In an article in the Bergen Record in 2004 the following was written about Shari Ives the Founder and President of "The Riding Center"
Shari Ives does biker beautifully.
Her face is deeply bronzed, her black shirt says "Sick Chick," and on her calf is a colorful tattoo that matches exactly the custom tribal design on the back of her white Yamaha V-Star 1100 motorcycle.
Five years ago, her next door neighbor, a cop, was goading her: a gutsy girl who wanted to ride but didn't know how. Well, look at her now.
"Eventually I'd like to build my own custom chopper," she said, hanging with her buds from the Southern Cruisers Riding Club at the Tuesday night rally in the parking lot outside the Wayne Hooters.
While the motorcycle culture is still decidedly male - the DJ addressing the crowd used the term Gentlemen - women are joining the fray.
According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, one in 12 riders are now female and more are learning to ride.
"You could see half of them walk down the street and never in a million years would you imagine that woman is kicking butt on a bike," said the newest rider, Khris Ramella.
Shari Ives sat on every bike in the showroom before buying hers. She flipped through motorcycle magazines the way other women look through shelter books - ripping pages for a year before making a decision. She attended bike shows every weekend. She has picked out every part by herself and added purple neon accessory lights.
Freedom is the destination.
Bikers may be more mainstream now, but that doesn't change the sport's essence.
