I am in the June edition of American Motorcyclist!
Last night I got my copy of American Motorcyclist – the official AMA magazine - in the mail and was delighted to see that they had published the article I wrote about my x-country ride last summer. :) They did a few minor editing changes, all of them pretty good, cutting down my long sentences to short, choppy ones. The only edit that made me chuckle was the one where they changed my sentence about chatting with other bikers over cups of gas station coffee and cigarettes to just coffee. The only thing that I’m not too pleased about is the generic, vanilla photo. I also had a drivers’s license photo moment where I did a doubletake and went – “Holy crap, is that really what I look like?” :P. I did a photo shoot with them for almost an hour and I’m a little disappointed that you can barely even see my gorgeous bike in the photo that ended up with the article.
Ah well, minor points those. I mean hey something I wrote got published in only one of the biggest motorcycling publications in the United States! Not to brag or anything, but a new writer coudn’t ask for more! :) *pumps fist* :D
Click the image for a larger version of the article, or here for a .pdf version. Unfortunately the magazine isn’t available for purchase at a newsstand. You need to be an AMA member to get a monthly subscription.
Really enjoyed your story in the AMA Mag – well written and fun to read. Too bad about the edits. From where did you acquire the fuel tank dent?
Thanks! The dent is from an old trackday crash. About time I got around to fixing it.
Nicely crafted piece Rashmi! I just got my AM magazine tonight (east coast) – for reference. Thanks for sharing. Motorcyclists are people of tremendous insight; it’s a real treat when one can articulate their experiences so well. Oh, nice website too. I need to scan it over to see if you have any recommended NW routes. My brother and I will be touring Washington & Oregon this summer.
Ciao,
Gary
Thanks, Gary! :)
The PNW has brilliant riding! Very different from the East Coast, of course. I highly recommend this book to find some good routes: http://washington.destinationhighways.com/. Feel free to drop me a line if you need any recommendations for your trip planning.
Thanks for the DH Washington link! Looks like a great guide, they should publish one for every state. I just found your Washington touring write-ups too. Great stuff!!! Do you have an email link?
Agreed that they should have one for every state!
Hi, just wanted to say enjoyed reading your article in AM and found my way to your website via the address listed at the bottom. As I navigated your site I realized I remembered seeing you post on ADV. I’ve lurked there for years for the info and cool ride reports. Read the entire Alaska ride post late last night including taking the time to enjoy all the photo’s. Glad Sara was along to take some…But, I can totally relate to not wanting to stop for pics..It’s nice to see a “chic” that doesn’t mind getting out there and hanging it out a little..ha. Anyway, nice article, congratulations, and neat website. I’ll be checking in form time to time to see what further adventures you get into on two wheels. Stay safe.
Nice article in AMA mag. Next time you are in NH please look us up. We have some beautiful country and some great roads/rides in NH just like our twin state does. :o)
Hey Mike and Scott, Thanks for your comments! :)
I’ll be sure to return to New England sometime. There were too many roads that I didn’t get to ride!
Kudos on the piece in AM and a fun website you have here. I’m an MSF instructor in Tacoma and Renton and am always looking for links to turn my new riders onto. This is going on the list. Good friend of the amazing Colleen of dantesdame.com fame, too. One of my favorite things about traveling by motorcycle are the subtle odors of each area. It’s something the car driver totally misses. But nothing says you’re home more than the smell of the alder and evergreens in Western Washington, IMO! Cheers, -BRU
Hi Bruce, Thanks for your comment! It’s been a looooong time since I took my first MSF class. :D I don’t know Colleen personally, but of course I know about her and her blog was a big source of inspiration for me too. Hmm… I should probably add it to my blogroll if I haven’t already.
Yes to the odors in each area. I’m still trying to figure out what plants I smelled while walking amidst the Badlands in South Dakota. It was really distinctive and nothing like what we have here.
Hey, just read your article. In June of 2006 I was scheduled to speak at a conference in Vancouver so I shipped my Road King to Bellingham WA and spent the next few weeks riding back to upstate new York. I had the time of my life. Everyone I met greeted me with the same enthusiasm you speak of in your article. Sometimes it got so bad that people would block me in an intersection in some small town and proceed to tell me every adventurous thing they had ever done or were planning to do. A few years back, the AMA rag had an article about a mother daughter two-up team that rode across country; the daughter’s perspective ended with her proclaiming that she would do it again in a heartbeat. I remember thinking to myself “me too girl”.
@Steve: Thanks for the comment! :) I remember that article about the mother/daughter pair and thought it was awesome! :)