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Where are you from/where do you live?
I was born during a blizzard in North Dakota, 60 miles from the Canadian Border. Presently I live in an Adobe house in the desert in far West Texas, 25 miles from Mexico.
How long have you been riding?
Over 50 years.
Do you ride to work?
Well, I don’t have work now. But when I was a teacher, I rode 50 miles round trip to my high school in all kinds of weather. And now, every year on Ride to Work Day, I find a way to Ride.
First motorcycle?
A blue Yamaha RD250.
Current motorcycle?
I have two. My red BMW R11RS with 416,000 miles on her odometer that Paul gave me for Mother’s Day back in 1993, and a red BMW G310 GS which was presented to me by my mechanic and lover, Paul, to celebrate our 50th Anniversary.
Why do you ride?
Why do I breathe? Because my heart and my mind require it!
You're famous for wearing red suits, why did you decide on that?
Back in the 70’s the only protective motorcycle gear I could find was black. I knew that as a young mom it was really important I do not die. Since everyone knew motorcycles were dangerous, I knew I needed to be seen. On one trip to the mall, I saw a red leather Michael Jackson jacket. I bought it and quickly cut off the fringe and epaulets and wore it till it wore out. Later Paul found red leather bib pants, and even though I thought they were too expensive, he insisted I have them. My students loved me as Mrs. Red, so even when I wasn’t riding I’d wear red somewhere. . . It’s worked so far. No one has run into me!
How many miles have you ridden?
Over 1 Million 100 Thousand miles - 1,770,000 kilometers - (certified by BMW Motorrad USA) all accident-free.
How did you accomplish this?
I started really slowly. My first 100 miles were all in our rural farmstead around the apple orchard and looping the house and barn. After that, the gravel roads around the area seemed safer than the pavement where there was TRAFFIC!
In my first seven years, I rode 11,000 miles. Then, as the kids grew older, I started riding more. And more. Paul had less vacation than I so I started riding solo. All over the US and Canada. By now I’ve ridden in all 50 states and all of the Canadian Provinces as well as five countries in Southern Africa and New Zealand.
In 1999, after having won the BMW MOA mileage contest four times without really trying, I set a goal to ride as far as I could in the 6-month contest. Turned out that was 73,660 miles - 118,500 kilometers! Including 72 consecutive days of 500 miles or more.
In 2011 Ardys Kellerman and I met at Red Mountain Overlook on the Million Dollar Highway in Colorado to celebrate being the first two women to reach that goal.
Who or what was your biggest influence in motorcycling?
Definitely my husband, Paul Glaves. It was his idea that I learn to ride so we could spend his two weeks of vacation touring and camping with our two kids. He bought a pillow speaker that attached to my CB radio and gave me real-time hints about what to watch for as we rode along. He always made sure that my bikes were fully serviced and had fresh tires.
What has been your experience as a female rider?
I’ve received overwhelming support from other riders: male, female, all brands. One of the highest compliments I’ve ever gotten came from a stereotypical Harley rider who watched me climb a gravel hill and declared “You ride just like a Man!"
What advice would you give to women riders?
Ride all you can. Read about riding. Train. Dare just a bit more than you think you can do. Actually, that’s what I’d tell any rider.
Aerostich-related or Aerostich-specific stories?
The first time I visited Aerostich was in 1998. I’d ridden Big Red to New York City for the opening of Art of the Motorcycle at the Guggenheim Museum and then joined a Rolling Rally of BMW Oilhead Motorcycles heading to our National Rally in Missoula, Montana. Andy (Mr. Subjective) opened his home to us and I just remember how humble and encouraging he was to everyone!
What is the best motorcycle advice or tip you’ve received?
Do it!
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Where are you from/where do you live?
I was born in Ohio, raised in North Dakota, and have lived in the great plains and Central US most of my life. I currently live in West Texas just north of Big Bend National Park. We spend most summer time spent riding in the US and hanging out in Kansas.
