We all need a little help sometimes, to overcome

Events & Organizations
“It never gets old,”
Jennifer Thorne
(left) says of
riding with her
sister Jami Brown.
“In fact, it always
gets better.”
We all need a little help sometimes,
to overcome adversity or just find our way.
Riding is central to the Harley-Davidson
community, but so is living well.
Events & Organizations
S
isters and single mothers who have worked hard
to roll with life’s punches and raise their children
right, Jennifer Thorne and Jami Brown have
grown even closer through their shared passion
of motorcycle riding. If you wonder what the
experience can do for the soul, look no further
than these two. They ride with their shoulders
squared toward the next set of challenges.
“Honestly?” says
Jennifer thorne
(left, with her sister
jami brown), “There
isn’t a better riding
partner anywhere
in the world.”
“We’ve always been close,” Jennifer says of her sister, mentor and riding partner. They
have similar features, and both look entirely natural decked out in their riding gear.
Living fewer than 90 minutes apart in southwestern Pennsylvania, they’ve always been
there for one another. What else are riding partners for? “We’ve supported each other
through marriages, children, divorce, Jami’s cancer and the death of my husband,” says
Jennifer, 38. “There’s no one I’d rather ride with.”
Jami, 42, has been motorcycling for nearly eight years. A couple of years ago, her
sister grew tired of riding passenger on other people’s bikes. She was ready to take
control of the handlebar herself.
Like the challenges the sisters faced down before, they worked at this one together.
Jami taught Jennifer bike basics. How to balance it. Where to place her feet. Her sister
was a patient and willing teacher, and soon Jennifer was ready to take a motorcycle safety
course and get started riding for real.
Now Jennifer, a sales manager, rides a 2003 Screamin’ Eagle® Deuce motorcycle and
loves every minute of it. Jami, meanwhile, is the marketing director of an open MRI
and ultrasound facility, and rides a 2006
Softail® Deluxe motorcycle.
“We always had
In 2008, the two took part in Harleya great relationship.
Davidson’s Get Down to Daytona WomBut riding has made
en’s Ride, trekking from Atlanta to Bike
it so much better.”
Week in Daytona Beach, Fla. Led by Karen
Jami Brown
Davidson, the ride not only strengthened
the unique bonds between the winners
and their mentors, but also forged new ones with all the riders, including the female
Harley-Davidson staff who rode along.
For the sisters, the adventure seems to be just beginning. Jennifer says she’d love to
take a motorcycle tour through the vineyards of Italy, while Jami has plans for a crosscountry trip.
“I’m still raising kids,” Jami says. “But once that mission is accomplished, then yes, I’ll
be raring to go. My daughter is 22 and my boys are 19 and 14. My oldest son is going to
take the motorcycle safety course this summer so that he and I can go on a trip. And
when he gets a bike, it’s going to be a Harley.®”
The sisters treasure their time spent at rallies and rides, and all of the friends they’ve
made at events in places like Daytona and Sturgis.
They also rode in a memorial ride for one of Jami’s best friends, who died of cancer.
But they feel closest when they’re out there alone — just them, their bikes and the curvy,
open road. “Honestly?” Jennifer says. “There isn’t a better riding partner in the world.”
Jennifer
Thorne
Jami
Brown
Mt. Pleasant, Penn.
Connellsville, Penn.
Age 38
Age 42
Occupation
Sales manager
Occupation Marketing director of
an open MRI and
ultrasound facility
Started riding
2006
Current bike
2003 Screamin’
Eagle® Deuce
When not riding
Works out
Favorite music
for riding
“Depends on the
mood, but usually
a good old classic
rock tune!”
Started riding
2000
Current bike
2006 Softail®
Deluxe
When not riding
Roots for the
Pittsburgh Steelers
Why she rides
“For both my mind
and my spirit.”
www.harley-davidson.com/womenriders
37
Events & Organizations
Yes, it’s
my bike
1
2
3
The experience
is one thing,
the rewards
are another.
Many events
raise money
for charity and
support great
causes.
What’s it like to
be a female
Harley® rider? Our
riders explain.
1.
