Teri at age 11 wearing a motorcycle T-shirt. Could this have started it all?

When mom rode, it wasn't as common or socially acceptable for women to ride their own bikes. She even went on to take a small engine repair class and was featured in the local paper because she was the only female in the class.

Although it embarrassed me a little in my teen years, I secretly admired her for pursuing her passion. She looked great in her leather gear with her long brown hair gracefully blowing in the wind, and created quite a stir riding around the little Northern California town where we lived.

Teri's mom, Cas, stands next to her Honda Shadow 1100 all decked out in her leather gear.

Twenty years later, I got the bug and it was mom in whom I confided. Sure, I mentioned the idea to a couple of friends, but they thought it was silly so I kept it to myself.

I decided to take a class, and originally planned on attending with another girl I knew, but when it came down to it she backed out. Nervous as heck, I signed up for the class three times before I finally went through with it. I highly recommend that riders take an MSF course rather than have a friend teach them to ride as there are so many different things to learn, and it's much easier learning how to do something right the first time than it is to break bad habits.

Learning to ride was a total boost to my self-confidence and fed my independent side. Now, I enjoy talking about bikes and encouraging others who want to learn that they can do it too!

Living on opposite sides of the coast has proved challenging for my mom and I. We never got an occasion to ride our bikes together. But, last year while attending a rally in North Carolina, I got a chance to show mom the Ladies Edition Vulcan 900 Classic that bike builder Scott Britt loaned me. It hadn't occurred to me until then that it was the first time she'd seen me behind the handlebars.

Teri takes a break during a ride in Maggie Valley, North Carolina on a Scott Britt "Ladies Edition" Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic.

Mom has since hung up her helmet and given her riding gear to me, but she just might be using it again when she comes to visit and rides on the back of my bike. "Like mother, like daughter."

This article appeared in Issue 2 - 2009 of Accelerate magazine and is reprinted with permission. Click here to view the magazine in its entirety.

To learn more about Britt Ladies Edition Kawasaki motorcycles, visit BrittMotorsports.com.