Nothing brings a badass group of ladies together quite like motorcycles. The wind in their hair, the open road laid out in front of them, and freedom to go wherever they choose is something that is normally considered a mans dream, but not for these women.
The Burnout Babes is a motorcycle group that was started in Des Moines, Iowa and has slowly collected more members from across neighboring states, like Illinois. Joining up with a few members from The Bleeders, a similar group in Chicago, plus a few more from here and there, the women set out on a ride across Missouri.
“Theres no president, no vice president”, says Michelle, the co-founder of the group from Chicago, as she takes a long drag from her cigarette. “Everybody gets a say.”
The group threw together a 3 day trip through southest Missouri, making sure to include historic routes like Route 66 and new ones like the scenic Great River Road. On the Missouri trip, a lot of these women are meeting for the first time by squeezing multiple air mattress around a pinball machine into a shared, cozy Airbnb. But by the next morning, they’re all squeezed into a booth at a restaurant sharing breakfast and stories over cups of coffee and orange juice. They asses their plan and discuss the possibility of rain in the forecast.
The six of them, Meghan and Kat from Des Moines, Cam and Vic from Milwaukee, and Nora and Michelle from Chicago, set off on their ride shortly after breakfast. The group experiences just about everything along the way, good or bad, and takes it all in stride.
“On a motorcycle, you might wake up and it’s raining or you have a flat tire,” Meghan says of the surprises along the way. “You can’t get your heart broken if something doesn’t happen. You have to go with the flow.”
“It’s a much more heightened sensory experience. I get bored on car trips. Even if the scenery is beautiful, I don’t feel connected to it like I do when I’m on the bike.” Cam says. Theres nothing quite like smelling the cows and fields of the Midwest as you pass through, with no windows to cover it up.
The goal of The Burnout Babes is really just to bring together women who share an interest in motorcycles without the pressure of joining the male dominated clubs that already exist. It’s something for women who want to go on adventures and meet amazing people along the way, and though there may be only six members in this biker gang, they’re off to a great start. Check out their instagram for updates and stories of their adventures.
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