and supportive. Keep up the good work!
Very impressive! It takes real courage to do what Nadieh does. Great profile. This series is terrific.
You are fearless! Here’s to loads of racing success – and a successful trip to IoM TT sometime soon!