When Deborah Hummer's husband bought two Harleys within one year, she thought her husband had lost his mind. At age 48, three years and one divorce later, Hummer is now Muncie's Ladies of Harleys president and has ridden her bike from Indiana to Georgia, from Georgia to California and back to Indiana.
Between taking sips from her 90th beer, for the Herot's 100-beer challenge, and saying hi to every other person who walked in the front door, Hummer explained the reasons behind her daughter's disapproval, the dangers of riding and the true essence behind the Lady Riders of Muncie (LOH).
Besides Hummer's naturally platinum blonde hair, Hummer said her and her daughter Jordan (a sophomore at Ball State University studying communications) look identical.
"If you saw my daughter, you would know she was my daughter," Hummer said. "Except she is a brunette."
Although they may look alike, Hummer admits that Jordan disapproves of her lifestyle and at times it seems as if she is the parent.
"I think that they [motorcycles] are dangerous," Jordan said. " I hate them mostly because they are so loud, which is ridiculously annoying. I can hear my mom five minutes before she even gets home."
Jordan said at one point her mother didn't wear a helmet, which made her constantly worry. Although Jordan hates the idea of riding and the biker clothes her mother has come accustomed to, Jordan thinks the motorcycle group is good for her because it gives her something to do.
"I think it is more of a man thing to do," Jordan said. "I want to be more of an average mom but I guess everything has turned out OK,"
Hummer said when Jordan returned home from Niagara Falls for Spring Break, she brought her back a T-shirt from Hard Rock Caf+â-¬ that had a motorcycle on it. After all the misunderstandings that her and her daughter have had, Hummer said it was a big relief.
"I thought, she finally gets it," Hummer said.
Toni Price, Hummer's humorous sidekick, said that her daughter, Ty Lynch, is also appalled by the fact her mother is a Harley rider.
"She is a good girl," Price said. " The president of her sorority kind."
Price was nervous at first and did not want to answer many questions about her lifestyle because she was afraid of embarrassing her daughter. She kept reading over my shoulder to make sure I didn't write something that would get her in trouble. This came from a lady, who at the second meeting made everyone sitting in the group put their cell phones in the middle of the table and if someone's phone rang, anyone but the owner could answer it. In other words, Price was the unofficial secretary of the evening. Even though she said she didn't want to discuss the topic of riding or her daughter, it didn't take much time for her to open up.
She said she began riding at 14 years old, when her father and her would go to the lakes. He would allow her to take the bike to the grocery store, Price said.
"I wasn't supposed to take the bike on the highway," Price said. "But he had the title and I had the keys."
She stopped riding at 20 years old, when she got married, Price said. It wasn't until 25 years later, when she bought her preacher's wife's retired police bike, that she became a serious rider again.
"I became the professional with the suit, the heels, the hose and the coach purse," Price said. "It's not like I couldn't still do it, but God those heels hurt."
When Price's husband died more than a year ago, she said she came to terms with her own immorality. She said her husband's death made her realize her time on Earth is short and it can all be taken in the blink of an eye.
"Everyone has this fear and they feel like they have to have this stability," Price said. "That isn't even half of what this life has to offer. You get on a bike and you smell smells you don't smell in the car and you see things you don't see in a car."
Price's daughter, a BSU telecommunications student who is currently doing an internship with the Indiana Pacers, disagrees with the way her mother has handled her father's death and said they have a major role reversal.
"I think they [motorcycles] are absolutely, incredibly dangerous," Lynch said. "My biggest fear is that my mom will get in a blind spot and will have no control. I am kind of pressed for parents and I would hate to lose the one I have left to a motorcycle accident. I don't understand why she couldn't pick up scrap-booking, instead of being a biker babe."
Lynch said that she would never own or ride her own bike. Last year she was the president of Alpha Chi Omega, a basketball coach at the YWCA and volunteer at the Waters of Muncie nursing home. She said she keeps herself busy with other hobbies.
"I have always been ultra conservative," Lynch said. "I have been the mother and she has been the wild child. We get along but we are polar opposites."
Even though Hummer said riding may be fun and refreshing, she agrees that it is dangerous and a big responsibility. She advises all the ladies of her chapter to take educational classes before they begin to ride.
"Riders never have the right-of-way on a bike," Hummer said. "Between the weather, other vehicles, animals and road rage, when you're on a bike, you are going to lose."
The public has this misconception that riders are rowdy and dirty individuals, Hummer said, but since she has been a part of LOH, her group has taken a huge interest in helping out their community.
"Bikers are some of the most giving people," Hummer said. "We have big hearts and like to ride. If we can combine both it's a win, win situation."
Every year LOH is dedicated to setting up events to raise money for their chapter and other nonprofit organizations, Hummer said. The ladies have a chili cook-off at Benson Motorcycles Inc. every December to raise money for the People's Burn Foundation. The previous chili cook-off raised more than $350, which was used to send a child burn victim to camp.
LOH is currently raising money for a ladies fallen-rider statue memorial in Martinsville, off Highway 37. The statue will cost LOH $30,000- $40,000. They have already raised more than $10,000 from a dance they held last year, Hummer said.
They also threw a panty poker run in June 2005, she said. Panty poker runs use panties instead of cards and the bigger the panties the better the player's hand. After the game is over, LOH donates the panties to Muncie women shelters.
Between all of the volunteering and fundraising, LOH is planning to ride once again in June but can't mention the location because they do not want the guys of the Harley Owners Group to follow.
"I feel so free when I ride my Harley on the open road without a bra," Hummer said. "This is my time to live and rediscover myself."
Although she likes to keep her bra, Price said she agrees with Hummer.
"I raised my daughter and I think I did a damn good job," Price said. "Now, I just want acceptance."
Price said she is not going to lose her life at 40 plus years old, and now that her daughter is raised it is all about her.
Both are clean-cut, middle-age mothers, who wear the emblems of Harley with pride and raise their glasses to cheer for freedom.
"It is all about the fabulous women who love the thrill of the open road," Hummer said. "It's freedom."
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