There are moments in your life when you need to jump off a figurative cliff. These are the watershed moments where you go from being a person who thought about a particular thing to a person who does a particular thing. So it was on a sunny morning in south west England that I changed my life by letting out the clutch of my 1974 Honda and riding out onto the road.
Bessie was the world’s first African American woman pilot, and the first African American to earn an international pilot’s license. Born in January of 1892, she entered our world with an innate yearning to “amount to something,” no matter the odds stacked against her. And those odds stood substantially against her, both as an African/Native American and a female of the South before the era of Civil Rights in America.
When life is a series of dualities, yin and yang, good and bad, loss and gain, how do you navigate the world under such grounding circumstances? Reflecting on a tough start to 2016 and a life flipped on its proverbial head... IVV has become a safe haven of inspiration, creativity and unwaivering support.
Danica lives in rural UK and is the newest member of the IVV family. After being diagnosed with chronic headaches, without a cause or cure, Danica's Honda CB125 has become a source of hope and freedom in a life defined by physical pain. Her quirky and honest accounts of her experiences will be featured here regularly as she strips apart her CB125 through the winter to get her ready to ride again, in all its cafe racer glory.
We’ve endured a lot since the idea for Rising Sun Workshop left my parents garage four years ago. The process has turned us into business owners, leaders, managers, directors, ball-busters, politicians, diplomats, activists… whatever it took to get through the gauntlet that is setting up a community-centred business. After a tough day I ask myself, "What is the real measure of success?"
Remembering a man for his easy smile, the pride he took in his land, his tractor and the warmth of his presence... made a little easier through this photograph.
I had grown up idolizing women, like Amelia [Earhart], that had infiltrated male-dominated fields, all while preserving their femininity. She was a pilot, a record-breaker, a fashion designer, an author, and much much more. But little did I know that the concept was groundbreaking in itself in context of our society. I just thought they were rad people doing rad things, and it was even cooler that they looked like me. I grew to aspire to be just like them.
For those of us who lived an observed life, we often draw many lessons from life on the road into life in general. IVV picked up this great article by Kristen Lassen who shares four essential motorcycling tips from her military father, beautifully laced into larger life lessons found by a girl navigating her way through life while strengthening a relationship with her hero.
Those of us who got into riding after our husbands, boyfriends, partners, lovers quickly work out that having them teach you how to ride can be a mine-field of death stares and arguments. Unless you’ve got an authentic peaceful relationship where communication between you is flawless then you needn’t read on (but please email me because I have many questions!). For the rest of us, the best thing to do is to ride with someone who won’t tolerate your attitude, a girlfriend or riding group (of women) really helps!
We’ve all been in those situations where we either try sound like we know-our-shit or default to playing dumb. Entering the gasoline scene can be daunting, especially if you haven't got a knowledgable friend to navigate conversations with. However the ego that surrounds gasoline culture is problematic for community building.
