International AMA Women and Motorcycling Conference

Today I talked to Andrea Beach with Coach 2 Ride which will be hosting the dual-sport dirt bike portion of the AMA Women and Motorcycling Conference in Keystone Colorado taking place in August 19-22, Which I will be attending along with 3 girl friends, Cathy, from Plymouth MI, Jane from Hartford CT and Liz from Fort Bragg CA.
I was in a state of disbelief as I signed myself up for the Dual-sport portion of the conference, I never thought I would participate in dirt bike riding! But, after reading the discription in the AMA packet I received, and talking to Andrea with her infectious enthusiasium, I couldn't not go and the thought of listening to Cathy brag about how great it was all the way back to the Denver airport, would be too much to bare! So...I'm in, credit card committed!
This featured event is new to the Conference and I think, will be a big success among the attendees.

This will be the fifth International AMA Women and Motorcycling Conference so far, with the last being held in Athens Georgia two years ago.
This Conference is focused on women, but that doesn't mean, men are not welcome too.! :-)


This year Harley Davidson and Buell will be presenting the conference with Kawasaki, Yamaha and BMW also attending for dual-sport and street demo rides.

There will be a full schedule with four days of demo rides, informative riding seminars, a vendor marketplace and conference activities.

There will also be loads of entertainment, that will include a street party, a western themed "barn dance", an AMA presidents reception, and an opening and closing ceremony.

The activities sound great, but the main reason I am attending the conference is for the demo rides and the extensive seminars that will give invaluable information to the novice, as well as the expert riders. These topice are designed around the theme "Taking The Next Step" and are officially as follows:

Secrets of Veteran Riders: Lessons From the Road - a panel of veteran riders will educate and inspire other riders by talking about their experiences.

Solo Riding and Touring- Women who have ridden solo talk about what it takes to ride the road alone.

Preparing For the Ride: packing/gear/apparel- In a discussion group atmosphere, experienced riders share what it takes to pack and prepare for an extended trip.

Dealer Interaction- how to interact with dealers when buying a bike; pitch, negotiate and win!

Real World Street Strategies- How to safely manage dealing with obstacles and dangerous road conditions. From uneven pavement to tar snakes.

Dual-Sport and Adventure Riding- Sue Slate, from Kawasaki will be talking about why it's called "adventure riding." She will discuss how easy it is to gain a passion for this sport and how to get involved.

Accident Scene Management- will explain what to do in the event of crash, from treating those who are hurt to the legal aspects of an accident.

W & M Inspirational Seminars- Great inspirational stories such as, track days , long distance touring and adventure riding, that can help to take a rider to the next level.

Making Your Bike Fit You- Experts discuss new products that are available that can ensure a better more personal fit for you and your bike.

Motocycling Mentoring- A helping hand for new riders . What a better way to give back to the sport, than to mentor a newbie.

Ride Like a Pro- Jerry "Motorman" Palladino and Donna Palladino present their popular Ride Like a Pro class skills which give amazing results to making better, safer tight turns.

Survive Institute- This is about personal protection and self defense. Debbie Gardner will talk about how to survive a personal attack and properly use self-defense. An incredible empowering presentation not to be missed.

I am really looking forward to attending this conference and meeting some of the most inspirational women in motorcycling to date. Tigra Tsujukawa (AMA), Kim Knupp (Yamaha), Jan Plessner, Sue Slate (Kawasaki), Myrrh Davis (BMW) just to name a few.
One in particular is Genevieve Schmitt, editor of Women Riders Now, Scooter Riders Now and Trike Riders Now and on the advisory counsil for this event. I have known Genevieve for four years, but have not met her in person. I look forward to shaking her hand and saying "thank you" for she has been one of my biggest supporters of Style Saver Scarves in it's success.

Hope to see you there!
Cindi