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Justynn Willingham
In May, we celebrate women who ride, and if there is anyone who deserves the spot light for advocating women riders, it's Alicia Mariah Elfving. Her website, aptly named after her own moniker "The Moto Lady", is a collection of all things motorcycle. She promotes a sense of community for female riders, giving gear and industry reviews, and gives a venue for aspiring riders to talk and discuss the best ways to break into this lifestyle.
When you peruse her website, you will find it hard to escape pics of her and her beloved Ducati Monster 750, which she overhauled from one end to the other. It was this build that actually caught my eye and caused me to start following her on Instagram (@motolady). Her dedication and determination with this build was inspiring and gave hope to someone like me who gets frustrated at the simplest mechanical set backs. Whether you're into cruisers or sport bikes, it's hard not to appreciate this bike from head light to tailpipe.
Alicia recently released shots from a collaboration she did with the motorcycle documentary team at Stories of Bike, so make sure to swing by her website for updates, and check out what she's doing to elevate women's motorcycle culture.
Ride safe
-Justynn
Hey y'all, as a part of this weeks Man Mountain take over, I caught up with guitar player Mike Reaume to discuss the Honda CX. Both Mike and Man Mountain bassist David Reaume own and ride the Honda CX, which is the 80 degree VTwin little brother of the Honda Goldwing series. After tearing it up on the back roads of south east michigan, we stopped for a drink and some food and talked a little about his go to bike
"What do you like most about the Honda CX?
How different it is. I love the transverse vtwin. Being that it is shaft drive and liquid cooled, it makes for a really fun ride.
"How do you feel about how the cx has taken over the CB to become the new Honda project bike?"
It really makes sense. It's just a different kind of motorcycle from honda and can be easily converted to about anything you want.
"What do you plan on doing to your cx?"
Swapping out to Mikuni carb kits and true dual exhaust. Eventually I want to switch to a tracker seat and strip it out to a scrambler.
"What bike would you get, money not being a factor?"
The bmw r9t. I just love the bmws. There is something so special about the boxer motor. It's a perfect blend of classic and sporty
Thanks for sticking with us all week for our Man Mountain take over, and don't forget to check out their new song here!
Ride safe
-Justynn
River Road Ice House New Braunfels, Texas, on Saturday March 28th hosted the second annual Giddy Up Vintage Chopper fest. Riders from all over the country rode in to experience a day sharing drinks and swapping stories about life on road the and bike builds both new and old.
The most notable of the builds was the breath taking 1969 Generator Shovelhead Chopper, built by Matt Jackson of the Austin Speed Shop, and a fully rebuilt Panhead motor built by Dan "Bacon" Carr at DC Choppers.
There is nothing more inspiring than being amongst a thousand strangers who can come together in the spirit of the classic chopper lifestyle, and treat each other as old friends. Check them out and make sure to save the date for next years Giddy Up!
Ride safe
-Justynn
The first bike I ever owned was a Honda CB750c. It was a cruiser, and at the time, not my taste, but I definitely loved it. From the moment that I parked that bike in my friends garage, I started tearing it apart. I grew up loving the look of flat trackers and scramblers, so I became acquainted with my bike, and got to work.
There were moments where I wanted to kick the bike on its side and just set it ablaze, and there were other moments where everything came together so perfectly. More times than not, the frustrating moments were the ones that have the most memorable stories. I was lucky to have friends that would come over and guide me or jump in and help tear down this bike, and rebuild it as I dreamed. This aspect of the riding community is one of my favorite parts: the stories of riding and brotherhood.
Every bike has a story to tell, and every rider has a handful of stories to go along with the bike, and the artists at Stories of Bike are passionate about telling those stories. Shot mostly in Australia, they beautifully document riders, explore their bikes, and talk about what drives their obsession.
Riding, for me, is all about the trip. Short or long, it doesn't matter. Two wheels, an engine, and the pavement underneath of you. You are connected to the road by nothing more than that. You see everything, you feel every bit of it. It means so much more than just getting from point A to B, it's an experience. There are days that all I could think about is getting off of work, packing up my bike and leaving for the weekend, just ride someplace new and discover.
What if you found out that there was so much uncertainty in your future, and being told by doctors that you wouldn't live to see 30? Aileen of The Moto Quest had to face that reality, and dealt with it head on.
Instead of letting tragedy hold her back, she decided to embrace life and move forward. She has chosen to pack up her Honda CD250U and travel the four corners. Her bravery to set out with no real plan, and to just follow the road to where it takes her is absolutely inspiring.
Please take a few minutes to check her out, and share her story with others