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They aren’t rebels. They are professionals. Most of them are in their forties. They are homemakers, businesswomen, wives, mothers and grandmothers. And they are members of a Wichita motorcycle club.
If those demographics don’t quite fit your image of the average ‘biker,’ you haven’t met the women of the Krome Kitty Motorcycle Club.
“We are such a cross-section of ladies, who are themselves so diverse,” says Janice Friedman, co-founder of the group. “I might never have known them if not for the bikes.
“We aren’t rebels, we’re professionals,” she continues, with a smile. “We’re edgy, but not ‘over the top’ edgy.”
The road to founding the KKMC wasn’t bumpy, but there were a few twists and turns. Janice and Lori Resnik, co-founders, shared a common man in their life -- as Janice’s husband is Lori’s boss. For some time, the women lived near each other as well. Their interactions consisted of house-sitting, neighborly visits, and office Christmas parties, but they didn’t have a close bond. Each had a husband with a bike, but neither
rode themselves.
That all changed when each decided to give riding motorcycles a spin.
“I could never really relax on the back of my husband’s bike,” confesses Lori. Then one day she noticed a confident woman riding her own bike, and the desire to ride solo hit. “I thought, ‘Damn, she looks hot, I want to do that.’”
Janice, who insists she is “not the outdoorsy type,” was inspired to take lessons after seeing women riding their own bikes.
Not that their love for riding is based on looking good – although their group’s Krome Kitty logo’d tees and accessories (available at www.kromekitty.com) are “amazing,” they say. Designer Chris Parks created the stylish cat, and the founders “can’t imagine another logo.”
But it isn’t all about looking cool. After all, says Janice, ‘do-rags’ are not an accessory - they are a necessity.
“For some women, it’s only about the image of a woman on a bike. That it’s ‘cool’ and they like that more than the actual life,” says Janice.
“Unlike us,” fires back Lori, “who just can’t wait for the next ride.”
Both took formal lessons, and strongly recommend them for anyone interested in the hobby. For less than $500, they advise, new riders can learn the skills, try out different-sized bikes and – even better – learn on borrowed bikes with borrowed helmets. They both agreed that the best course of action was to complete lessons prior to making the big investment in a new or used bike.
“It’s not exactly a cheap hobby,” says Janice.
Once their own bikes were purchased, and many practice sessions on parking lots, neighborhood streets and, eventually, on busy streets and highways were completed, the two women connected over emails about their new hobby. And an idea to found an all-women’s motorcycle club was born.
“We stole our husband’s hobby and made it better,” says Lori, shooting a devious look to
her counterpart.
After laying the groundwork for the Krome Kitty Motorcycle Club, the two ladies spread the word. They just knew they weren’t the only women in town enchanted by the freedom of the ride and the thrill of the right bike, and they were right.
By the end of KKMC’s first riding season, the club had grown from just the two founders to a group of 25. The Krome Kitty Motorcycle Club continues to hover at around 25 members, which both founders say is just perfect. The group can easily average 10-15 motorcycles per ride and the smaller numbers allow for closeness between the women and ease of
group management.
There are no complicated rules for the KMMC, nor are there officers and elections - and the co-founders like it that way.
“We don’t want to make things complicated,” says Lori. “Too many rules, and I think it would suck the fun right out of it.”
Janice agrees. “It’s all about keeping it light,” she says.
One thing the Kitties do not take lightly, however, is safety. According to the ladies, the only real rules for the group are about safety.
Safety is paramount to the group. Rules on their website state that riders who don’t have two years of current riding experience are required to successfully complete a certified motorcycle safety riding course within 12 months prior to joining the Krome Kitty Motorcycle Club.
If you’re showing up for a ride, you’d better make sure you have on the proper riding gear as well.
Janice, a helmet wearer herself, says, “We like to encourage others to wear proper riding gear. It’s their own choice, however, and their own call to wear a helmet. It is up to each individual.”
Otherwise, members are expected to follow the rules of the road, both legal ones and common courtesy. Oh, and following the speed limit is a must.
“We’re not about speed,” says Janice. “We’re about touring.”
Lori agrees: “There’s not a lot of showboating that goes on in our group. It’s about enjoying the ride and building relationships along the journey.”
Riding seasons include scheduled rides on the third Sunday of each month during April, May, June, July, August, September, and October -- weather permitting, of course. Each “Kitty” has the chance to take a turn in planning a monthly Sunday Ride using the ABC’s of Touring Kansas.
The ABC’s are a simple but ingenious method to help the Kitties plan trips to specific destinations. Each member takes a turn in selecting a town in Kansas that starts with the next letter. For example, the Kitties have traveled to “A” – Abilene, “B” – Beaumont, and “C” - Council Grove. The member in charge of selecting the destination also plans the travel route, where to eat, and what to do in that town.
Occasionally, the journey will include a cookout or picnic. Lori and Janice described a memorable trip where member Jan Brock produced a “full meal from her saddlebags,” says Lori. “Jambalaya and dessert for ten people and she cooked it all from things she had in her saddlebags. It was amazing.”
It’s an easy, comfortable routine that the women have enjoyed for three full years now. They face the heat, rain and sometimes even freezing cold to take their Sunday rides. Fairs, historic landmarks, interesting businesses (the Cobalt Boat Factory in Neodesha) or events (polka
dancing in Hays) are frequently scheduled into the itineraries.
“And shopping - there are almost always shopping trips involved,” says Lori. “And food. It’s fun to find the best restaurants in all the little towns.”
The Kitties love food, and also have scheduled dinner runs known as Meow Mixers (“It’s more food!,” says Lori) on the first Friday of each month for the riding season. This not only provides an opportunity to socialize with other Kitties, but also to address KKMC business matters, including the destination of the next Sunday ride. One off-season event is generally scheduled, as well. You guessed it – it’s a dinner.
But in the long run, it’s all about the ride, and every ride is unique.
“I loved them all,” says Lori. “My favorite ride changes all the time. They are all different, there is something special about every ride – who is on the ride, what happens, the people we meet, or even the weather.”
Rides, relationships and creating memories – perhaps the best reasons the two ladies could have had for founding their group.
Jan Brock says it best on the group’s website: “It’s knowing that at the end of the ride, the tank may be empty but the spirit is full.”
And for the Krome Kitty Motorcycle Club, the spirits will continue to recharge monthly on the open road somewhere in Kansas.
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