I see so many quilters that ride motorcycle... in WI it is a short season, but one I ENJOY.
I have two photos of my bike, before and after my DH customized it for me. It was a "man's bike" before and is totally a girls now. My SIL is 6'8" and can't ride it because we cut 8 inches off the windshield. DH lowered it around 4", with the shocks.

I do get funny looks when I ride "SUEZQ" is my license plate. My website is suezquilts... my nickname a a child was Suezq...
Lots of thumbs up also.
Problem is I can get 50 mpg, but my bags on the back barely hold a gallon of milk.
One time when I met a customer, she was shocked, almost afraid to hand off her quilts to me.. now we are great friends.

Yes I ride a motor cycle, do you? Love to see your bike, especially on this cold snowy day!

Awesome bike!! :D:D:D

In my younger years, I rode a Yamaha 175. It was just a dirt bike. Actually, it was an Enduro, but I didn't ride on the streets.

Like your bike.. I have a Suzuki Volusia 800cc cruiser.. it's a big bike and I've ridden it from S. Missouri to Baltimore solo.. not riding right now because of RA.. but hope to be back to it before too long.
I've ridden since the 70's. I don't think I've got a pic.. but I'll check.

what a gorgeous bike! My FIL had the same bike and it would fly! DH just sold his 98 DWG so we could get a pontoon boat

Sue, love your bike, I will now keep a look out for you in the summer. I used to ride bikes when I was younger but not since having kids, dh has had bikes forever but sports bikes.

Great pic! You go girl...I'm a backseat driver. Barely 5', my husband rides Honda 1000RR. He's been teaching motorcycle safety courses for 9 years and loves having the girls come thru the class, they're spunky he says.
Darby

That's a beauty.

I'm having a problem getting the updated photo on, it is in a JPG and it doesn't upload...
bummer, it looks better now.

I've been riding for 1o yrs. took ABATE, it helps.

Gorgeous bike!

I'm a backseat driver too. Hubby has a 2002 Yamaha Roadstar Warrior. We live in close proximity to Yosemite, Kings Canyon, & Sequoia National Parks and love getting up into the hills from some very scenic rides.

We have a 2008 Goldwing with a Hannigan trailer that we pull behind us. We have actually brought home a 37" flat screen tv in the back of it so I can get tons of stuff in it.

I don't ride any more as I have a bad knee and don't want to take a chance of it tipping. Use to ride dirt bikes (much younger and flexible then).

We average at least one 2500-3000 mile trip each year on it. Usually take a crochet project with for in the evenings.

Looks like fun!!

I want to add some pics...how do you do that in a reply?

This is what DH and I drive. We sold our car 18 months ago and this is our only transportation. I love those baggage nets to strap on whatever I buy. My DH is 64 and I am 56 and we are still going strong.

I ride an 01 Fat Boy, My spouse has a 03 road king, I will look for pics.
Rae

Back in 1977 I had a brand new "honda express" kind of like a moped. And we paid $398 each and we both had one. Then came baby and we got rid of them. But they were so cool.

I have 2005 HD Roadking. All white. Here is a picture of me and my Roadking. The season is very short here in NY too! My bags hold a lot! I can cram a full size quilt into one of them but usually if I am transporting a quilt I put it in my T bag.

I am filling my bags with a bushel of apples. We went apple picking.

I have ridden to Sturgis ND and back twice to Milwaukee for HD rally twice, Canada, Blue ridge parkway, all over. Funniest experience is when we stopped in Intercourse PA (Amish Country) so I could go to some quilt shops and we walked in all leathered up. I don't know if they were Amish or Mennonite girls working but the gal behind the counter was fascinated by our leather chaps and wanted to know how you put them on. LOL

We have a Honda Valkyrie 1500 cc cruiser. I don't ride alone. Did try to but pulled a hamstring (don't EVER do that!) and kinda woosed out.

Right now, we have a 1979 Suzuki, 1000 cc. We haven't rode on it for about 4 years, though it still runs. It's just not a practical family vehicle. No room for 2 car seats. lol

The bike that my husband and son are on in my avatar is my bike. A little unconventional. Its a Honda 919 naked sport bike. My husband has a Yamaha FJR (big sport touring bike), a Kawasaki Vulcan (cruiser), and a dirt bike. My son also just got his dirt bike which is a little Honda 50. I've been riding for about 7 years and my husband has been riding since he was my son's age (about 5).

Rae - I love your Basset Hound pic... I have 2 of them...

2000 Honda Shadow

This photo is nearly 5 years old, that kiddo is *MUCH* bigger now! :)

[img]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_DXg3XPzYp3M/TU.../sam%20001.jpg[/img]

Here is another pic of me on the Blue Ridge Pkwy. OMG look at those saggy arms!!

I have a Harley Sportster. Love my bike!

Oh I know about the arms, I try not to notice how the wind blows the flab lol.

Thamks, she's my baby girl:) 12 years old now

I'm on a 2003 GoldWing, side by side with my best friend and husband on his 2008 GoldWing.

