This Rider Bought A Sport Bike At Age 50 With Zero Riding Experience And Could Not Even Ride It Home But Calls It One Of The Best Decisions Of Their Adult Life

Most people spend the lead-up to a milestone birthday thinking about cake. Gina, who rides under the name Ginger Dash, decided to spend hers on a sport bike. She had no riding experience at all, and on the day she bought it she could not even ride it home. Looking back, she calls it one of the best decisions she has ever made as an adult.

A red and black sport motorcycle parked on a quiet street.

Gina tells the whole story in the very first motovlog on her YouTube channel, Ginger Dash Moto. She starts by answering the question she knows everyone is asking: what in the world was she thinking, buying a motorcycle at 50 with absolutely no riding experience?

From the Back Seat to a Big Idea

Gina’s only time on a motorcycle had been as a passenger, probably fewer than 20 times in her entire life, and always on sport bikes. She loved it, but there was one thing she did not love. She had no control over the bike.

Then, in January or early February of 2020, she rode as a passenger with a friend, and she says it reignited all her excitement about motorcycles. When she got home that night, she said out loud to nobody in particular: why can’t I have a motorcycle? What’s stopping me? She admits that talking to yourself might be a sign of insanity, but adds that she “didn’t even get a participation trophy.” Those, she decided, were legitimate questions.

A Birthday Present to Herself

With her 50th birthday approaching, Gina decided to treat herself. She had considered owning a motorcycle before, but never seriously. This time the timing was different. At this point in her life, she says, she is only responsible for herself. Her son is grown, has his own career and lives overseas, where he is serving in the military. That meant the decision was hers alone to make.

So she bought the bike. Because she did not have a motorcycle endorsement, had not taken a motorcycle safety class and did not know how to ride, she could not even drive it home. When she says she had no experience, she means “zero, zip, none.”

The timing turned out to be strange but lucky. She bought the bike about a month before the pandemic really kicked into high gear. If she had waited, she says, she would never have bought it. That would have meant missing out on a bike and an experience at a time when activities outside the home pretty much disappeared.

The Three Questions That Made Up Her Mind

Gina says what finally settled it was a short list of questions she put to herself.

If not now, when?
Do you want a motorcycle? Yes.
Can you afford a motorcycle? Yes, as long as it is really inexpensive.
Do you feel confident you can learn to ride? Yes. She never doubted for a second that she would be able to learn.

Meet the Rider Behind the Helmet

The first motovlog is also a getting-to-know-you session. Gina lives in central Florida, where she has been for 25 years, after being born and raised in western Maryland. That means, as of that year, she had spent half her life in each place. Most of her adult working life was in administrative jobs. She also spent 10 years in the restaurant industry, mostly at the management level, and says the best job she ever had was two years as a radio morning drive personality, on the air from 6 to 10 every morning with a partner. She has done theater since she was young, too.

She describes herself as an introvert who will talk your ear off once she is comfortable, which she admits is a challenge when most motovlogs run about 10 to 12 minutes. She watches a lot of motovloggers, especially women, and says she loves supporting women who put themselves out there. Along the way she points out the scenery of her home area, which is horse country, with thoroughbred farms, cows and plenty of flat, quiet roads. She jokes that there are no “twisties” in Florida.

And yes, she knows it was not a perfect first video. She had not checked her memory cards well, so her camera filled up, and she promises the next one will have two camera angles.

If You Want to Follow Her Lead

Gina’s story is encouraging, but you will want to go about it a little more carefully than the very first step she took. Here are some practical ideas if you have been thinking about riding yourself.

Take a motorcycle safety class first. Gina says it was one of the things she had not done when she bought her bike. A class teaches the basics in a controlled setting, with no pressure.
Check your license requirements. To ride legally, you generally need a motorcycle endorsement on your license. The rules vary, so ask your state’s motor vehicle agency what it requires.
Plan how you will get the bike home. If you are buying before you can ride, line up a friend with a trailer or ask the seller about delivery.
Start on quiet roads. Gina describes her home area as flat horse country with scenic little roads, which is a gentle place to learn.
Ask yourself her questions. Do you want it, can you afford it, and do you believe you can learn? If the answers are yes, you may be closer than you think.

Gina’s message comes down to the question she asked herself that night after her ride: what’s stopping me? For her, the honest answer turned out to be nothing.

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