Spotlight on Lady Riders: Lawry

Today’s spotlight shines on Lawry Crawford another of the Lady Riders at the local Old Glory HD HOG chapter.

My name is Lawry Crawford.  I began riding in 1971, when my then-boyfriend bought his 1972 Triumph Bonneville 650, first as a passenger and then, trusting me with his baby and teaching me, a part-time rider.  The intervening years brought a complete dearth of bikes into my life, so in total I’ve really only been riding for a little over two years (8 weeks in the present).  At the moment, my work keeps me from the bike during the week, but you’ll find me on it every weekend/holiday I can or the weather cooperates.

Back then, all our friends had motorcycles; Harleys, Triumphs and other brands, but I don’t remember them now.  I grew up riding horses (English saddle, hunter/jump) and a motorcycle gives me just a taste of that power and freedom.  A bike is much easier to control than a ¾ ton animal with its own mind, and is similarly exciting (read dangerous), if in different ways.  The feeling of freedom and the solitary nature of riding a motorcycle, even when in a group two hundred strong, is part of what keeps me riding.  The ride wipes all the daily stresses from my mind and I can truly enjoy the wind, sounds, sights, smells, etc. of the world around me.  I love the roar of the pipes and, frankly, knowing that I can do something that not everyone has the nerve to try.  I get a kick out of telling people I ride – they just don’t seem to believe that a 62 year old woman would even want to ride a motorcycle.  It’s a hoot!

If I could change anything, I’d have been riding continuously all these long years.  That being said, I recently bought my first bike; a 2014 Harley-Davidson Superlow 1200T; not the biggest bike in the barn/garage, but one that for now I find quite satisfying.  I can well envision moving up to a bigger bike in the next few years, but am going to revel in this one for a while.  I’ve modified it a bit: engine guards, LED lights front and back, a stage 1 upgrade (Vance & Hines pipes/exhaust, Kuryakyn air intake and a supercharge re-tune), bobber-style sissy bar, forward controls, and a solo Mustang wide touring seat with backrest in brown distressed-pleather complement the paint color (candy orange).  I’m investigating the possibility of re-covering my saddlebags in the same fabric.  With the exception of a matching passenger seat, I have no other mods in mind for the present.

I chose this bike because it ‘fits’ me; cruiser style and enough power without being too big… just feels right for now.  If it hadn’t been 42 years since I rode a bike, I might have gone with either a Viking Boardwalk or the H-D Breakout, both of which I really like.  But for the present, I need more road time before I feel ready for those bigger bikes.

So, if you see me ride by wave a hand and know that, even if you’re not riding now (or never have but wanted to), it’s never too late to start.  The open road calls and the wind is waiting for you.