By Dora Dome–
I rode my first motorcycle when I was 14 years old. I had a brother who was nine years older than me who, every time he had a new interest, insisted that I learn it too. It didn’t matter that I was a kid, that I wasn’t interested, or that I didn’t have a license. Some of his interests, like gymnastics, I could not stand and he would force me to “keep trying,” until he got so frustrated by my tears and refusal that he would walk away in disgust. However, riding his motorcycle was an interest of his I that I wholeheartedly embraced.
In retrospect, it was pretty cool that my big brother believed I was capable of doing anything and pushed me to try everything. It is also amazing that I lived through my childhood. However, I digress. So, my brother explained how the motorcycle worked, pointed it in the direction of the street, had me get on, and told me to go. I twisted the accelerator, released the clutch (apparently too fast), and the motorcycle shot into the street, into the path of an approaching car. Fortunately, the driver of the car had excellent reflexes and I was able to stop without crashing into the wall. Like I said, I am lucky I lived through my childhood.
That was the start of my love affair with motorcycles. I have had my motorcycle license for 44 years. My love of riding grew exponentially when I moved to Hawaii and bought my first new motorcycle. I had just graduated as an undergrad, and a motorcycle was more practical financially than a car. The climate, the mountains, and the ocean all created a rider’s paradise.
I loved the sense of being part of nature—the wind in my face and the sun on my skin as I rode through stunning landscapes with the sound of my 70s music playing in my helmet. Motorcycle parking was easy and cheap; it was easy to navigate traffic with some minor and safely done lane splitting, and I looked cool! Truly, what else could a 23-year-old ask for?
I would say that 90% of having a motorcycle as your only source of transportation in Hawaii was awesome. The other 10%, not so much. When the weather was bad or I had stuff to carry, it was a pain. The decision to sell my bike was made for me when I had my first child. My then partner was adamant that, while we had young children, I could not ride my bike.
I was sad to give up my bike, but I had to agree that motorcycles and a child did not go well together. At 42, I guess I was going through a midlife crisis and impulsively decided to buy another motorcycle, in San Diego, 500 miles from my home. Like I said, impulsive! My kids were older, I was older and hopefully smarter, and it made sense, at least to me. I bought a sport bike, cause I had always had a sport bike. My cousin towed it up to Oakland and I could not wait to start experiencing the joy of riding again.
Boy, was I wrong! First, it is very different to be hunched over a sport bike, with your weight on your arms, at 42 than at 23. My arms were shaking and sore after my first long ride. Second, riding in Oakland is a very different experience than riding in Hawaii. It’s not nearly as beautiful and folks drive fast and like fools. For the first time in my life, I did not feel safe on my bike. I kept the bike for a few years, but hardly rode it. I spent more money on new batteries, from lack of use, than I did on gas.
The final straw, however, was I developed vertigo and had a panic attack while riding over the Bay Bridge on my way back from the SF Pride Parade. I have no idea how I was able to stay upright and make it over the bridge, but I did and took it as a sign that it was time to let my motorcycle go. Given my vertigo, I thought I would never experience the beauty of riding again and it broke my heart.
Then, one day, I was sitting outside a restaurant and I saw an older man pull up and park his trike. It clicked! I had seen trikes before, but had never really thought about them. Seeing the old man on his trike made me realize that I didn’t have to give up riding. I just had to think differently about how I would ride and the trike was the perfect solution.
In 2019, I bought my Harley Davidson Ultra Tri-Glide and my spirit was lifted. I don’t even have words to express my elation. I was able to ride, on and off, for a few months, then the pandemic hit and the riding stopped. In 2022, I went to the Borrego Springs Babes Ride Out event by myself and discovered the wonderful world of female motorcyclists. They came in all shapes and sizes, straight and queer, all ages, races, and riding interests. They were welcoming and kind, and shared my love of riding.
I made new friends and riding buddies. I participated in the 2023 Dykes on Bikes® (DOB) contingent of the SF Pride Parade and I met some of the San Francisco DOB members. I decided that, if I was going to keep the bike, I needed to start riding it regularly, and I needed to find people to ride with close to home.
Since that time, I have done two rides to Shelton, Washington, for The Dream Roll. I have taken a 17-day, 3000-mile trip to Montana with a loop in British Columbia, Canada, and I have taken a trip back down to Borrego Springs. In between, I do local rides with my DOB sisters. I am now a patched member and on the Board of Directors for SFDOB, and I am loving every minute I get to be on my bike and hang with my friends. I have found so much pleasure in riding these past couple of years. So much so, that I am planning a trip across the southern U.S., up the eastern seaboard into Canada, then back across the Trans Canada Highway.
Motorcycles have been an incredible source of joy and freedom. They provide a way to enjoy and experience the environment unlike anything else. And, when you can combine those experiences with wonderful people, it just does not get any better.
Dora Dome is a patched member of the San Francisco Dykes on Bikes® Women’s Motorcycle Contingent and is also a member of the SF DOB Board of Directors. https://www.dykesonbikes.org/
Dykes on Bikes® Tales of Two Wheels
Published on March 13, 2025
Recent Comments