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FAST THOUGHTS FROM JESSICA LEE

Tuesday April 8th, 2008

Life of a Highschool Racer- Why your kids should ride

In highschool, you’ve got the preps, jocks, nerds, the party girls, the emo kid, goth girl in the corner and who knows what else. You know what kind of people I’m talking about. Everyone knows that the football player is the jock or any other sports player at school but what is the motocross kid? See, this is something that never fails to amaze me. Most of us racers hate school and would rather spend 24/7 riding (nothing wrong with that) and are never in class but somehow we manage to become the topic of conversation. Yet, we still aren’t “labeled”. Someone asked me the other day “well what are you?” I looked at them with a puzzled face because why would I want to be labeled?

I’ve walked through school hearing “oh look thats that dirtbike girl” or “wow I heard she’s pretty cool and rides fast” by people who do not even know a thing about dirtbikes. You become a legend around you’re school when you do something like MX. I think it will always be the baddest sport on the face of the earth.

Being a racer during highschool is a blessing and a curse because at times you “forget” that term paper that was due or use the old “my dog ate my homework” kind of excuse because you just had to ride that night. I’ve been there and know how that feels. What is it that makes us put what we should do last and bring motocross to the front of the line? Is it just because we love to ride or do we actually believe that it’s more important than getting an A? Luckily, my dad grew up racing so he knows exactly how I feel at times. He’s let some things slip and has taken me out of school early to go practice because I had a race coming up that weekend. Nowadays, I’ve switched from going to a normal highschool to a performing arts school that is for students who have a career. I have a college like schedule where I go to classes 4 days a week for a few hours.The rest of the time I spend training and racing. Bet you’re jealous huh?

Most MX kids are home-schooled or try to get thru regular classes with that urge to ride everyday. We don’t really feel the need to go to every party, prom, homecoming or whatever else. I’m pretty sure I can speak for most racers when I say this, honestly we’d rather ride or hang with our riding buddies. My prom is this weekend which I’m excited about but at the same time I know it will be weird because although I do have a lot of friends at school they aren’t really the people I would normally hang out with. So, I’m going with my riding buddies!

Motocross seriously isn’t just a hobby it’s a truly is way of life. Anyone who races knows what I’m talking about. It’s kept me from doing things that I would regret like drugs or alcohol or going to huge parties every weekend. Yes, my friends and I can be reckless or crazy but we would never do anything to get in serious trouble. We all know that trouble means no riding. That would be worse than not “fitting in” because we didn’t go a party. So parents, if your kids are the least bit interested in riding I would highly suggest you get them into it. The pros out way the cons by a long ways. It may be dangerous but pain only hurts for a little while and memories last a lifetime.

I can promise you that it will be one of the best things your kids have ever done. This is coming from a girl who has gained self confidence and friends that will last a lifetime through the great sport of motocross. With all of this said, take your kids out to some trails or a track and see how they like it. I mean, you love it don’t you?

Here are some pictures of some of the great times I've had with the friends that will last forever; my motocross buddies.

Friday March 7th, 2008

Daytona Supercross Craziness!

Every weekend, we hope to see a very exciting or unpredictable Supercross race. Honestly, I don’t think that the world’s best psychic could have predicted what happened tonight at the Daytona International Speedway. Daytona, FL’s weather forecast called for rain, rain and more rain; all day long. So, what do you get when you mix hours of rain with fresh dirt, the best motocross racers in the country and a night race? One of the most gnarly, muddy supercross races ever.

With the forecast calling for rain you would think that Daytona or AMA officials would decide to cover the track with tarps to prevent as much mud as possible but nope. The track got drenched all day long. By around 6:30 PM they decided to run the race without all of the pre-race ceremonies to get everything going before the conditions got worse. Although, I don’t think it helped much because the rain didn’t stop. By the time for the main event the track looked more like a miniature lake than a supercross track. Having a track cluttered with stalled or stuck bikes and yellow flags makes for a great show but the actual racing is what made it so amazing.

