Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125807
... Trailing with a Teener We are seeing a new phenomenon in this country. For the first time in any generation, it is now considered socially acceptable for a nice, middle-class girl to ride a motorcycle. Not too many years ago, the idea of a girl who even rode passenger on a street bike was simply not acceptable in polite society. Within the last few years, the rate of social change and a more realistic view of what is, and is not, correct behavior in American society have brought about a tremendous change in attitudes. This fact, coupled with the ready availability of dependable lightweight motorcycles, has put young girls and more mature ladies not only on the backs of bikes, bu t at the handlebars. This includes not only the relatively few ladies with the competitive drive to race, but the casual family outing where females of all ages' and hackgrounds are puttinR around the terrain on machinery of (virtually) every displacement size. Your grandmother would have been shocked. Nice girls didn't use to do that sort of thing. Your granddaughter won't give it a second thought. Sh'e'll probably be surprised that it is worth ~ .a: Ii' ... ... N commenting on. But the tranSItIon in thinking and in participation in motorcycle riding, from a fringe group only a few years ago to everybody who indulges in family recreation, is happening righ t now. Riding a trail bike is rapidly becoming part of the young American woman's growing up, at least in the West, much like learning to play tennis or horseback riding. The barrier of affluence even seems to be crumbling as the bikes get cheaper and more people tum to active forms of recreation for relief from the pressures of society or the dullness of the everyday norm. Lisa Wright is a young California teener. She was pictured paddling her Puch across a puddle at Indian Dunes a couple of issues ago. The qu~tes are hers and, if not prOfound, reflect what an increasing number of young Americans, male and female, feel about recreational motorcycling. Her story is no different than that of thousands of other girls and, because of that, a potentially important story for motorcycling in America. Cl> ~. ~ :> 0 z fIl ~ W Z w ~ u >u "I have liked motorcycles since before I can remember. When my dad and older brothers went out racing, I would ride around on my minibke in the pits. After the mini, I got a Hodaka and that was a lot of fun. I could ride my friends around." "It's fun riding my friend around.. I like active sports where I can be doing something instead of just being a spectator:' "I love the new enduro. It handles great and I just cruise 'around. I don't get out of third gear. My dad gets upset with me because I go so slow that the plug oils up, but I think it's better than going too fast. I can change the plug, oil the chain .. .! guess I should learn the other stuff." USED PARTS ALL MAKES ~"'/O~..q~ 40"uto ~ ~~ Y..q -1?..q1y, Hodaka Montesa Carabela "~I . . -.. Motorcycles ~~ ~. ~ A , #IV ~ M I~~:'Sport Cycle GUY R. LOUIS SCRAMBLER MOTORCYCLES 60"" 1801 W. 8urbank Blvd. Burbank. Calif. 849·5907 or 845-8738 Ex. 7 off (714) 893·7057 7219 Westminster Ave., Westminster, Ca. a'I~11 a'I~11 .. .----HUT DOG!---" Cycle Nevvs HOT HATS ALLNEWI Only St.oo Cycle News Dept, CNP P.O. Box 498 Long Beach, Ca. 90801 Bazooka Pete says: HMmm, Hot Hat gOOd." DISPLAY ADVERTISING DISPLAY ADVERTISING DEADLINE WEDNESDAY A;I' !5prn MEANS I~ Dec. 6 for issue No. 49 on sale Dec. 13 ..'. 7241 Orangethorpe Buena Pork, CA 90621 ~ DEADLIN-=: PBNTON lalso Maico & Monark) (213) 427-7433 inYANNUTS (14) 521·2420 . Mike Patrick's YWHA of COIOU 14813 Oxnard St. 91401 1101 E, 61b ·ST. - COI'8lIa Frl. till 6, Sat. 7-5. Sun 7-2 FRELAN.,1NC. (213) 997·7301 Ole) 13i-1121 • COMPETITION SERVICE & PARTS STREET / DESERT / MX SETUPS DESERT GLASS TANKS $54.95 Fit 250/35Occ - Any Color KAWASAKI MX PEGS $5.95 I Open 7 days MonfThurs. 9-9 CYCLE CARE PRODUCTS (213)427-7433 TEAM CURMUDGEON WRENCHES WELL- 3009 L1NCOLN,SANTA MONICA (213) 3924131 I I