The biking broadcaster - Paula-Anne Porter Jones navigates Honda Nighthawk

Sheldon Williams, Gleaner Writer

Broadcaster Paula-Anne Porter Jones considers herself a biker chick. She rides a Honda Nighthawk 250 that she purchased last May. It is her first bike.

"I've got the gear and the goods and the drive," she affirmed.

It is ordinary to see females on bikes clinging to male riders, but Porter Jones is confident about taking the handlebars herself. She told Automotives she began lessons three years ago, but there was an interruption.

"Even though my first ever lesson was about three years ago, I had stopped due to location challenges. I restarted instruction in March 2012 with a four-week course that involved theory and practical and ended with me going to take (and passing) the test to have motorcycles added to my driver's licence. Even now, I still continue lessons with my instructor as I learn to master advanced techniques," she said.

There were two instructors. "I started first with Marlon 'Cutter' Fletcher of Crazy Bikers, but took the formal course last year with Sgt 'Mackie' McFarlane of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF)," Porter Jones said.

Porter Jones is passionate about the motorcycling experience and has done a lot of research. "Once I started learning to ride, I progressively fell in love with it. I would hang around and practise for hours, and even purchased a slew of books about motorcycles and learning to ride, I watched videos and did everything I could to learn more. The next natural step was to purchase one of my own," she joked.

Porter Jones does not ride her bike everyday, because she has a pickup truck. She chooses between the two based on whether rain or shine is expected and who or what she has to carry around. "It is 50/50 - depending on the weather and the items or persons I may have to
transport," she said.

She has fallen from the
Nighthawk a number of times, but has accepted that taking a spill is
inevitable and should be embraced. "I fell on my second lesson and got a
bruise on my elbow - not a big fall. They're two kinds of riders, those
who have fallen and those who haven't fallen yet", she
said.

Porter Jones advises, "Once you ride a bike,
don't be afraid of falling. Accept that you are going to fall and take
all of the precautions. I was taught to 'chuck off'. If you see the
accident coming and you can do nothing to avoid it, chuck off." Porter
Jones said.

She is confident in carrying pillion
riders, so much so that she has taken her children along for rides. "The
licence allows you to carry a pillion. I take my four kids, the smaller
ones in front, the older ones behind, and they have their gears - not
all at once, mind you. One by one," she
emphasised.

ATTRACTS ATTENTION

As
expected, the broadcaster attracts a lot of attention when riding her
Nighthawk. She describes the reactions as "surprise first that a woman
is on the bike and second that I choose to ride a
bike".

Automotives asked how she
responds to persons who say motorcycles are for males and Porter Jones
said, "I don't. They can say anything they like and live by their
beliefs. I am doing the same."

She has to be
constantly aware when riding her bike because of potential danger from
other road users. "The main challenge is that most motorists do not see
motorcyclists until we are immediately in front of them - and sometimes,
not even then. Safe motoring for us means anticipating the actions of
all other road users within the vicinity and driving for them and us all
the time," she said.

There is a common perception
that all bikers race, but Porter Jones does not. "I ride my bike for
enjoyment and because, at times, it is the most convenient method of
transportation," she said.

Her advice to females who
want to ride motorcycles is, "Learn from a professional instructor, wear
your safety gear and learn as much as you can about motorcycles, not
just how to switch them on and move."