Rachel Steele
“If it’s a pretty day,
I can pick up and
go. I don’t have
to call anyone to
say, ‘Can you come
and get me?’ ”
1-4 women’s
day ride
2.
3.
At the 2008
Daytona Bike
Week, hundreds of
Harley-Davidson
women joined
together in
Daytona Beach,
Fla., to raise
$67,000 for the
Muscular Dystrophy Association.
4
Kathie Hiatt
“I’m not afraid
to live my life.”
Stephanie Jones
“It’s wonderful just
to look out and
feel the wind and
the sun on you.
Just to feel in
control of what
you’re doing.”
4.
Lisa Wright
“The reactions you
get are priceless.
It’s fun to say,
‘That’s my bike.’ ”
5.
5 rock river
ridin’ to a cure
Meet us there Sometimes the adventure begins locally with
a friend or family member. Other times, you’ll be a part
of a motorcycle pilgrimage. Make new friends, share stories
or swap ideas — it’s all part of the experience. When your
style meshes with the kindred spirits you find on the road,
you’ll see what we mean by the community of riders.
Linda Morrisey
“It can replace
things that people
might have lost
in other parts of
their lives.”
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Ride proud
stumped about a word or term? check the glossary on page 42.
>Local events
Chances are,
there’s a ride, rally
or event near you.
Share your experience, make new
friends. Talk to
your local dealer
or check our Web
site for a searchable calendar.
>Rides
Own the road with
a few thousand
friends. Rides
come in all sizes
and locales. The annual Rolling
Thunder Ride
for Freedom in
Washington, D.C.,
for example,
pays tribute to
U.S. veterans.
>Rallies
Ask anyone who’s
been. Bike rallies
make you one with
the crowd. The
annual Sturgis and
Daytona rallies
are some of the
world’s largest — intersections for
thousands of bikes
and the individuals
who ride them.
Started in 1995,
this ride has raised
nearly $3 million
for breast cancer
research. Sponsored by the Rock
River H.O.G.® chapter and Wisconsin
Harley-Davidson,
it draws hundreds
of riders annually.
Get involved at
ridintoacure.com.
5
6
6 MDA summer
camps
Many riders volunteer their time to
interact with kids
at MDA Summer
Camps across
the country. The
Muscular Dystrophy Association is
Harley-Davidson’s
biggest charity.
There are rides for
MDA all over
the U.S. Check
mdarides.org.
www.harley-davidson.com/womenriders
39
Events & Organizations
A Proud Tradition
Learn how it feels
Pioneers on two wheels
Get in the saddle at your local dealership
at all-women’s Garage Party™ events.
In a comfortable, non-intimidating
environment, you’ll learn more about
motorcycling, meet the staff and get
to know other women interested in
riding. You’ll also make connections to
what’s happening in your area.
Customizing
Making your bike
fit you best is
one of the joys of
owning one.
Learn how the
latest parts and
accessories can
help you do it.
MotorClothes® Gear
See the latest in
helmets, leather,
boots and more.
Discover how
Harley builds
protection into its
gear, along with
fit and style.
Bike lift (below)
Handling the
weight of a
motorcycle isn’t
as tough as
you might think.
We’ll prove it with
a hands-on
demonstration.
Membership has rewards One million members strong,
the Harley Owners Group (H.O.G. ) motorcycle club realizes
the passion of riding everyday and nearly everywhere. With
chapters in your city or state, and all over the world, H.O.G. has
thousands of sisters and brothers to share passion on the road.
®
>Membership
Pins, patches,
rides, memories — a full H.O.G.
membership
connects you to
the riding network
of a lifetime.
>Local events
H.O.G. chapters
bring the culture
of Harley to the
edge of your driveway. A membersonly Web site lists
events near you.
>National events
Ride for a cause,
or just for fun — follow the sun to
pit stops, pin
stops and regional
rallies all over
the country.
What’s your dream journey? Get some ideas from other riders, then plan a trip with the Ride Planner on our Web site.
Carol More
“Anywhere with a
posse of women
riders. I consider
Sturgis a rite of
passage.”
40
golden west
Stephanie Jones
“Riding the Pacific
Coast Highway
in California is
definitely one of
my dreams.”
lower 48
Rachel Steele
“I want to ride
the continental
United States, maybe with a day
for each state.”
stumped about a word or term? check the glossary on page 42.
