Women and Motorcycles Featuring
Charlene Hinan
by Sandy Bird The Frozen Canuck www.thefrozencanuck.ca
Growing up, Charlene Hinan was no stranger to motorcycles. Motorcycles are a family affair that
was influenced by her father’s passion for them, especially for Harleys. His passion had her riding on the back of a bike since she could remember. “I had never considered riding my own bike.” When she received a gift certificate for a motorcycle course in 2003, her days of riding pillion would forever change. The motorcycle safety course gave her the confidence and empowerment she needed to venture out on her own. She was hooked on riding her own and has never looked back. That summer she bonded with her first bike, a 1990 Honda Hawk. She road alongside her Dad putting on the miles and honing her newly acquired riding skills. In 2007 she joined the family business at Classy Chassis & Cycles. It is based on her Dad’s vision of a friendly place for all riders and all things motorcycle. “Dad built for everyone the motorcycle field of dreams.” One of Charlene’s roles at Classy Chassis & Cycles is to lead group rides on her 2009 Harley Davidson CVO Road Glide. On occasion she is presented with the stigma that a woman is leading a ride, but her exceptional skills soon squashes those old-fashioned ideals. “Gender does not determine the competency of a rider. Years of experience and accepting the responsibility of the safety of your fellow riders while making it all fun is what counts.” Charlene is a seasoned traveller and has ridden on epic rides across Canada and the USA. Her adventures have brought her to exotic places like Hawaii and touring through Germany, France and England. As spectacular those rides are, her favorite place is right in her own backyard in the Kawarthas. She boasts that in any direction the scenic roads will lead to magnificent lakes and fabulous restaurants to stop at for a spell. “I have visited places on a motorcycle I never would have ventured to in a car, but on a motorcycle it is an entirely different experience, you smell the water, the fresh cut grass, you hear the wind blowing the leaves in the trees, you stop at obscure monuments, gas stations, motels and you meet the neatest people who tell wonderful stories and offer places for you to explore that you won’t find in a guide book.” When asked about her motorcycle gear, she insisted that she couldn’t live without her transitional glasses. When Page 32
Charlene (left) and friend, Collette, at Mount Washington
Leading a ride for Classy Chassis
riding from sun up to sun down, having glasses that will automatically adjust to the varying lighting conditions while out on the road is a must have. Keep in touch with Charlene: Facebook: www.facebook.com/usedhd.ca Instagram: classy_chassis_and_cycles
