HH: How did you land this dream job?

Susan: Believe it or not, I was asked! I still don’t know why the paper wanted to add motorcycle coverage to the paper, but someone up on high decided it was a good idea and the editor of the section asked me. I think the paper wanted someone who was already on staff, the higher-ups liked the idea of a woman writing the column and they liked my writing. It’s funny that I was asked, actually, because I wasn’t riding motorcycles at that particular moment in time. I’d had a kid three years earlier and had pretty much stopped riding, but I think there was some sort of institutional memory here at the newspaper that dated back to 1998, when I didn’t have a car, was a daily rider of my Ducati Monster, and used to stomp in to work every day with my jet black hair, platform boots and motorcycle leathers.

HH: You inject a lot of personality into each review, which has expanded your readership well beyond gear-heads alone. How is your style perceived by the male journalist working the same LA beat?

Susan: The reaction to my column is across the board. Mostly I’d say the reaction from the motorcycle press has been positive. The more evolved members of that species have come up to me at press launches or written me emails that indicate they see me and the Times’ support of motorcycling as helpful to the sport. As for the way I write about bikes, it’s regular riders/readers, not the moto press, that tend to comment on that. The most negative reaction to Throttle Jockey had been from an editor at one of the major motorcycle mags. He sent me hate email about 3 times a week and cc’d everyone above me in an attempt to defame me and/or get me fired. That only ended a few months ago, when one of the senior editors here signed an email telling him we weren’t going to pay attention to him anymore. It was a very scary experience.

HH: You’ve test ridden hundreds of motorcycles. When choosing “the right one” to purchase, what do you consider the most important factor? And, has there ever been a bike you were not able to test ride?

Susan: I think the most important factor for anyone buying a motorcycle is intent. What do you want to use the bike for? Beyond that it’s a matter of experience level, fit and how much money you’ve got to spend. As for bikes I haven’t been able to test ride, there have been a few. I wish I could have driven the Aptera Typ-1, which isn’t really a motorcycle but a three-wheeled electric car. 

HH: Like many of us, you have a child. How do you balance your (high-risk?) job with the responsibility of motherhood?

Susan: How much space do you have? The answer is complicated and layered, so apologies in advance for rambling. Believe me, many tears were shed as I pondered whether or not I should even take this assignment when it was offered to me. My biggest hesitation was my own safety, i.e. the possibility I could be hurt, perhaps quite horribly, and what that would do to my child. Since you also have a child, you probably went through something similar to me, which is a complete and completely unexpected identity crisis post birth. Pre-child, I was a writer, a hipster, a motorcyclist, a daredevil. Post-child, I was a mom, a woman who didn’t want to be defined by what I did (i.e. motorcycling, writing for the L.A. Times) and a writer who didn’t know what to write about anymore. My entire writing career up ‘til then was sort of ear-to-the-ground street culture, but my ear was no longer to the ground once I became a mom and stopped going out. So that weighed in to my decision as well. Taking on this column was a chance to do something I (used to) love, redefine my career and also find an old piece of myself. This is a lot more information than you asked for, but when the paper asked me to write this column, I was rocketing toward my 40^th birthday, and I was struggling with my identity as a single mom since the father of my child had broken up with me a year earlier. Motorcycling has always been an emotional release for me. I figured a happy mom is a good mom, and motorcycles make me happy… So, to finally answer your question about how I balance the high risk of my job with motherhood: I don’t ride like an asshole. I try to avoid activities associated with crash-involved motorcyclists, so I don’t drink and ride, I don’t ride at night, I don’t split lanes unless it’s necessary, and I listen to my body (Am I tired? Am I hungry or thirsty) and respond accordingly.

HH: On the subject of children, have you ever considered taking your son (when he reaches the “appropriate” age) for a leisurely ride with you? From experience, many of us are still grappling with this topic.

Susan: It’s a tough topic, isn’t it? My ex is not a motorcyclist, and he is vehemently opposed to my son riding on the back of a motorcycle on the street. That said, I did take my then 3-year-old for a spin in a Ural sidecar in late 2006 because it was irresistible. I had him wear full protective gear and we only rode for about 2 minutes as we wheeled around the block, but he talks about it to this day. Lately, he’s been asking me for a sidecar motorcycle, and I’m so, so tempted. I think about it every day, actually. I’m not sure I’ll bite the bullet, but I love the idea of riding him to kindergarten this fall in a sidecar. This is another question that’s inspiring me to ramble on and on… Anyway, my son is always sitting on the bikes in my driveway. He doesn’t ask for rides on any of them except the sidecar bike, which I will probably buy if/when I ever come in to some extra cash which is unlikely. Otherwise, I’m hoping to start him on dirt bikes at some point. 

HH: And finally, our magazine focuses on the woman rider as a whole: considering the mind, body and soul. Do you have a health or workout routine you must adhere to in order to meet the demands of your job? Any special regimens before you hop atop a bike before testing?

Susan: I don’t have a health or workout routine. I ran this past weekend for the first time in about 4 months. Otherwise, I just try and eat healthy. AS for special regimens, I don’t have any of those either, but there are some days when I feel nervous on a bike, like this might be the day I go down. On those days or days when I seem to be having more than my fair share of close calls, I have a mantra which I repeat over and over while I’m riding: happy, healthy, whole, safe, unharmed, alive.