Dreams Do Come True ...
Alison Read
As far back as I can remember I was always fascinated
with motorcycles . Most young girls grow up playing with dolls but not me , I loved motorcycles . Even as a child I would latch on to anyone who owned one and sneak a ride when I could . As soon as I was old enough to get my licence I had already saved for my first bike , but things were not that simple in those days because I was told “ Girls don ’ t ride bikes ”.
So , for the next 15 years I conformed to the views of society . But sometimes our desires are just waiting for the right time to ignite that flame . This happened for me when I took a trip to my local motorcycle dealer to get a part for our homemade odyssey .
As soon as I walked in , I felt an instant inner peace , it was like that feeling you get when you return home . Well that was it , the spark was ignited and this time it was not going to be suppressed . As I left the shop that day with a grin a mile wide , I realised I had just purchased my first motorcycle ; a 1980 DR250 . I remember when I was growing up I had listened to riders talk about a feeling that riding gave them and now as a rider I understood , as this was the freedom I had been searching for .
Like all motorcyclist I would walk into my local bike shop and eye off all the different motorcycles I wish I could own . But as a woman who was only 5ft tall and weighed 58 kgs , finding a bike to ride was a huge challenge . I soon realised that many of the bikes suitable for someone of my height , were not what I wanted or had a lack of horsepower . The bikes I desired and dreamed of , were either too tall or too heavy . But the heart wants what the heart wants , so I started spending my time researching how I could make these bikes right for me . Thanks to lowering links , scalloped seats and “ she will be right attitude ” I have had the pleasure of riding a diverse range of motorcycles .
From the very first moment I twisted a throttle , I was drawn to the dirt more than the tar . I think this had something to do with a desire to escape and explore . So , from then on , I spent every spare minute I had , riding .
In those early days I realised I was something of a Unicorn , magical or mystical , people have never seen them and were not sure if they existed . This was how I would feel when I would turn up to do a bike event .
I remember turning up at one charity ride and as I was putting my gear on , one of the other riders came over to ask me , “ Are you riding ?”.
I suppose the dumb look I gave him said it all , but I noticed as he walked back to his mates , he was shaking his head in disbelief . During the ride I remember there was one very steep hill which was quite rocky and seemed to just climb and climb . As I reached the top and removed my helmet to have a drink , I was greeted with the comment , “ Crikey , it ’ s a sheila and she made it up the Widow maker ”. Apparently , dirt bike riders like to name their hills .
As time passed , these opinions were beginning to change . I was starting to be accepted and no longer seen as a threat to their sacred pass time . Over the next few years , I continued to ride and as my skills improved , I would upgrade my bike .
The dirt bike scene was starting to change , and I would notice more women beginning to ride . It was so nice to arrive for bike events and look around and see women with that same look in their eyes .
They say we make choices in life that can send us down a different path . For me this came in 2012 when I attended a garage night for ladies being held at the local Harley Davidson dealership .
During the night I met the area manager for a motorcycle training centre , who had come along to talk about licencing . Here was someone who rode motorcycles for a job and got paid . I was in awe , could someone like me really get paid to ride a motorcycle . I felt like a kid in the lolly shop and spent the rest of that night asking questions on how you become an instructor .
Well , from that night my life changed forever , as I realised that if I were willing to take a leap of faith and put in a lot of hard work , I could achieve this too . But could I walk away from my permanent job as a nurse and risk it all on something I was not even sure I could do ? I many doubts and these were compounded by the fact that the numbness in my hands was so bad now , that I could not even ride 20 kilometres without having to stop .
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