Well, I did it!! I graduated to a V-Twin Engine TODAY!

I thought that I was going to buy a Honda Shadow Aero but,… the fit of the Yamaha V-Star Custom was too good to be true. When I sat down on her I fell for her!! This is me and "Stella," which is Italian for starlike. -- Susan

That's Sandy and me, sharing the joy that all women riders understand! -- Petra, VTwin Mama

Unfortunately I 'put it in storage' in February of this year and two nights ago theoretically there was short in the wiring under the seat which combined with high winds caught fire and burned my bike to a crisp.  The good news was we save the barn.  The bad news is that I did not have insurance on it.  I am heart broken.  But here is the bike that I once 'had'.  I hope someday to be able to get another one. -- Kris

The first picture of me at one of the first petrol stops, I am counting my money.  Bike looks good huh?   It was stripped, re-sprayed, and then polished to within an inch of its 20 year old life!   A very nice Christmas present, wouldn't you agree?

For the first time back on a bike after an interval of at least 22 years, I did very well.   We took it slowly, taking 3 days to travel the 1,400 kilometers to Cape Town.  The route we followed was the main route to the Cape, and the traffic was pretty heavy, being the holiday season here.  That was not such fun.  On the way home from the Cape, we took another route, and that was much better - fewer cars and not many trucks at all.  We also took 3 days to get back home.

I found the concentration required when riding is far more than when driving a car.  I was always aware that some silly ass in a car might decide to stop suddenly, or pull out in front of me.   The last bit when we reached Cape Town, was, for me, not fun - we caught the four o'clock traffic and that was rather daunting.

However, I find my confidence has increased ten-fold, and now when I take the bike out, I am just that much happier on it.

The second picture was taken one of the beautiful scenic routes that follows the coast into Cape Town from the north eastern side.

I must tell you, that it was not the arms that got tired, or the butt that got sore, but the incredible heat we encountered.   I reckon, with the wind factor, the temperature rose to about 40 degrees Centigrade.  In fact, I committed the cardinal sin of taking my jacket off - it was just too too hot!

I also found that there was quite a lot of interest shown in the 'lady biker'.   One woman we met at one of our stop overs said that she had always wanted to ride, and she was so impressed with my baptism of fire - Johannesburg to Cape Town!   So, I told her to go for it - follow the dream, one is never too old.

Then, a fella asked me how old I was, and that he also wanted to have a toy like mine when he grew up.  He called his wife over and said (all in Afrikaans) that this woman is 51 and look, she is riding a motorbike!

So, I was quite a talking point at the petrol stops!   The petrol jockeys were also amazed at this woman on her bike! Oh, the bike did not miss a beat in all 1,400 kilos.  It went like a bird!

The third picture is me on a lonely stretch of road, after leaving the main route from Cape Town to home (Johannesburg), without my jacket because it was just too, too hot!   Also, traveling at a sedate 110 km/hour (that is faster that your speed limit of 55 mph). -- Megan O'Donnell (Henley On Klip, South Africa)