Rookie Trey Canard who has only raced 3 supercross races in his whole professional career performed outstandingly tonight. Taking first in both qualifying and the main event in the Supercross Lights class showed that Canard has more than what it takes to pull great results in the ultra competitive world of pro racing. Canard had almost a full 15 second lead of Ryan Villopoto throughout the whole race. With conditions as bad as they were, most riders rolled over any large jump or rhythm section but not Trey Canard. He hit everything with confidence like the muddy mess didn’t even faze him!

During the Supercross Main so many crazy moments happened that it’s hard to explain. As the night went on the rain became worse and worse. So when it was time for the big guys to line up at the gate the seemingly “normal rain” turned into what I would call a torrential down pour! Chad Reed pulled a great start and led most of the race followed by Kevin Windham (K-Dub). Chad Reed cut corners on the track twice during tonight’s race. I’m surprised the AMA hasn’t already said something about that. During the race Windham’s bike sounded like it was having motor problems; top end problems most likely. His bike finished the race but Reed’s bike stalled out in the last lap. Chad Reed was so angry that he left his bike on the track, walked past every fan or team member and straight into the pits; never taking off his helmet, gloves or anything. At the end of what looked to be like a straight shot for Chad Reed, Kevin Windham won followed by Davi Millsaps!

I guess you could say, wait no I KNOW you could say this race was unpredictable at the least. As a rider, my opinion is that I would hate to have ridden through what these guys did tonight. It did look fun but I can’t even imagine how strenuous it had to have been. I gained so much more respect for the rookie and the veteran tonight! If you missed the race and want to watch it, look for it to broadcast on Speed Channel or look for pictures in the BIkeland Gallery!

Posted by Jessica @ 10:53PM - Permalink - 0 Comments
Tags: supercross mud daytona international speedway

Thursday January 31st, 2008

My Opinion On Motorcycle Crashes

It’s simple, a car is bigger than a motorcycle so when the two collide who do you think will win in the end? A bike may be able maneuver through traffic and fly passed all the cars but most car drivers are not expecting a bike to come speeding by. No matter if you’ve been riding for 50 years, you still have to always be on the lookout for the guy on the cell phone in traffic.

Not too long ago here in Central Florida four riders have been either killed or seriously injured. Most of these recent accidents involved a bike/car collision. One of them happened close to my house at a busy intersection when a truck and trailer pulled out in front of a sportbike. The bike crashed right into the back of the trailer; the rider wasn’t wearing a helmet. Unfortunately the rider did not make it. The 3 other crashes happened on the busy Interstate 4 when 3 bikes riding late at night lost control. I’m not too sure about what happened with those crashes but I am pretty sure that one of the riders got hit by a car. It’s just really sad.

This kind of thing happens all the time, all over the country. I do agree that bikes need to slow it down sometimes, but most car drivers need to pay more attention instead of putting on their makeup, drinking coffee, or talking on the phone. Another thing that bothers me is that here in FL local law enforcement is taking “reckless” motorcycle riders to jail but not being as serious with drunk drivers! Which do you think is worse? Most of the time a motorcycle hitting a car won't kill the family of 5 but a drunk driver behind the wheel of a pickup truck very easily could.

I say it's time to start preventing accidents. I think everyone will agree with me when I say that going down hard on the street is every rider's nightmare. Now, I know I don't ride on the street or have my motorcycle street license but I have many people close to me who are avid sportbike riders. Yes, wheelies are fun and exciting but also dangerous. Going 120 on the highway seems like the right thing to do but unfortunately for all the speed demons out there; it's not. So next time you go out for a ride please try to keep it calm around high traffic areas and keep an eye out for all the crazy soccer moms in minivans!

