Female biker Leslie Porterfield relives worst crash, records ahead of India trip

Ahead of her first trip to India biker Leslie Porterfield the worlds fastest woman on two wheels relives her record worst crash and the growing number of Indian women on the riding circuitAt 16 Texasbased Leslie Porterfield bought a Yamaha Virago 1000 her first motorcycle as an inexpensive mode of transport It arrived in a box and most people told her she wouldnt be able to get it running However she bought a manual sought the advice of local mechanics and put it togetherLeslie PorterfieldIn fact Porterfield loved riding it so much that just a year later she went on to buy a sports bike Honda CBR600 This was in the early 90s Thats when my interest in racing began recalls the 41yearold mother of twins She holds the Guinness World Record for being the fastest woman in the world on a motorcycle which she set in 2008 with a speed of 232522mph at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah USAOn November 24 and 25 Porterfield will be in Goa for the fifth edition of India Bike Week a fest that will witness a gathering of over 20000 bikers to celebrate all things riding Here she will host a motorcycle stand and present awards for various achievements Excerpts from an email interviewTell us about your most interesting motorcycle journeysMotorcycles gave me a sense of freedom and connection with nature while riding One of my favourite trips was to the Baja 1000 offroad race in Mexicos Baja California Peninsula in 2005 I was on a dirt bike for the first time and realised how difficult the race is I went through 20 miles of deep sand whoops and fell 20 times I have never been so sore Another one is from the time I was 17 when I rode for 1500 miles from Dallas to Los Angeles On my way back I was tired I was riding at about 120mph Unfortunately I passed a police car and didnt see it They set up a roadblock on the highway When I stopped I realised there were four police cars behind me They were mad after chasing me for so long I was lucky the officer let me go without a citation This prompted me to hit the racetrackWhat challenges have you faced in your racing careerDuring my first year 2007 in Land Speed Racing at Bonneville Salt Flats Utah the salt was in poor condition wet sludgy and hard to get traction My bike got into a speed wobble at over 200mph I tried to save it but ended up coming off the bike at over 100mph It was the worst wreck Ive been in I was unconscious with seven broken ribs and a punctured lung Fortunately I recovered and made a point of testing different setups for the bike I didnt push myself to make runs when conditions were bad Racing comes with risks which I try to minimiseHow did you crack the world record in Utah in 2008I had to make an effort to not think about what could go wrong and put the accident out of my mind I focused solely on what I needed to do to achieve my record To set a land speed record you have to make two runs mdash one in each direction holding your top speed for a mile My bikes engine was hot and as I entered the measured mile at full throttle it started to sound rough By the end I had set the record but blown my engine and there was oil everywhereWhats your take on Indian motorcycle cultureIts fascinating The selection of motorcycles is vast and I love that more women in India are riding motorcycles now When I started in the 90s men dominated the speed and racing scene it was difficult for women to break into itIs Mumbai part of your itineraryI hope to see it during my visit It is such a diverse city with much history Ive wanted to visit India for some time I cant wait to experience its architecture art culture and beauty I love Indian food but have tried it only in AmericaWhat kind of bikes do you ride nowI have a Honda CBR1000 and several classic bikes from the 60s I enjoy restoring old bikes They arent very fast but they are a lot of funTipsgtgt Invest in proper motorcycle geargtgt Never quit learning Take up rider courses Even if you have no desire to race a day on the track with guidance will make you a better and safer rider