Suvi Ahtosalo
WIMA International Vice-President

Here is something about myself. I am Suvi Ahtosalo, 30 years old, a marketing manager from Finland and I live in the beautiful capital city of Helsinki. I have no kids, even though there are two "babies" in our family: Honda VTR1000F and Suzuki SV650S.

Few summers ago former WIMA International President Rita Koopmanschap asked me if I would be interested in stepping up for International Vice President. She told me that Antje Lange, who was VP at the time, had to step down because of her business. I was really honoured to be asked for the job, and as usual for me I couldn't say no!

You could say that I am quite a new face in WIMA. The first time I heard about WIMA was in summer 2000 when the WIMA Arctic International Rally was hosted by WIMA Finland in Iisalmi. It was also the same summer that I bought my first sport bike and I was really enjoying spending all my free time on the road. I heard about this group of women driving together and having connections to women drivers around the world. I wanted to join this organisation and meet hundreds of my soul mates - so I did!

Riding a motorbike had been my dream since I was a little girl. I always looked up to my neighbour who had a deep red Honda CBR1000. It was the most beautiful bike I had ever seen. I made a promise to myself, that one day I would have a bike like that. After many years I finally had enough money to buy a bike of my own, and finally I kept the promise. Since then I have been a very fanatic motorcyclist. Soon I found myself being a very active member of WIMA Finland organizing happenings and being a part of the board of WIMA Finland. I really enjoy my time with other members, having a good time, driving around Finland and Europe, having the opportunity to meet so many new people and making wonderful friendships around the world.

I have the honour to be the Vice President of WIMA International, and at the moment I am also the National President of WIMA Finland. In addition to that, I am a driving trainer and I write a column for the Finnish motorcycle magazine, MP-Maailma (MC-World in English). As you can see motorcycles are a very big part of my life. I can't even imagine my life without my bike. Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to make motorbikes my occupation. That's why I work as a marketing manager in a small import company that has nothing to do with motorbikes! Don't get the wrong impression: I do love my work! I really enjoy being a part of WIMA. It's an organisation that has brought women all over the world together in the last fifty years. For me, it's obvious that WIMA is needed, but sometimes

I am asked, "Why do women need a motorcycle organisation of their own?" Answering that question isn't easy because we all have our own personal answers to that question. And that's exactly why we have a network connecting over 2500 women around the world. Drive safe, sisters!

Suvi Ahtosalo

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Alice Sexton
WIMA International Public Relations Officer

When I was in my twenties I truly believed that I'd never live past thirty years old. I was a skateboard -punk rocker- artist who moved from New York City to Washington, DC, or ground zero, and figured nuclear holocaust would surely take care of any plans I might have for the future. Really.

Alice Alice on the track So it was quite a shock when I turned twenty nine and wondered what now? Well, I certainly wasn't going to get old. I went out and bought a motorcycle and an electric guitar, neither of which I knew how to operate!

I played the guitar badly for a year, but ended up hooked on motorcycling. Sixteen years and many, many miles later I am still riding the wheels off of every bike in my garage. That's four italian made bikes ranging in vintage from 1976 to 1993.

At the age of forty I got my Championship Cup Series racing license and headed for the track. I'd been working as pit crew for other race teams in the AMA ProTwins, WERA, CCS and AHRMA circuits, and thought it was my time.

Although I have always wrenched on my own machines, I found it overwhelming to maintain my own race bike, drive myself to the track, and then RACE. Truthfully, it took too much time away from my other passion, which is sport touring.

I simply love to travel by motorcycle. And I especially enjoy traveling solo. While I've not toured other continents, I've been all over the US and Canada... usually riding to watch racing events or take a race school!

Since WIMA was originally founded in the US, I am proud to take up the task of re-establishing our National Chapter. I'm particularly committed to developing a woman's voice in this male dominated industry.

See you all on the road!

PS: What the hell will I do when I turn 60?

Alice Sexton

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Claudia Fehrer
WIMA International Treasurer

My name is Claudia Fehrer, born to be wild on 2nd of August 1973. My main place of residence is Erlangen, a beautiful small city nearby Nuremberg, Germany.

Riding a "test"-bike: Yamaha MT 03 Travelling with my Honda Africa Twin Average I ride around 7.500 km a year on my Honda Africa Twin. That Bike is now already 7 years with me, and still I cannot find a better one, to bring me where ever and when ever I like, save and usually with lot of fun.

Since my 16th birthday I had been already infected by driving a scooter (a beautiful nostalgic VESPA PX 80, already that time somehow old fashioned style one. Nowadays I4m still little sad, that I had given it away).
On my 18th birthday, of course, main interest was to do the driving licences for motorbikes - the real ones. At least some four years later, I could afford to buy my very first own bike, a Yamaha XJ 650, model 1981. Before I drove whatever I could catch :-).

Some 30.000 km later I bought my dream, a Honda Africa Twin 750. After I decided to stay on this kind of bike, I bought the new model in 2001. I4m happy to tell: It is still with me, like a good friend. Almost all my spare time I use for riding, mainly only short trips but most enjoying travelling all over Europe and hopefully some days even more far...

How it went with WIMA on my life...
First time I got information about WIMA from friends in 2001 and already in 2002 I took part at my very first WIMA Rally in Czech Republic, August 2002. This was a great event, I will never forget. I was really deeply impressed so I decided to go on, trying to be at every WIMA Rally of the following years. Only in 2003 I missed the Rally in Dorset, Great Britain and New Zealand in 2005.

By WIMA I met and meet people from all over the world... WIMA is, on my opinion, a really great institution. This organisation offers women all over the world a platform to get in contact, to stay in touch, and so much more...

It happed in 2005 on the WIMA Rally in Sweden. I had been asked about to bring my own power to the WIMA International. Wow, I was really honoured. I have to be honest, that time, I did not know so much about the WIMA organisation itself.
So, I started step by step to get more information. This went not only by reading from internet pages or something else. The best way was and still is, to meet people at WIMA Rallies mainly sitting by the fire place, listening and talking, laughing, singing, dancing (special thanks to Rita :-) always with the guitar).

And one year later, at the Rally in Switzerland, I had been asked seriously to work out my application for the WIMA International Treasurer position. So I did (at least I4m architect working as an officer on my daily business and I love to do such kind of work). I brought up my application in 2007 and I had been elected by voting to start my work. (Thanks to everybody who showed and still show me trust and made it possible for me to step up on that position).

I promised in 2007 and I will go on to do my very best...

Best regards,
CU soon, have a save ride,
meet YOU, maybe on the next WIMA Rally...

Claudia
Erlangen, 29th of March 2008

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