DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Jade At Lake Quannapowitt
"Me and my friends kind of have a joke about our bikes: We ride it. It does what we want. No complaints."
- The Ride
- The Driver: Jade
- Vehicle in Question: 2004 Yamaha RI Sport Bike
- Spotted at: Lake Quannapowitt, 450 North Avenue, Wakefield MA 01880
- Odometer: 84,475
- Nickname: My boyfriend
THE DEFENSE
Q: That's one pink bike. What are you doing at Wakefield Lake?
A: The Wakefield Lake is where I meet up with the majority of people I ride with to go for a bike ride. When I first got my license, I use to ride with this kid. We would do laps around the lake.
Q: Can you tell me a little about the bike?
A: It's a 2004 Yamaha R1, which is a 1,000cc bike. I got it last April and I haven't really done much customization except for the customized heart-shaped exhaust. I also put halos in the headlights and painted it. Other than that, it is pretty much stock.
Q: Can you tell me about the initials on the back of your bike?
A: They're my friend Jimmy's initials. I'm originally from Chelsea and Winthrop. I met Jimmy when I I moved up to Tewksbury. He ended up being one of my really, really, good friends. He was in a motorcycle accident last July and died in September.
Q: How do your parents feel about you riding a motorcycle?
A: My dad rides and I ride with him all the time. He yells at me all the time. He says if I ever get into a motorcycle accident, he is going to kill me. If I'm dead, he'll make sure I'm dead.
Q: What made you paint the bike pink?
A: Pink and black are my favorite colors. This bike was actually going to be black with pink flakes. Then I got really excited and said, ya know what, just paint it pink. Why not? They also powder coated the pegs and brackets, and painted on pink pinstripes on the wheels.
Q: Did you do the pink lights before or after the paint job?
A: I had the pink lights on the side done when I put my HIDs--super bright bulbs--in. Then the pink halos were put in over the winter. My speedometer used to be blue and now that is pink too.
Q: Do you ever get slack for being a girl who rides?
A: Not really, most guys think it's cool that I ride. One time I was riding with some of my guy friends. We got on the highway and they started going slow because they thought I would go slow. Then I started going by them and they were like, ok, she can ride!
Photos and interview by Melissa Ostrow
View previous Defend Your Ride features as well as other great stories for people who love cars at CBSBoston.com/Autos.
