Profile of a Female Motorcyclist Meet Rania

If you are a female motorcyclist on Twitter then I’m sure you know my next featured guest, Rania a.k.a. @MadSocial! Profile of a Female Motorcyclist Meet Rania! She is very passionate about bringing anyone from the novice to the Iron Butt rider together to talk about all things motorcycling.

Okay, this gal doesn’t just talk, she rides a lot! Rania has been exploring around her home in Milwaukee, WI tweeting and blogging about her discoveries. Find her blog at: Steel Horse Diaries – of course this is another must follow filled with inspiration, eye candy, and  great reading! I’ll turn it over to Rania to tell her story!

Profile of a Female Motorcyclist Meet Rania – aka @MadSocial

How long have you been riding a motorcycle? 14 yrs

How did you learn to ride? My ex-boyfriend taught me how to ride. He spent hours teaching me how to balance and basic mechanics. He also spent hours driving the truck behind me while I took longer rides each day. That was in the summer of ’98 or ’99. I didn’t take the MSF course til 2008.

What was your first motorcycle? 1983 Yamaha Exciter 250. I now own a 2008 HD Dyna Low Rider.

How many have you owned? Two

Why did you want to ride a motorcycle? As a child I’ve always been a fan of motorcross and motorcycle racing in general. My cousins use to bring over to the house a 50cc bike and my father wouldn’t let any of the girls get on it. He said it was unsafe and girls don’t ride those things.

From that day on, I’ve always had the desire to ride … I just was waiting for the opportunity when I could do it.

Tell us about your riding. I use to commute, I work from home now. I ride for pleasure, vacation and for the sake of riding.

I try to ride each and every day, no matter where I go I need to be on my bike. It’s my therapy.

What advice do you have for women who ride or want to ride a motorcycle? For women that ride, I just want to say to them “keep riding,” keep exploring, and be the voice for another women to look up to you as another female rider.

For those that want to ride, do it! You won’t regret it; you’ll only regret that you never tried!

What is the longest trip that you’ve taken on your cycle? I’m about to embark on the biggest adventure to date. A trip from Milwaukee, WI to Carson City, NV for the AMA IWMC. This trip will be well over 5,000 miles total! I can’t wait.

I’ll be riding the same roads as Lewis and Clark and through three of the most beautiful National parks in our country; the Bad Lands, Black Hills and Yellow Stone. On the way home I’ll finally ride my Harley through the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.

Do you belong to any motorcycle groups? I’m a national member of AMA, HOG, LOH, and RockerFoxMC here in Milwaukee.

Do you have a favorite riding story? I do! 2009 Smoke Out West Rally in Cottonwood, AZ. I lived in AZ at the time and six of us left from Chandler to Cottonwood by way of Payson, AZ. We headed west on hwy 260 until this two lane road come to a dead stand still.

No traffic moving east or west and we were literally surrounded by desert. There was an accident and a few lives were lost. A helicopter was on its way and this was the only road to the rally, without turning all the way around and basically going back to Phoenix to head north on I-17.

An officer said it would take hours for the road to re-open. A truck driver told us about a dirt path just to the south of the road. He said to us, “if you want to get out quick that’s the closest option.” So, we headed over to what looked like a horse trail. It sure was! No one with a Harley would ever think to take this road ever! We did!

We had 20 foot cliffs we road down on and we had 20 foot hill climbs to get back up. We road in washes with heavy sand and rocks. It was so much fun and scary at the same time! We made it around the accident and when we looked back, there were a line of cars following us on this small horse trail.

Only they hadn’t seen the 20 foot cliffs yet … not sure how many of them made down or even up them. We continued on and made it to the rally before sunset! Great time, great company, riders I trust for life!

What do you do when you’re not riding? When I’m not riding, I seem to be planning or talking about motorcycling. My life just revolves around it and the culture that comes with it.

It’s gone from a hobby to a lifestyle with the older I get and the more experience I develop. I currently co-host MotoChat every Wednesday on Twitter and I am starting a motorcycle touring business here in Wisconsin.

I’m working on starting a support group for women motorcyclists to meet and talk about everything and anything related to motorcycling. When you have a passion for something so great, why not share it!

Ladies, whether you are looking to start riding solo, a casual motorcyclist, a seasoned rider, or enjoying riding pillion you are all welcome to join in the Helmet or Heels community. I would love to share your story of motorcycling no matter where you are on the journey. It will inspire other women along the way.

Catch us on Instagram @helmetorheels, Pinterest @helmetorheels or Twitter @helmetorheels – we are just getting started!