Moto women to watch in 2017

A decade ago there were a few women making things happen for other women in the motorcycle world locally. You had your Motor Maids, Ladies of Harley… and… that was about it.

Today the percentage of women riders has increased in the sport from a national average of 12% to 14%, depending on where you get your numbers.

And there are a lot of women responsible, not just for that increase, but for the profile of women riders locally in general.

Let’s take a look at a few here in the Pacific Northwest.

Angela Goodman – As the wife of long-time Puget Sound motorcycle notable, Aaron Jennings, Angela Goodman doesn’t take a back seat in the family. As a rider and MSF instructor herself, she has been documenting local motorcycling through the camera lens for several years including several events and clubs including SheADV, the Rainier Ravens, and Touratech. Her photos have appeared in a number of moto magazines over the years. More recently she has been doing product photography for Konflict Suspension and Cyclops lighting systems. Look for a Rainier Ravens documentary later in 2017.

Tracy Jeffries – Anyone who has been around the ADV world of motorcycling in the Pacific Northwest, has surely come across Tracy Jeffries. Her local profile began as an instructor for Puget Sound Safety several years ago. Eventually she went from street rider to dual sport rider and has been on the hunt for the gnarliest roads ever since. In recent years, she has worked with Touratech to coordinate the vendors at their Plain, WA, event and this last year she lent the same expertise to Sound RIDER! during the Rally in the Gorge event.

Kara Keels – The MotoFit Group is a track time company out of Portland that puts together track days around the Pacific Northwest. The long-term strategist behind the company is Rob Burch, but anyone who has done a class knows who’s in charge when they arrive at the track - Burch’s wife, Kara Keels. Keel keeps the show going, managing the minute-by-minute schedule, making sure riders stay hydrated, and coordinating the most important part of the day – the evening pot luck.

Lanakila MacNoughton & Becky Goebel - Lanakila MacNoughton is a photographer in the Portland area and runs an organization called The Women’s Motorcycle Exhibition. Together with her partner, Becky Goebel, the pair run one of the largest rallies for women in the Pacific Northwest – The Dream Roll, which began in 2015. Each August they take over the Flying L Ranch near Mt. Adams and run a three-day ride-and-play event. The event nearly doubled in its second year and will likely grow again this year. Sorry guys, you won’t make it past the gate.

Ericka Turnbull – Ms. Turnbull’s entrance into motorcycling is an odd one. She wasn’t a rider, but one struck her car while she turned left at a light (he was ok). She decided she needed to learn to ride, and did so upon moving to the Pacific Northwest. Her quest for other rider friendships eventually led to the formation of the Rainier Ravens, an all-girl motorcycle collective (although we’ve seen guys in the party pics…). In 2016, Turnbull authored her story for the now defunct Puget Sound Motorcycle Rider blog. When the blog shut off the lights, Sound RIDER! picked up the article and immortalized it into our archive. Reader and social media response was quite strong and we hope to run future articles from this up and comer.

Shalmarie Wilson and Stephanie Terrien – This duo paired up several years ago, learned how to adventure tour and have been busy riding every BDR they can get under their belt ever since. In 2016, they worked together with Touratech to operate SheADV.com, a resource for women riders to learn about adventure touring with the help of other experienced women riders. For 2017, look for them to be popping up at a number of rallies, training camps and tours around the US.

SR/January 2017