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Me, My Motorcycle, & My First Motorcycle Run

I got the fever.  Motorcycle fever, that is.  And not the kind where you want to jump on the back of a bike with a crazed lunatic and hit every bar and encounter at least one brawl before headed home to the trailer home either.  Nope - I got "motorcycle fever" last year when my husband took me on the Toys for Tots run.

Every year, the RI Motorcycle Association and the USMC Reserve holds a Toys for Tots Motorcycle run/fundraiser out of the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) parking lot. Last year was very cold which meant mittens, scarf, and lots of layers.  But it was amazing - from the thunderous sound of all the bikes to the hundreds of people lined up on the sides of the roads to the sight of 1,000 plus motorcycles all riding in unison.  Some bikes even carried teddy bears on the backs as passengers giving the rough riders a hint of "softness."  I was hooked and really wanted to ride on my own.

Me and my big mouth.  No sooner did I mention my desire, and "the guys" began their hunt for the perfect motorcycle for me.  Within weeks, I had a black 2003 Suzuki Intruder Volusia and the heat was on to get my motorcycle license.  I signed up for the classes and took the class along with 20 other first-timers - 3 of whom were girls.  It was fun, it was exhilarating, and it was a sore subject for my family.  That part sucked. So I rode all spring, summer, and fall - around the neighborhood, throughout town, through neighboring towns, to ice cream parlors, etc.  On rare occasion, my husband and I rode with other people, but I wanted to be experienced enough that I wasn't a threat to others around me.

Then in September, I was injured in a soccer game which seemed to mean "no motorcycle for Kimmy."  But I healed up well enough and soon October 16th came.  I couldn't wait for the Toys for Tots run.  It was gorgeous weather - 65 degrees, sunny, and we rode to CCRI with about 15 of our other motorcycle friends.  The entire run was short, but there were over 1,500 bikes this year!  We rode safely and event-free - which sure beats the alternative.  And the best news - there are a whole lot of children who will benefit from the drive and I hope our toys bring lots of smiles.

Which brings us to the next topic - Stay tuned for "Motorcycle Chicks & What Not to Wear."  Seriously - we need to talk! Posted by Kim Zee at 2:52 PM 0 comments Links to this post
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