Taste of AHRMA

https://youtu.be/sl6RH0X__Bs

Video credit to my brother Eric.

Winners Don't Always Finish First

Four years ago I went to AHRMA Vintage Motorcycle Racing to watch my friends Jason and Kerry race.  I had already been to Willow Springs Raceway for their open track days and I guess I anticipated that the experience would be similar.  Boy was I mistaken-- AHRMA is more than a race, it's a culture.  Aside from the cool vintage motorcycles on display and on the track, you'll meet a gang of fun and friendly people-- skinny-jean wearing hipsters, grey-haired veterans, tattooed millennials, cool chics, beer drinkers, families... anyone and everyone is welcome at AHRMA.

The race is this weekend.
Come to our camper, license plate ELMUCHO to chat and enjoy a Tecate with us!

The most distinct part of any type of motorcycle race is the roar of the engines.  I love hanging out at turn one where the riders come out of a straight-away to a 90 degree left-hand turn.  Standing there behind the fence you can hear the speed of the motorcycles, down-shifting in preparation for the turn. I especially loved watching them lean into the turn.  

That day was a very windy day in Lancaster so we decided to watch the race from inside of our Callen camper which was backed into the opening of turn one.  We could actually lay in the bed and watch the race through the opened rear door.  While watching the Sounds of Singles, we'd sit up as the racers sped by and then lay back down until they came around again.  I noticed that minutes after the group of racers would pass there was a rider who was far behind.  I thought how amazing and courageous for this man to be on the track even though he wasn't as fast as the others.  I think it was about his third lap when I was inspired to enter the race the following year.  So although this racer was in last place, he was a winner to me. 

The Making of San Diego Girl Garage

I started riding motorcycles five years ago when my boyfriend took me and my daughter to a beginner off-road motorcycle class at the Honda Education Center in Colton, CA.  That day was the beginning of many moto adventures.  I immediately was hooked and could not get enough of riding motorcycles.  It consumed me (and still does).

Since then I've ridden and owned several dirt bikes, street bikes and vintage bikes.  I enjoy adventuring on dirt tracks through places like Utah and Baja, cruising back routes through the local mountains and speeding on the Big Willow race track.

Last year I started taking basic motorcycle mechanics classes to learn how to fix my own motorcycles.  I decided to do this after my engine seized on a track day.  When we got my moto to the garage, I felt helpless because I had to rely on others (my guy friends) to help me fix the problem.

Through all these experiences I've run into other Girls that also ride motos but never having the time to connect.  I'm looking for others who shares the same passion about riding, learning about motorcycles and wrenching on them.  I'd like to provide an opportunity for Girl riders to get together to chat about motos, learn about motos, and ride together.  And so, I came up with San Diego Girl Garage, a San Diego meet-up for women who are interested in motorcycles, at any level from those who haven't ridden yet to the experienced rider.

The San Diego Girl Garage blog will journal many of my motorcycle adventures, including those with the meet-up.  Please follow me as I share in the next couple of months some information on what I've learned in my motorcycle mechanics classes,  watch me through the process of re-building the engine on my '71 Honda CL350 and fun times at this year's AHRMA (American Historic Racing Motorcycle Assn.)