This photo is from our "Rockies Gold" tour of Colorado last Sept. We're on Independence Pass in the first photo, on a little turnout - I couldn't find a good spot to get the bike stable so I just hung on for the photo op :)

We got the 2003 'Wing in 2004, knowing that we wanted to start touring. We did 2-up for a while, really enjoyed it! But I decided that at some point, I may *have* to drive the bike for whatever reason, thought I should really know how to do that. So, took the Motorcycle driver training, got a 1985 Yamaha 750 MaximX as my 'training' bike. Moved up to a 2004 Yamaha VStar 1100, traveled to the East Coast two weeks after we bought that. The next year we tackled the West Coast!

Last year, we took our youngest (she's 21) back to tour the Gaspe Peninsula, PEI, Nova Scotia - Cape Breton Trail, New Brunswick and back through the NE states. Few weeks later, with her back in school, we did the "Rockies Gold" in Colorado.

Have also been to Key West on the Wing!

Still working full time, practicing for retirement ... usually manage between 15,000 - 20,000 km/yr on the bikes :) :) :)

Planning on *another* Colorado jaunt in Sept again - woot woot!

We have had absolutely wonderful trips on the bikes - it's amazing who will come up and chat with you. First they love the bikes, then they can't believe that *I* am driving it. The funniest - border guard in Detroit, on our way to Colorado, can't believe we would drive the bikes all the way there. Thinks the bike is much too heavy for me ... I *really* wanted to say that I try mostly to stay on the top side, not carry it, but thought I shouldn't be sassy or might not get across ;)

PS these bikes are ***amazing*** to drive! But be warned - if you don't want to buy one, don't take one for a test drive!

I LOVE the Valk! Great color too!

I ride a trike...lots of friendly people out there! I don't have to worry about short legs or bad knees!

My husband and I like to tour North America during the summer....I bought my trike in July 2005 and have put over 60k miles on it and ridden in 49 states and several Canadian provinces.

We have a 08 Heritage Soft Tail, I have to ride on the back they don't make bikes for someone thats only 4'09".

This is our 2000 Dyna Wide Glide. Picture was taken in the Black Mountains of South Dakota as we visited the Sturgis Rally that year.
BTW... I HATE this picture of myself, but since I am always the photographer, I rarely get into the photos.
Oh well, it was the bike you wanted to see anyway, right?
:thumbup:

Lori

Wonder how many on the GL1800 board (discussion board for Gold Wing riders) would turn out to be quilters??? lol!

I had to have mine drasticly lowered, If you really want to ride research it some I know a few vertically challanged riders myself included!

Wow. The softail series from HD are really low (fatboy and Heritage). Those models are actually lower then the sportsters and I feel have a much better center of gravity. If you had a fatboy drastically lowered you must really be vertically challanged. I started out on a little Suzuki 400 (kick start! ) and rode that for years but my first Harley was a Heritage Softail. I am a bit taller at 5'5" but there are ways to lower them. I had my RK lowered by just putting shorter shocks in the rear. Honda Rebel is a sweet little starter bike for the vertically challenged.

This has been a fun thread. I had no idea so many of us rode! Everyone's bikes are just beautiful!

Yes, I had a lowering kit put on front and back, most just lower the back. I have to be careful going around sharp curves or my vance and hines lonshot pipes drag lol.I also have a reach forwad seat that really helps. My husband also had his road king lowered front and back .
My son has a sportster and it feels really top heavy to me I don't feel too comfortable on it ,of course If I rode it for a while I probably would do ok but I love the way my fat boy sits.
Rae

Oh I am 5'2"

first bike I rode was a trail bike, back in the mid to late 70s. Rode hubby's motorcycle, a 125cc Yamaha that we taught all the kids to ride on. (trails only) At some point in time I decided that it would not be fun if I spilled it (never did) and bought a 2000 Kawasaki Lakota quad. I have to fight to get to ride it as everyone wants it too.

I use it for gardening- have a cart behind it for rocks, etc.

Thought about a street bike, but the drivers here in NE PA are horrible!!!

Oh yeah, I know that dragging the pavement. I used to do it all the time on the Heritage, which was not lowered at all, only it was my running board. Never drug the pipes! Have only scraped a running board once on the RK. And you are right about the sporties. I too think they feel really top heavy. I think they do not have a good center of gravity. It is too bad the dealers really push that model on beginners and especially woman riders. I think there are much better options for us lady riders.

I have a 2004 Yamaha 650V; hubby has a 2005 Kawasawki 1100. We used to both have Honda touring bikes; then my knee went and I didn't feel safe riding any longer. He got me my Yamaha after I retired; I didn't want a big bike anymore.

We have a Harley Classic. I am just the "chick" hanging out on the back. We are planning our life long dream trip this summer....coast to coast. We both work in education and get the summer off, so we plan to leave the 3rd week in June from the eastern tip of Maine and take Rt 20 across the north part of the country to the west coast and then back through a more southern route. We are working on our "Bucket List" of places to see and visit.

My first ride was a Kawasaki 440 LTD....very low center of gravity. I'm 5' 5" and could be flat footed on any road.

Now the love of riding and love of quilting are at odds....I'm thinking of putting my little sewing machine in the trailer!