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Q & A with Liz

How long have you been riding and what do you currently ride?

Liz - I have been riding for 9 years. I started as a street rider, mostly sport-touring, but 5 years ago I bought a Kawasaki KLX 250 and now you can’t get me out of the dirt! I split my time between my fully set-up 2022 KTM 300 XC-W TPI woods bike and my 2015 Suzuki DR-650.

How did you first get interested in riding a motorcycle?

Liz - I was happy riding pillion for many many years, but then my husband got a bike with the most uncomfortable passenger setup, so I decided I’d be better off getting my own. I certainly didn’t intend for riding to become an obsession, but here we are.

What is your dream bike?

Liz - It sounds corny but I just purchased it! A brand new KTM 300 XC-W TPI with a WP closed-cartridge suspension all set up for my weight and riding preferences. I’m coming off of a small-bore 4-stroke enduro bike, so 2-stroke life is a whole new world for me! And it’s oil injected – so no fuel/oil ratio calculations or anything – the bike knows how much oil to inject based on how hard you’re riding. I’ve got two races under my belt with my new woods-weapon, and I’m excited to finish out this season strong!

What is the farthest trip you’ve done on your motorcycle?

Liz - Does putting an enduro bike on a trailer and driving it cross-country to ride Moab and Colorado count? If not, then the furthest trip I’ve taken was 6 days touring So-Cal on an R1200GS for a total of 1800 miles. Nothing like going from the rental location to lane splitting in five minutes. We hit some amazing roads –everything from Palms to Pines to Malibu canyon twisties to the Trona Pinnacles.

Where would you love to visit on a motorcycle?

Liz - I would love to rent a dual sport bike and travel across Mexico.

What is your most memorable experience on a motorcycle to date?

Liz - A quarter-of-a-mile from the top of Mosquito Pass just outside of Breckenridge, Colorado in an angry lightning and hailstorm with a burnt clutch. We were 13,000 feet above sea-level and so close to the top, but we couldn’t get any grab to make it the rest of the way! We had to turn it around and coast it down before we could adjust the cable enough to make it back home. Despite the treacherous conditions, the view was amazing, and there’s really nothing like having to problem-solve in the elements. It’s only an adventure when plans go sideways.

Do you prefer group rides or solo rides?

Liz - I prefer solo rides – I race East Coast timekeeping enduros. If you’ve never raced an offroad timekeeper before, it’s essentially an entire race against yourself and the clock. I could race an entire 6-mile test without seeing another soul, and I love that. I find that riding solo helps me get into that meditative flow state.

What is the toughest thing you learned on a motorcycle to date?

Liz - Hah – how to use my front brake off-road. When I first switched from street to dirt, everyone told me to stop using my front brake (which I’d successfully use trail-braking, etc. on the street). Flash forward to an accidental fistful of front brake on a gravel road, a tough crash, and a broken ankle, and I’d all but signed off on using my front brake in the dirt. But in order to go fast, I realized I had to be able to stop fast, and in order to stop fast, I needed more than just a rear brake. The toughest lessons to incorporate into my skill set were those around successfully using that front brake in the dirt – just enough to aid in cornering, but not too much so that I’m washing out the front.

Name an inspirational riding figure you look up to, and why?

Liz - My hero is Laia Sanz, a Spanish motorcycle racer. She’s finished the Dakar rally 11 times. Did you know she just won her 14th World Trial Championship title, after an 8 year trials hiatus? She is just a legend, and I love how she represents women as true contenders among a field of mostly men.

What’s your advice to newer riders?

Liz - Seek out some sort of class taught by someone who is not your significant other or friend. We love our people, but there is value in learning from a true educator within an objective context.  Instructor’s lessons are appropriately scaffolded, they layer in helpful context, and they do so with an outside lens. And once you have those lessons under your belt, by all means, snag some tips from your friends and family. But arm yourself with knowledge that you can call your own while you fold in those tips and tricks.