Death + Taxes Magazine

Yep, summer is in full-swing, and at D+T that means it's motorcycle time. Some of us already had our licenses and some of us wanted to get them. Harley-Davidson was nice enough to send photo director Ray Lego through riding school. They have their own program called Rider's Edge, where they not only teach you how to rider properly, but give you a certification to get your license, so that when you finish the course you can march right into the DMV and pick up your license without screwing around with the road test or any of that standard DMV misery.

Also on the course was Brooklyn-based artist Tara McPherson. Click through the jump to read about her experience on the course. Also, since yours truly is already licensed, I borrowed a beautiful new Harley Iron 883 to ride around NYC for a week, and I'm blogging about my bike week on Harley's Dark Custom site, which you can check out here.

Summer is going to go by fast -- grab it by the balls. And if you want to get on a bike, check out Harley's Rider's Edge course.-AM

Tara McPherson on Rider's Edge

What made you want to start riding a motorcycle?
I actually used to ride around with my dad when I was a kid. I even wanted to get a motorcycle instead of a car when I was a teenager, but that didn’t end up happening. So it's been this unfulfilled dream of mine for a long time. So when Harley offered me a training course, I jumped on the offer!

Where do you plan to ride?
I think I'll ride around my neighborhood in Brooklyn, and try to go on day trips with friends.

Tell me about Rider's Edge - was it challenging?
Yeah it was a bit daunting at first because it had been so long since I had even been on a bike, and I had never ridden one on my own before. But it was that exciting type of nervousness. Even with it raining all day the first day, we were swerving around cones and shifting and doing so much more that I thought I would be doing. The second day was a breeze! No rain! And I felt like I really had a handle on the bike.

What did you learn in Rider's Edge that you wouldn't have learned on your own?
It would have taken me so much longer to try to learn all that on my own. I think even with a friend showing me I would not have absorbed as much as I did. I kind of equate it to art school: yes you can learn on your own, but going to school gives you so much more of an advantage, and you will learn things you might never get exposed to otherwise.

What kind of bike are you going to get - new? Vintage?
Probably a vintage looking new bike!

Are you going to travel anywhere cool on your bike this summer?
I'll be back from my art tour in the fall and I heard going upstate NY is gorgeous that time of year!

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