Newest Rider on the Road
On and off for Christina
Friday 6th May was International Female Ride Day for women motorcyclists. This now 5 year old global event celebrates women’s passion and enthusiasm for riding and invites them to get out on the first Friday in May to “just ride”.
One who needed no invitation is 15 year old Otumoetai College student Christina Cameron. She started off behind her dad on the pillion of his road machine but since the age of 9 she’s had her own hands on the throttle controls doing dirt bike riding on MX tracks and trails around the area and mounting the podium in local race events. “I perhaps didn’t have a choice at the beginning” she says, “but I really love motorcycling. I just love the adrenalin.”
Good as all this has been, life got even better for Christina a couple of months back. She turned 15, got her learner’s license and, thanks to Dad, acquired a new Honda CBR125 ! She now has 2 wheels for both on and off road riding. She must be Tauranga’s newest lady motorcyclist on the road.
And how different is it? “I was so happy with the CBR that I kind of focused on it and only it for the first couple of weeks,” Christina says, “and didn’t do any dirt riding.” “When I got back on my CRF150R I couldn’t believe how much more power it had. The CBR is definitely not a racer, definitely underpowered but I’m taking it pretty quietly on the road, just round town trips at the moment.” She admits that the road body position and handlebars are different but the skills she’s learnt with her MX riding – judging distances, passing and being passed, braking and throttle control – are all standing her in good stead.
Christina rides her motorcycle to school but for security reasons parks it at her grandma’s close by. There are other members of the 2 wheel fraternity at the school but they are all scooter riders (why? -no extra license required), except for one boy. “I’m the only girl but I think I’m the only “real” motorcyclist,” she laughs.
So where was Christina on May 6th? She was definitely on a bike but she didn’t ride to school. This was not a wimp out situation because of the atrocious Friday morning weather. No, she was competing at the Secondary School MX Tournament organized by the Hauraki Plains College at the Patetonga track.
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Check out the photo. You certainly have to be passionate and enthusiastic about motorcycling to ride in conditions like those.
