Susana Williams usually makes music, but this Sunday she is orchestrating a chorus of pistons, exhaust, and rubber on asphalt as she and perhaps dozens of others ride their motorcycles through the Coast.
The motorcyclists are rallying to ride together to raise awareness of road safety, and in memory of a rider who died in a collision on Aug. 24.
On Sunday, Sept. 4, they’ll meet at the Madeira Park IGA parking lot (or the Madeira Park Legion if their numbers grow) at 9 a.m. At 9:30 they ride to the German Corner Bakery & Bistro in Davis Bay, where the bakery will provide refreshments.
Williams, a motorcyclist and musician who lives in Madeira Park with her wife, put the idea out to the Sunshine Coast Motorcycle Clique’s Facebook page, and it’s since picked up steam. She estimates more than 20 riders plan to attend on Sunday, and even more may join as the word gets out. So far, she’s heard from the Coast Highway HOG (Harley Owners Group) and other motorcycle groups on the Coast. People without motorcycles are welcome to join the event as allies, and encouraged to identify their vehicles in support of the riders.
Williams said she’s notified the Sunshine Coast RCMP of the event and invited them to join.
“I have a feeling that this is going to be bigger than I even imagined when I first proposed to make some noise about motorcycle awareness on the road,” Williams said.
The catalyst for the event is the recent death of a motorcyclist on Highway 101. In the evening of Aug. 24, a motorcyclist was killed in a collision with an SUV near Sutherland Road in Halfmoon Bay, police reported in a press release. An investigation by the BC Highway Patrol Chilliwack and the Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service (ICARS) is ongoing, and the rider’s identity has not been publicly disclosed. Police have asked any witnesses to come forward with information about the collision, traffic prior to the incident, and any camera footage of the scene. (They can contact BCHP Chilliwack at 604-712-4039 and cite file 2022-5838. Witnesses can also email their information, including video to [email protected].)
Williams herself has been riding motorcycles since 2006, and has had her own close calls. When she heard about the Aug. 24 collision, she felt as though she had to take action.
“It really … shook me so much,” as she said it reminds motorcyclists of their own mortality. “I feel a lot of anger and I try as much as I can to deal with situations like that by being proactive, and I think the ride is a way of channelling the anger that I feel and the hurt that I feel for her family and friends,” Williams said.
While motorcyclists may appear to have a tough exterior — thanks to all that leather and protective clothing — Williams says they are vulnerable on the road. She hopes this event will remind drivers that everyone shares the road, and to keep an eye out for motorcyclists who are less visible.
“We're very tough in the sense that it takes a lot of courage to get on a motorcycle. But we're also very vulnerable because it's also very easy to get hurt on a motorcycle. So there's this duality that's quite interesting that we share,” Williams said.
“We want to keep riding. We do it because we love it. It's a culture. It's something about mental health and freedom. We don't want that to be taken away,” she said. “So we want [drivers] to be aware of the fact that we have the right to be there as much as they do.”
Sunday’s ride will be noisy, Williams said. “Even if we get 30 motorcycles — which I think we will get more — I think that sound, nobody will ever forget.”
