One could hear the roar of the Harley coming down the street on a beautiful Texas sunny afternoon . Yep, here she comes all decked out in leathers to keep warm and for protection. Ms. Teri was kind enough to come in all the way from Lampasas, Texas to accommodate Texas Iron Motorcycle Magazine (TIMM) for a rather interesting interview. And straight from the road to a beautiful park located in the middle of Austin, with a beautiful sunset, where these pictures were taken by good friend Mr. Rod Cole, Ms. Teri is who she is – a beautiful lady with her beautiful machine.

TIMM:How did you get involved in the world of motorcycles?

TERI: I started when I was 12 years old. I had a neighbor down the street by the name of Mary that on Saturday nights would take the kids in the neighborhood for a ride. We were told to go in the house and ask our parents, put on our jeans, grab a jacket, and put some boots on. Mary would take us for a ride for a few blocks each and we would wait impatiently for our turn to ride. What a thrill! And I still remember the smell of the gasoline and of course the sound from the pipes.

TIMM: How long have you been riding?

TERI: I've had my own bike since July of 2001. My first bike was a Suzuki Intruder 800. It was about two years old and I bought it from a guy who was going back to Iraq. About a year later I traded that bike in for a Yamaha V-Star 1100. I still have that Yamaha.

“All my friends had bikes and I wanted them to teach me, but they didn't want to teach me their bad habits that they had picked up.”

TIMM: You took a riders course. Tell us about that experience?

TERI: Yes, I took the riders course before I actually ever rode a motorcycle. All my friends had bikes and I wanted them to teach me, but they didn't want to teach me their bad habits that they had picked up. So I took the course and about 3 days later I got my first bike.

TIMM: What kind of bike do you have now?

TERI: I now have a 2007 Harley Street Bob.

TIMM: Do you have a name for your bike?

TERI: No I don't. I never named it. Maybe I should.

“When my ticket was pulled out of the hopper, I saw the lipstick on the back of the ticket and knew right away it was mine.”

TIMM: You have an interesting story on how you acquired your current bike? By raffle? Tell us about it.

TERI: In April of 2007, my best friend, Ginger MacMicking, Executive Vice President of the 100 Club of Central Texas, held the Club’s annual fund raising event, the Peace * Love * Happiness Charity Motorcycle Ride in Austin. John Paul DeJoria hosts the event each year and that year’s venue was Cowboy Harley Davidson-Buelle in which Peter Fonda, Robbie Knievel and Ian Ziering came to help promote. This was a benefit ride; all the proceeds went to support the 100 Club and the Austin Children’s Shelter. Cowboy Harley Davidson donated a Harley Street Bob as a raffle item. There weren't many tickets sold so I paid my $100 and got all my friends there to kiss my ticket. Ginger had on lipstick so I said kiss the back of the ticket. When my ticket was pulled out of the hopper, I saw the lipstick on the back of the ticket and knew right away it was mine. I even have my winning ticket framed. If you would like to join us this year, go to www.100clubcentex.com and sign up. The benefit will be held at Cowboy Harley Davidson once again the weekend of April 4, 2009. Come join the excitement, ride and hang out with the celebrities.

TIMM: So where have you been on your bike and what is your favorite ride?

TERI: A favorite place is anywhere in the Texas Hill Country. I've been to Louisiana, New Mexico, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Colorado, and of course, all over Texas. My longest trip was to Colorado Springs from Lampasas. I think it was 16 hours of riding time one way. I rode the 670 miles in one day on the way back home. It was a long ride. I prefer not to get a hotel in Texas. I think you really need to get out of state if you are going to spend the night there.

TIMM: You are tall and get looks. What kind?

TERI: I'm 5'10” and the guys at work were pretty shocked that I had a bike. All they ever saw was a suit and now leathers. A lot of women and kids roll down their windows and talk to me. They all tell me to be careful. I also have really long nails, so they all know that it’s a woman on the bike.

TIMM: You have seen the world of motorcycles change from the old days of hide the women and the children. What does it look to you now?

“I got tired of riding in the “bitch seat.”

TERI: There are a lot more women riders. They just don't want to ride on the back of the bike. They want their own bike these days. I got tired of riding in the “bitch seat”. When I took my motorcycle riding course the instructor was asking why we wanted to learn how to ride. My response was that I got tired of riding the “bitch seat”. The young kids there did not understand what that meant, but the older ones (over 30) did.

I also see motorcycles as more of a luxury item. Bikes are not cheap. Most people think that they are cheaper than a car, but every 3,000 miles it goes to the shop. It gets expensive. It is just not the cheap way of transportation most people think it is. I pay $90 for an oil change. It’s not like a car, you can't do it in just ten minutes. You are on two wheels so you should make sure that your bike is safe. If you have a blowout on a motorcycle, it’s much more dangerous because you are only on two wheels. So it’s always good to check the air pressure in your tires, which I had to do before I came here today. Also, you really need to watch your mileage. On this bike I do have a fuel gauge. Lots of bikes don't, so you need to be good at estimating. On one trip from Louisiana, I thought I had just hit reserve but had already switched. I ran out of gas and my friends had to put gas in Gatorade bottles for me, just enough to get me to the next gas station.

TIMM: Ever get lost while on your bike?

TERI: Yes, but getting lost usually makes for the best trips!

“Well before, it was really just the “bad boys” who rode a bike. Now there are bikes made for women and the clothes that go with it.”

TIMM: Any words of wisdom for women who are thinking about buying a bike?

TERI: Buy one! But I would tell them not to start with a real expensive bike. Buy a used bike to begin with. You are probably going to drop the bike. Everyone drops their bike some time. Plus you don't know what type of bike you want till you get one. You'll understand what you like and don't like.

TIMM: We appreciate you coming to Austin and offering your comments. You don't often see too many women riders, but there are more now than before.

TERI: Well before, it was really just the “bad boys” who rode a bike. Now there are bikes made for women and the clothes that go with it. Before, a lot of women had the clothes because they rode with somebody. I have a lot of clothes, 7 jackets, 10 pairs of gloves, 3 helmets, and a couple of vests. There are also “women only” classes for women who want to learn how to ride. The instructors are women and they try to consider the student's various experience levels.

TIMM: Do you often intimidate men riders?

TERI: Yes, sometimes but not intentionally. I'm 5'10”, have a motorcycle, and I have tattoos.

TIMM: Do you enjoy that?

TERI: Sure! If they are going to be intimidated.

TIMM: Any last comments?

TERI: Keep riding! Keep the rubber side down.

TIMM: There you have it. Ms. Teri D. Howard, who loves to ride, a beautiful ride that she won by a raffle, is careful when she does ride, has the right clothing for protection, and takes care of her ride. Thank you Ms. Teri. TIMM