Spotlight on Lady Riders: Lisa

I have enjoyed writing these pieces about our Lady Riders. Highlighting (Spotlighting!) their skills, accomplishments, and desire to ride helps connect us all as riders and expands the community of bikers.

Name:  Lisa Shepherd
Years riding:  16 years

What got you started?
My husband rode in his youth, and bought a Harley in his mid-30’s. While we envisioned weekend trips, reality of not being able to leave our kids home alone (ages 12 and 15) meant that I needed to ride so that we could go as a family. I took the MSF course and got a used 883. One of our most memorable trips was a 7000+ mile, 18-day excursion around the US in 1995, starting in Delaware, hearing west through South Dakota and Montana, south through Idaho and Nevada, then back east through Arizona, Colorado, and home to Maryland. We also shipped our bikes to Costa Rica when we moved there in 1996 and toured that nation for two years.

What keeps you riding?
I love the feeling of cobwebs flying away as I go down the road. I love the control and feel of the road. I love being able to see all around me, not bound by where the windows are. I love the smells of nature as I go by.

What would you do differently?
I would have started earlier!

I want to talk about your bike as well.
Model: Tri-Glide
Year: 2011
Modifications: Vance & Hines exhaust, performance chip, upgraded air breather, lift kit, pullback handlebars, passenger arm rests

Why you chose it: Our lifestyle is changing in retirement to be centered around full-time RV’ing with lots of riding. With age comes some physical limitations, and the trike allows me to continue to ride safely with confidence.

What would you change if you were doing it again? I would not install the faring-mounted mirrors. Otherwise, I wouldn’t change a thing!