Nurse didn't give up on dream motorcycle
has worked as an emergency department registered nurse for more than 20 years. She is proud to serve her community as the emergency services liaison for in San Rafael. When she's not saving lives, she's out riding her motorcycle or planning her next adventure.
When I turned 50 I decided to learn how to ride a motorcycle. Being an emergency department registered nurse,
Severe Weather, Hail and Torn, I was aware of the risks, but I was determined nonetheless. I had worked at motorcycle races decades before and had always loved the track, hearing the whine of the engines and watching the racers fly by. My husband was perplexed but supportive.
I took a safety class and bought my first bike, a Ninja 500. The day I bought it,
Navy Looks To Purchase 37 Mil, I remember thinking it looked gargantuan. Had I made a terrible mistake? My trepidation, however, soon turned into total infatuation.
Eventually, I graduated to a larger bike but was still on the prowl for my dream bike. In September of 2010, I visited the San Francisco BMW dealership and saw the BMW R1200GS. The minute I settled onto that seat I was hooked. I couldn't afford it, but I couldn't stop thinking about it.
Obsessed, I went on the hunt for a used 2010 model. I wanted it in red with a lowered suspension. My requirements made it almost impossible to find, but I kept the faith. I cruised eBay and Craigslist for months. Every time one came up for sale, I was outbid by the same East Coast BMW dealership.
By July 2011 my hunt intensified. I had committed myself to a cross-country road trip with some firefighter friends. Starting on the West Coast, our group would be joined by other fire departments from across the country. We were all riding to New York City to take part in a ceremony honoring the victims of 9/11 on the 10th. I needed this bike.
In a final desperate bid, I called the East Coast dealership, "Max's BMW." Max answered. I told him he was making my life difficult. He started laughing, "I own all three dealerships in the Northeast. I make it my business to buy these bikes." I told him what I was looking for, and it just so happened that he had one in stock - a red 2010 R1200GS with a lowered suspension.
I didn't even try to bargain. In a mad moment, I bought the bike and a plane ticket. A few days later I found myself in Brookfield, Connecticut, being cheered out the door by the entire staff of the dealership. They'd never had anyone fly in, buy a bike and ride it solo back to the West Coast.
I rode through a heat wave near Chicago, stopping every 50 miles to soak myself (and garnering more than a few stares) with water hoses at gas stations. Even riding through days of rain, hail and lightning, I still found myself grinning and enjoying the roads of Iowa, Nebraska and Wyoming as I cruised home. It was a great adventure.
A few weeks later I was back on the road, heading to New York City. We raced across the U.S.,
Wall Street closes lower on A, covering 600 miles a day. Each night, more and more riders joined us. There were 1,500 of us by the time we got to New York. We rode into the city in formation to pay our respects. It was a solemn and touching day - one that I will never forget.
Since then, I've added another 20,000 miles of adventures to my bike, and now I even have a great riding partner. My husband decided to renew his motorcycle license and is enjoying the roads with me on his beautiful 2009 Triumph America.
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