Women and their Motorcycles

Women and Motorcycles

Featuring by Sandy Bird

Karen Irvine

The Frozen Canuck www.thefrozencanuck.ca

Karen lives in Peterborough Ontario and if you haven’t already guessed, also happens to be the editor of A Taste of the Kawarthas magazine that she started with her husband in 2018. So it’s only fitting that Karen be the first riding story to kick off the new series, Women and Motorcycles. It will be an ongoing feature in the magazine.

Karen had a very unusual introduction to motorcycles back in 1984. She was owed some money and instead of getting the expected cash to pay the debt, it was paid with a 1983 Yamaha Seca motorcycle. She figured she should at least learn to ride it and make use of the unique form of payment.

“I remember listening to John Mellencamp on the radio, and would sing “I ride a Seca in the USA” instead of “R-O-C-K in the USA”.

Motorcycling got into her blood and the 80’s also kicked off Karen’s desire for drag racing motorcycles at Cayuga. She loved the rush she got from bracket racing and was really good at it with an impressive reaction time from .501 to .505.

As the years rolled by Karen moved on to riding a 1997 Harley Dyna Convertible in 1998. It was around the same time she got her Harley that she started a women’s motorcycle club with a friend. Quite a rare sight to see, as women on their own motorcycles were still a rarity at this time. All in good fun they took on the name “The Fallen Angles MC” and made up wacky rules. Besides all the shenanigans that these women liked to get into, they were dedicated to raising funds for charity by holding Show N’ Shine events. The club eventually ran its course and they disbanded in 2004.

Over two decades later she used her Harley as currency for a kitchen renovation. Her contractor, Kevin Corp, still has her bike to this day. Unfortunately for Karen that exchange left her bike-less for the next 3 years. But her desire to ride still burned strong and in 2010 Karen was back on two wheels with her Yamaha Raider 1900cc.

“Riding has always been my ‘AH’ spot. It’s the place I go when I want to clear my head.”

Originally a city girl from Brampton, Karen loves riding the highways. She has a tendency for the need for speed. Might have something to do with being a drag racer in her younger days. Her favorite route is heading up Hwy 10 to

Collingwood or to Wasaga Beach. She also likes heading north on Hwy 11 to North Bay. But since moving to the Kawarthas in 2005 she has settled into enjoying the laid-back country roads while taking in the spectacular lake views.