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Posted by Jessica @ 10:28AM - Permalink - 1 Comments
Tags: motorcycle crashes

Sunday December 23rd, 2007

Stolen CRF 50F Pit Bike (updated)

Hey everyone,
Somebody stole my 2006 CRF 50F pit bike a few days ago out of my garage. It is really special to me because it was the first bike that I actually had a part in building. I have so many great memories on this bike and really want to get it back. So please if you can, help me out in trying to find who took it or where it is. We have the title and everything still; we have proof its mine.

My bike had these mods done to it:
BBR Handlebars
BBR Red Rims
BBR Pipe
BBR Front Forks
Disc Brakes- front and rear
Two Brother's Swingarm

This 50 is one of a kind. It was custom built by my dad and I.
It's in Central Florida.

If you see it or think you see it, please do not hesitate to contact me about it!

Thanks,
Jessica Lee

Alright guys, I got the bike back yesterday afternoon. The police found the bike at a man's home with the VIN numbers shaved down and glue all over them. This bike meant so much to me and I'm so happy to have it back in my hands!

Posted by Jessica @ 9:08PM - Permalink - 3 Comments
Tags: stolen pit bike

Monday November 26th, 2007

Gear That Will Outlast Even The Toughest Of Riders

Life is oh so tough being a motocross diva in a world of sweaty ugly guys but Fly Racing makes it so much easier. With their 2008 Women’s gear line up you can show off your stylish but tough racer chick attitude. Fly’s gear is bright, comfortable, and fits perfectly. It also has a few things that make it different from any other. Seeing Fly’s gear was love at first site.

Fly Racing is a fairly young gear company but they are steadily making waves and putting hits on big names like Fox Racing or Troy Lee Designs. Infact, one of Fly’s designers came from TLD. I’ve never really taken a look at Fly gear but after visiting their headquarters in Boise, Idaho and seeing just how cool this stuff really is, I knew I had to try it out.

Fly didn’t have a women’s line until now. With Fox, Thor, and Answer all ahead of them some might think it would be hard to jump right in but not for this company. Fly realized that women riders are definitely not like the guys. We like to show femininity and style in everything we do. Plus we want it to fit right and want our gear to be as safe as possible.

Down here in Florida it’s perfect riding weather. So, I went riding yesterday wearing Fly Gear instead of my normal Fox Racing jersey, pants, and gloves. As soon as I slipped the pants on I knew there was something different about it. It actually fit perfectly, and that’s a surprise because I’m petite (5 ft. and 90 lbs). The pants weren’t too long or baggy. I also liked that they had a zipper and button in the front opposed to some of the other waist closures. Not only that but I had plenty of movement in them. As far as the jersey goes, it was the most comfortable yet tough jersey I’ve ever worn. Even Fly’s gloves fit my small hands great comfortably and were tough. Fly Racing's womens gear comes in either pink or blue.

I like to ride hard so gear that is tough means a lot and after riding through about 12 miles of whoops going as fast as I could the gear held up! I’ve worn other gear that starts to wear out around the knees when you grip the bike with your legs. That’s not good but Fly’s gear held up through it all. In total yesterday I rode about 20 to 25 miles at full speed. The gear kept me cool and allowed a lot of movement. The gloves didn’t tear or cause me to have blisters. From now on, I think I will only be wearing Fly Racing. I’m definitely convinced that they have some of the best gear out there. Lets just say the gear held up even though I didn’t!

(As you can see the gear held up...but I didnt)

Hopefully, you’re convinced now too because trust me on this ladies, you’ll love this gear. It’ll add a little pizzazz to your riding style and may cause you to get a few looks while you fly by! You can easily purchase Fly Gear from you're local bike shop that works with Western Powersports or you can go online to flyracing.com for more info!

Posted by Jessica @ 8:50AM - Permalink - 1 Comments
Tags: Fly Racing Motocross Gear

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THE AUTHOR

Jessica "Motogirl" Lee is a 17 year old motocross racer and journalist. Born into a family of motorcycle enthusiasts and industry insiders, she has been riding and nurturing a passion for motorcycles from the age of four.

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