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She’s only been riding for one year and she rides it like she stole it. Trena Beaton, a 32-year-old wife and mother from Alabama, rides a 2009 Harley-Davidson Tri Glide Ultra Classic. “I rode with my husband on the back of his bike for five years and I decided that I wanted to do this myself,” Trena said. “When Harley-Davidson came out with this trike, I knew that it was the perfect ride for me just because of the extra room it had. It has a lot of extra storage space in the trunk.” She was looking at the Deluxe to be her first bike because it sat lower for her, but she thought twice about it. “We had a close call one time and almost had an accident. After that, I no longer felt safe on two wheels,” she said. “I saw this Tri Glide and I wanted to see how fast it would stop. I test drove it and that sucker stopped. It does well on sharp curves and I don’t have to slow down so much. I’m able to keep up with our group. I like being able to put it in reverse and I’m able to ride over gravel roads and not worry about it slipping underneath me. I’ve not had any problems with it.”

I asked Trena who taught her how to ride a motorcycle. “My husband taught me how to ride,” she replied. “He took me out to an old abandoned airport and showed me everything he had learned. He had taken a motorcycle instructional course and it was still very fresh in his mind.”

Trena has a 14-year-old daughter, Brianna, who rides on the back of the trike with her. “It makes for great family trips to have my daughter with us,” Trena said. I asked Brianna how she felt on the trike with her mom. “Oh I love it and I want to ride my own someday,” Brianna said with a lot of excitement. Mom says maybe someday but for now Brianna will remain riding on the back of mom’s bike.

Since Trena’s been riding on her own, hubby, daughter and herself have ridden throughout Alabama and Tennessee. They’ve gone to Sturgis, did the Enchanted Circle up at the Red River Rally in New Mexico, and all of southern Utah. “That was our family vacation last year. We did all the national parks: Zion, Arches, and the Canyonlands,” Trena said. “They are just absolutely great to ride. It was the best vacation ever because the whole week consisted of nothing but riding with the family.”

I asked Trena what she thought of the growing number of women riding motorcycles. She was very enthusiastic about the whole concept. “Anyone can learn to do it,” she replied. “Don’t be scared. I had a great teacher, but I would recommend the instructional course. My husband learned a lot and he had the ability to teach me, but I know a person could gain a lot from taking the course, especially women interested in riding.”

My final question for Trena was why a Harley? “Besides my beautiful trike, I like the Harley-Davidson clothes,” she said showing off her Harley-Davidson T-shirt. “But seriously, I love the chrome and that I am able to add so many extras to it. And I can fit a lot of pairs of shoes in the trunk!”