05/12/06
- First Female to Win Jeremy McGrath Scholarship Announced in Las Vegas
Mary Morgan and MMI Team Up for Third-Annual Scholarship Program
Mary Morgan, of DeKalb, Ill., became the first female to win the Jeremy McGrath Scholarship when the seven-time supercross champion made the announcement at the Amp'd Mobile World Supercross GP/Amp'd Mobile AMA Supercross Series finals at Las Vegas' Sam Boyd Stadium May 6. The Jeremy McGrath scholarship will cover tuition for the 57 week program at Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI) for Morgan in 2006-'07.
Interested mechanics submitted an application and a two-minute video expressing why they should receive the 2006-'07 Jeremy McGrath scholarship. A panel of MMI executives narrowed the 60 best entries down to six and McGrath viewed the six competitors' videos at the Seattle stop of Amp'd Mobile Supercross the week before Las Vegas. McGrath narrowed the group down to three finalists and conducted phone interviews with them before choosing Morgan.
"It's time to see women technicians bring their talent to this level of racing," said McGrath. "Mary has the passion, the drive and enthusiasm to be successful. With her training from Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, the sky's the limit."
Last year's winner Eric Savala finished his Jeremy McGrath Scholarship at MMI and went on to work for professional motocross/supercross Team Subway Coca-Cola Honda Racing.
"We are excited to be working with Live Nation and Jeremy McGrath on this scholarship program," said Terry Emig, director of event marketing for MMI. "We've seen great things happen with the other winners"
"MMI has been a great partner to us over the years, and the MMI / Jeremy McGrath Scholarship has served as the perfect way for us to give back to the sport and to the racing community," said Ryan McSpadden, Vice President of Sales for Live Nation. "We are looking forward to continuing this incredible program in the future!"
For more information about the Amp'd Mobile World Supercross GP/Amp'd Mobile AMA Supercross Series, please log on to www.supercross.cc.com.
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Racing - Not just for the boyz anymore. Do you tend to race the other students at track school. Take the tight
turns with ease and smoothness. Do you try to touch your knee on the ground when powering onto and out of
your local highways ramps. Maybe you’re ready. Maybe you were born for it. Speed, endurance, stamina and immense skill and concentration. Check out the nearby club racing scene, get involved.
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Touring - Some women do for the speed of the track while others do it as a weekend recreation. Touring touches
a whole new aspect of skills. Endurance is the factor. To the elements, to the pysical stamina and to the simple
unexpected chance happenings of being on a motorcycle for miles and miles. For those of you who may
have a passion for travel and sight seeing,well, check out sport touring, adventure touring or basic touring.
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Dirt - Dirt bike is a great way to go on two wheels. If you are a new rider it’s also a great way to learn the
dexterity of a motorcycle. It gets you ready to hit the road as well as offers a world of riding in itself. From
woodland trails to motocross courses. Slide through and jump over. This can be one of the more physically challenging ways to ride. If you are athletic and like to play hard this is definitely the way to go.
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- Are you and your girlfriends looking for a cool place to get away on a bike for a weekend? How about a getaway in Central California that includes 10-acres of flat tracking and motocross riding and racing on dirtbikes? How about a getaway that includes instruction by seven-time national champion, Rich Oliver? Intrigued? Then you need to check out Rich Oliver’s Mystery School.
These one-of-a-kind unique courses are taught throughout the year in Auberry, California, just outside of Fresno. All of the courses are taught in the dirt because practicing in the dirt is the best method to improve your riding, regardless of where and what you ride. You will learn how to slide sideways around a corner, how to brake slide into a corner, how to use the throttle properly to spin the rear wheel and much, much more. Because the training bikes are light, they push you to ride them correctly. Once you learn to control a motorcycle on the dirt at a safe speed, you can take that knowledge and experience and apply it to whatever you ride or race.
As long as you have a minimum of four students, you can choose a course date that fits your schedule. For more information, visit www.richoliver.net or contact us at (559) 855-3089. Mention motosavvy.com and receive an additional $25 discount per person.
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| I am the Co-owner/Publisher
of Backroads Motorcycle Tour
Magazine along with my
husband/partner. I have been
riding for 13 years, mostly
street, though an occasional
dirt road won’t throw me.
