GEORGE MOTORING NEWS - The days of girls perched precariously on the back of their boyfriends' motorbikes are long gone.
Nowadays, women enjoy riding their own silver dream machines as much as their male counterparts do. And don't think of that in terms of stereotypical hard-partying chicks who likes to pack a punch.
Accomplished women with serious jobs have taken up biking, and often own more than one motorcycle to suit their diverse needs. Such a woman is Michelle Reynecke, award-winning sales executive at the Mossel Bay Advertiser.
Wanting to get around independently, she owned her first scooter aged 16, while still at school.
Until recently, she was merely twinning with her hubby, as she puts it. "I have a KTM 390 Duke and Arthur a second generation KTM 1290 Super Duke, nicknamed 'The Beast' by other riders. The two bikes look very similar and on top of that are colour coded as well. When we got them we joked that we now have the same underwear as well.
Although husband Arthur often holds his breath, Michelle Reynecke no longer takes the backseat.
In the past the couple rode dual-purpose bikes. "Mine was just too big and uncomfortable. I actually rode Arthur's KTM 1290 Super Adventure R more often than my BMW 650 Dakar. So at the start of this year, we decided to sell my BMW and get something smaller and lighter."
Michelle says that the transition was a smooth one. "Going from old technology and top-heavy balancing on the BMW to the KTM 390 was a dream. Now, riding on my own and going on mini adventures is a lot of fun."
Riding on the back of her husband's bike made her want her own bike. Arthur taught her to ride on his KTM 1290 Super Adventure. "To me it was a massive bike, but regardless, it stuck."
Riding on the back of her husband's bike made her want her own bike.
She says that biking as a couple is fantastic. "It really is a great way of seeing new places and spending time together. Arthur says every time I get on my bike he understands how his mom used to feel when he got his first bike. But it definitely brings us closer. There is a freedom on the bikes and sharing the experience is just amazing."
What she enjoys most about riding is getting away from everything.
"No cellphones, no one talking, just your own thoughts and freedom. I ride with friends and often go to events with my husband and his club. They have church once a month and it really has been a great way of getting together with like-minded people."
She advises women considering buying a bike to trust themselves, but to know their limits. "Don't try to impress anyone. Ride within your limits."
On Friday 4 October Michelle took ownership of her brand-new baby, the latest addition to their two wheel family, the KTM 1290 Super Adventure.
"We have a definite love for the orange monsters. You won't catch me riding anything else again."
'We bring you the latest Garden Route, Karoo, Hessequa news'