How long have you been riding?
I bought my first two-wheeler 65 years ago at age 14. It was a Sears & Roebuck 49cc Allstate moped. I have been riding ever since, except for a couple of years I spent as a car gearhead in high school.
Who or what was your biggest influence in motorcycling?
There are two answers to this question. One big influence was simply the fact that motorcycling provided both freedom and adventure. I could go places I otherwise wouldn't go. I think the person who influenced my riding the most was Reg Pridmore. I took my first on-track riding school with Reg in 1986 at Laguna Seca Raceway in California and then a few more times at Road America and Heartland Park Topeka.
First motorcycle?
My first was the 1958 Sears moped but then a 1966 Yamaha 250 scrambler.
Current motorcycle?
I currently have a 1994 BMW K75, a 1995 BMW K75 RT former police bike, a 2018 BMW G310GS, and a 1966 BMW R27. I have owned 16 BMWs, two Yamahas, one Kawasaki, and one Suzuki in addition to that first moped.
Why do you ride?
I began riding for the freedom it provided. Soon it was the adventure of going places. Now after 900,000 miles, it has become a passion and a way of life.
Tell us about riding with your wife, Voni.
Voni and I seldom ride with a group or more than one or two other riders whom we know well. We have now ridden so much together that we can usually guess what the other is doing or thinking without asking. Our riding styles are matched very well. Whether it is a short local ride or a multi-week trip we pretty much stay on the same wavelength. When Voni was learning to ride she went first and I followed, coaching her via a CB radio and pillow speaker in her helmet. Now I usually ride first. When people ask why, she smiles and says, "The MSF teaches that the least experienced rider should always go first."
What is the best motorcycle advice or tip you’ve received?
Always look where you want to go; not at what you are trying to avoid.
What makes you most excited about motorcycles and riding?
Going to places I have never been before. The best examples are the five countries in southern Africa and also New Zealand.
What was your toughest ride?
Probably the 1999 11-day Iron Butt Rally. But equally memorable was a late September ride in 1985. I left a rally in southern Tennessee in 80-degree weather, and headed to Kansas. Somewhere in the Missouri Boot Heel, I hit a massive cold front and it started to rain. I was not dressed for cold wet weather and my riding gear was not the best. Adding layers helped a little but not a lot. By the time I got home at Topeka, I was shivering and hypothermic. Voni stuffed me into a hot bath immediately.
Favorite Aerostich gear?
I have had three two-piece Roadcrafter suits. My current favorite is a Darian Jacket with Roadcrafter two-piece pants with the zip-on bib top. I also always have my blue Aerostich fleece sweater packed, ready to wear as an added layer.
Aerostich-related or Aerostich-specific stories?
I have two stories. One day I left work and stopped at a convenience store a block from my office to get gas. I went inside to pay. I was wearing my gray-green colored two-piece Roadcrafter suit. The clerk looked at me and asked, "What are you - some kind of paratrooper?" feeling a little snarky I shielded my mouth with my hand and whispered, "Task Force Delta. We are on a mission but you can't tell anybody." I left, got on my motorcycle, and rode home. I think he locked the door behind me.
I was riding with two companions on a narrow two-lane road along the eastern side of the Mississippi River in southern Illinois. It was a partly cloudy spring day right after Memorial Day. We passed two riders who had pulled over and were putting on their rain suits. I thought that was rather odd and we kept riding. Rather suddenly a thunderstorm began. It was raining hard. The road was along the river, swampy on both sides, and there were no places to safely pull off. I was wearing my Aerostich Roadcrafter. My two companions were both wearing leathers. When we arrived in Cape Girardeau, Missouri we stopped at the parking lot to sort things out. My shirt collar was a little damp. Their leathers were soaked and the leather pants were sagging on the suspenders. About this time the riders we had passed putting on their rainsuits rode by and smiled and waved.
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