Backroads has kept me busy
for the past 10 years, traveling throughout the country
and around the world. My
current rides include a
1999 Ducati M750, a 2002
BMW R1150R and my new Honda 919. |
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I’ve wanted a bike ever since
I can remember. Growing up
in Brazil, most of my friends
had bikes. We’d go for rides
around town, and all I could
think was WOW, this is cool.
Its funny to think back and
remember how it seemed
like we were going sooooo
fast on those 125cc bikes. I
remember it was the most
exhilarating thing in the
world and even though I was
only 13 or 14, that feeling
never quite left.
My bike of choice:
BMW R1150r |
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I started riding around the
age of 23. I noticed that I
was always looking for a
guy with a bike to give me
a ride. Then, someone
suggested that I learn how
to ride. The idea never occured to me.
My father enrolled me in the MSF school,
my Ben and Jerry’s icecream
binge quickly followed. I ended up
opening my own school and
made a documentary about
woman riders called
“Motorcycle Diaries”.
My bike of choice:
996 Honda Superhawk |
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“The first time my pegs
scraped the track, I picked
up my foot as though I had
been scalded. The bike
reacted to the change in
balance instantaneously
but sailed through the turn
anyway. The rub ran like
an electric charge up
my leg straight into my
heart. Cool. At the next
turn, I was disappointed
that there was no sharp
jolt and I vowed to lean
over more”.
My bike of choice:
1993 BMW K75 |
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BACK ON TRACK by Sherri Daley - I ride with a motorcycle club. I am the only woman. I first started riding with them about five years ago when I was researching a magazine article. They invited me to ride with them, never dreaming that I would show up.
They were polite, but not exactly warm, and I was unsure of myself. I hadn’t ridden since I was kid, and I was terrified that I would embarrass myself or they wouldn’t like me, so I kept quiet and tried to keep up. There were three groups: the A-group that rode real fast and who I never saw after we took off, the B-group who rode at legal speeds, and the guys who were willing to ride with me. I showed up regardless of the weather and soldiered on through rain and frost and hairpin turns until they finally decided that I was ok. By the end of the third
summer, there was no need for the third group: I could keep up with Group B. Last year, a friend called me at home and asked if I wanted to go with some of the guys to attend the Superbike Racing School. He was only asking the regulars. He had only to refer to me as one of the regulars to make me agree to anything. I would have walked barefoot through a barnyard of steaming cow dung for him. I sent off a check for $300.
There I was looping through the S-curve, squinting at what appeared to be some kind of obstacle at the end of the last turn. When it got close, I suddenly let go of the throttle. Had there been someone behind me, he would have run right up my rear wheel. What looked like an obstacle was a solid wall of tires, and the road turned a clean 90 degrees to the right – twice. At the second turn, the outside curb was painted with little white stripes, and the road went straight up into a stand of evergreens, into the clouds, and soared off into nothingness.
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Tip#1 - You can never practice too much (braking, cornering, swerving). Be confident, but don’t take anything for granted. Remember that your only protection is your skill, and whatever you decided to wear that day. Take only the risks you’re willing to live with. Take classes - MSF, track, dirt – anything that can help you ride better and with intent.
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Tip#2 - Know the balance point of your bike and the height will matter much less, if at all. Practice slow speed
maneuvers while remembering that a bike under power will not fall down. Stay informed about your ride – read books, research online, talk to other riders.
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Tip#3 - Tire pressure. Underinflation is the leading cause of flat tires, and completely preventable. Go by what
your Motorcycle Owners Manual says it should be for YOUR specific bike. If you ride in NYC (ie, pothole central), you may want to put in a couple of extra pounds so you don’t dent your rims (very expensive to replace). Another bonus is that proper inflation means your tires will wear more evenly, last longer, and save you money. Blingbling.
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Tip#4 - Stay focused. Don’t give up on the bike, their limitations go way beyond what our brain tells us
(in a lean for example). Use your senses. Motorcycling is a lot about what you see - but its also about how you feel. Sight and sounds become important when determining if you should be in this lane or that one for example.
Or, if you should be pulling over instead of riding the extra 100 miles just to get there. Be sure to listen to your intuition, sixth sense, guardian angel or whatever you want to call it.
Riding tips by Miriam Romais Chief MSF Instructor
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