Meet Gloria
Tramontin
Struck, greatgrandmother,
true spitfire
and Harley
enthusiast
since 1950:
83
Years old
And her riding
career is still
going strong.
Today, Gloria’s
kids are proud
riders, too.
11
>Benefits
Besides the patches that prove your
mettle, members
enjoy exclusive
literature, travel
services and roadside assistance.
Rides of a lifetime
Rallying up
Wheelin’
in the years
U.S. ROUTE 66
U.S. ROUTE 1
coast to coast
Lisa Wright
“Let’s head west
on Route 66 from
Chicago all the
way to California.”
Linda Morrisey
“I’d like to see
Route 1: ride
my Harley North
from Key West,
Fla., to Maine.
Jami Brown
“I’d love to have
the time and
money to ride from
coast to coast.”
Rides to Daytona
Bike Week
Her first visit
was in 1951,
when Bike
Week was only
on Main Street.
Back then her
motel room cost
$3 per night.
10
Harley bikes
58 years after
her first one,
Gloria is the
proud owner of
a 2004 Heritage
Softail® Classic.
it was the early 1900s, and women all over America
were gathering around motorcycles to organize a
few leisurely Sunday afternoon motorcycle rides and
even plan long-distance trips. The pages of HarleyDavidson’s Enthusiast® magazine included the story
of mother-daughter team Avis and Effie Hotchkiss,
who in 1915 rode a motorcycle from their home in
Brooklyn, N.Y., all the way to California — and back
again. Before the age of the automobile, it was the
time for riding.
“The Enthusiast Girl”
in 1929, Enthusiast magazine featured Vivian Bales,
a young woman who’d decided, with the extra money
she’d made as a dance instructor burning a hole in her
pocket, to buy a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and see
what she could of America.
She was 5 foot 2 inches tall, 95 pounds, and ready
for whatever the road was going to give her. Bales’
first trip was a 300-mile trek to St. Petersburg, Fla.,
with her friend Josephine Johnson. But that was just
a warm-up for her 1929 trip, when, with the blessing
of Enthusiast, she traveled north from Florida on a 45
Twin D. Taking the scenic route, she traveled for 78
days and covered nearly 5,000 miles. No wonder she
was the magazine’s cover girl.
“The First Lady of Motorcycling”
a legend among women riders and motorcyclists
in general, Dorothy “Dot” Robinson began working
in her father’s Harley dealership in 1912. She married,
bought the dealership, and moved it to Detroit by
the early 1930s. She was winning rough-and-tumble
endurance races by the end of the decade. She won
Michigan’s Jack Pine Enduro in 1937, then came back
to win it again three years later. Robinson was also a
founding member of the Motor Maids, an organization which to this day is dedicated to uniting women
who own and ride motorcycles.
“The Motorcycle Queen of Miami”
known as “the motorcycle queen of miami,”
Bessie Stringfield was the first African-American
woman to complete a solo, cross-country ride. Just 19
at the time, Stringfield went on to ride through the
lower 48 states, and later to Europe, Brazil and Haiti.
1
2
Courtesy of The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum
Motorcycle
orientation
You’ll get a brief
introduction to all
the models in the
Harley® family and
an overview of
the motorcycle’s
controls.
Women have been a proud part of our tradition since Harley-Davidson began.
Five in particular prove that riding has always been an empowering experience.
3
1 “the Enthusiast Girl,” Vivian Bales, holds a trophy
commemorating her 5,000 mile u.s. Tour. / 2 Dot Robinson, far right, was “the first lady of motorcycling.”
3 In 1930, Bessie Stringfield became the first AfricanAmerican woman to ride solo across the U.S.
It wasn’t easy for Stringfield. “If you had black skin,
you couldn’t get a place to stay,” she once told a reporter. But she persevered, and during World War II she
joined a motorcycle dispatch unit, traveling back and
forth across the country carrying classified army documents. Like her fellow women riders from history,
Bessie Stringfield’s story is one of pride, curiosity and
the desire to break the mold. They were all pioneers
on two wheels.
www.harley-davidson.com/womenriders
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