What drives motorcycle riders to drop everything to get on the road? To take the long way home or to spend whole days tweaking and tuning their bikes?
Currently living in Brooklyn NY, Leslie is a cross country motorcycling adventurer who works as a custom tailor and wardrobe stylist. Growing up with three brothers and a father who rides, it was only natural for Leslie to develop the same passion for riding.
For Leslie, riding is personal time where she can be herself, ponder her own thoughts, and rediscover what’s important in life. Through her experiences on the road, Leslie hopes to inspire others to get out and ride.
“Whether I get something out of it for myself or inspire someone else, then I feel like I’m doing the right thing.”
Her bike of choice is a Harley 883 Sportster.
Named after Leslie’s Grandmother, Francie has been the bike that really changed Leslie’s perspective on riding motorcycles, allowing her to travel outside of the city and opening her eyes to the possibilities of travel without boundaries.
“There’s something really, really romantic about the connection with your motorcycle.”
Last year, Leslie completed a solo cross country ride from California to Brooklyn and more recently returned from a 3 week motorcycle journey around the golden triangle of India.
After tacking up 9000+ miles over the last year, she has firmly cemented the bond between rider and bike.
Behind The Scenes
By profiling Leslie, we chose to focus on what it means to be a female rider, while presenting an iconic American motorcycle company — Harley Davidson.
Despite motorcycle riding often being stereotyped as a “masculine thing,” Leslie’s love of bikes and the freedom of the road have remained since childhood.
“I just want to do things because they are worth doing."
For Leslie, riding is a way to escape the pressures and responsibilities of the city and find “her own place of happiness.”
Watch the full episode here: http://alchemycreative.tv/portfolio/why-I-ride-ep-2/
Originally released July 2014