Author then and Now | About the Author Jude Brady Smallwood rode her first motorcycle, a 250cc Zundapp, into a field. She had no clue where the brakes were and jumped off. Later she rode a 650 BSA Hornet, 750cc Honda, 900cc Harley Sportster, et al. Often wits and undying fortitude were her only currency to get help with repairs from reluctant dealers and macho mechanics. She learned to navigate through complex specs and manuals and decided to share her experiences with other women bikers. What started out as a how-to book exploded into a story of challenge, remarkable women champions, and amusing tales. So, hang on for the ride. It’s a doozy! | |
Amazing Women Riders Today When I rode I had the a sprinkling of resources far and few between, namely biker shops, magazines and library books infested with male oriented motorcycle opinions and demeaning examples of the women who ride with them. I ate a lot of garbage talk and disrespect back then. I cannot imagine how my female predecessors endured it in their day. Today motorcycle women sales dominate and are the largest growing market evolving. Years ago, when I tried to convey that “sleeping giant” market I was laughed out of the room. Girl Power is no joke now! Today there’s a TON of excellent blogs and publications by and for women riders on the Internet. Just start searching under ‘motorcycles for women’ only and BAM! | ||
A letter from the author Dear Reader: My saga trying to get Motorcycles for Women Only published is a book all by itself. I would like to share an abbreviated version of my trials with you and hope that you get the point: Never, Never, Never give up! When I first began to write MFWO I was only scribbling notes down detailing various riding tips and experiences to give my friend Kim. I was working 2 part-time and 1 full time job and had not even considered a book. As the notes developed into pages and pages, the seed was planted and I began hiring a typist to type them. I thought about penning a nice pamphlet for my few female biker friends. It was frustrating correcting pages over and over and paying for retyping them over and over. It was costing more than I could afford and I only got 50 pages into the book. It consumed any extra funds I had and reduced my food budget to a single daily serving for my dog and whatever I could scrounge from my waitress jobs. My refrigerator ...ReadMore |