SCRC Loudoun VA Featured Member - September, 2015

Also Featured:
December, 2007


Name:   Michele Capozzi

Nickname:   Sunshine

Marital Status:  Married 20 years to Throttle this year--woot!

Location:  Leesburg

Hometown:  Mt. Vernon, VA

Children:  No thank you.

Age:  Doesn't matter.

Occupation:  In my daydream world I get paid to ride to beautiful places and take a ton of pictures. In my real world I am a Director of Marketing and produce TV commercials and advertising for my company.

Current motorcycle(s):  2010 Honda NT700 bought new in 2012. I love this bike. It's so smooth and easy to ride.

How did you hear about the SCRC and when did you join?
Around 2005 when we started to get into touring. I think Rob found out about the club online. It was back when our friends Karen ("Cookie") and Robin were leading the chapter.

How long have you been riding?
On my own since 2006. And as Throttle's occassional passenger since 1991. I am happy to see female riders continue to join our chapter. I heard somewhere that only 13% of motorcycle riders are women.

Have you ever taken a motorcycle safety course?
In 2006 and my MSF instructors made it fun. I still don't like the figure 8 maneuver, though. I am lucky to have Rob provide my continuing education. I also read David Hough's books, he is safety-focused and doesn't overcomplicate the techniques.

What was your first bike?
I learned on Rob's 1989 Honda CB-1. The NT is the first bike I've owned that is mine.

How many bikes have you owned?
Other than the NT, I half own our 2009 Goldwing 1800 and am still awaiting my invitation to actually ride it solo. I am told that I am not the owner of the CB-1 that is also in our garage.

Why do you ride?
I crave it!

Have you ridden with an organized group before?
Not before Loudoun SCRC. Over the last two years the SCRC family has really expanded, and I especially like how the surrounding chapters are participating in each other's rides more often. It's fun to meet SCRC friends from other parts of southern Virginia for lunch and ride together.

What modifications have you done to your bike?
Yes, accessories! I had to ask Rob to help with the official names: Motolight auxiliary lights, Helibar risers, LED brake light bar, brake light modulator, J&M CB, heated grips, Mick-O-Peg retractable highway pegs, auxiliary fuse panel for various electronic additions, Zumo 590 GPS with TPMS, electric port for heated gear, taller windscreen, Go-Cruise throttle lock, SW-MoTech luggage rack system, and the most recent is a very LOUD air horn that I was coveting for years and finally found one small enough to fit.

What accessories do you want to add to your bike?
Emergency blinkers. I would also love cruise control but it's not really a possibility. Air conditioning on hot afternoons would be nice.

What is your dream bike?
One that I'd never get tired on...maybe a 2009 Goldwing...

What kind of riding do you like to do — straight-aways or twisties?
A balanced combination of both. My favorite scenery combination is mountains and water, which usually involve a fair amount of curves.

If you have a nickname, how did you get it? Tell the truth!
A former SCRC Loudoun member suggested it after we had been bouncing ideas around and I liked it. A word of advice to new members, choose your own nickname right away or you risk getting something embarrassing.

What is your favorite riding route?
Our riding trip this summer had three winners: Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park, Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, US-93 to ID-73 in Idaho along the Salmon River Sawtooth Mountains.

Do you ride your bike to work?
Helmet hair at work is not professional! No, my commute has bad intersections that I don't even like driving in a car.

What is the fastest you’ve ridden?
On my own maybe 90 mph. Seriously, fast is not my goal at all. As a passenger on the Wing we've briefly been at 100, and usually as a passing situation. It would be fun to ride the Wing on the Salt Flats of Utah, not necessarily as fast as it will go, but just to ride in that unusual environment.

What is your favorite time of year to ride?
Nearly any day I am riding is a great day...as long as the temperatures are between 45-85!

Have you ever been down? If so, how were you hurt and what did you learn from the incident?
I tipped over twice in my first year on the CB-1. The first lesson is not to turn the bike on an incline going only 2 mph. The second lesson is to put the kickstand out before getting off the bike. Since then I have done everything possible to stay upright and neither scuff myself nor the bike.

Have you ever done an "Iron Butt" ride?
No, but after a 200+ mile day my bum feels like iron.

If not, what is the furthest you’ve ridden?
On my own not much outside of Virginia. As a passenger on the Wing I'm more adventurous and we've done four cross-country trips. The furthest west is Idaho and eastern British Columbia this summer, about 6,800 miles round trip. Our goal is to ride to Alaska! We definitely need to get a trailer for that trip.

What was the worst weather in which you’ve ridden?
Without a doubt returning from Tazewell a few years ago. As my brave SCRC friends who also experienced this adventure know, it was a 330-mile very rainy, very windy vortex of a ride home.

Do you know how to work on your bike?
With supervised guidance, yes. I have changed my oil, bled brake fluid, changed tires, and helped with electrical additions and accessory installations. None of this is committed to memory.

What is your favorite road song?
No one favorite but I like creating playlists for our rides.

What was your most adventurous ride?
How to choose a favorite? It would probably be our ride day to Yellowstone with Tom and Julie Geery in 2009. The weather was wicked! Horizontal lightning, crazy wind, rain, and a 500 mile day already at that point. But the scenery was so spectacular and we have this great story to tell that I'll never forget it.

What rallies or events do you like to attend?
I'm not really in to rallies, I prefer day rides or smaller group riding events. I would consider our Kentucky Bourbon Trail trip last year an event in itself. As with all SCRC overnighter trips, there are so many laughs and stories.

Is there someone who rides "two-up" with you?
Not normally. I've had two passengers and Rob was one of them! It is such a different experience in the bike's handling. Learning how to be a great passenger is a skill that is surprisingly underrated.

Off the cuff from...Sunshine
It's been nearly ten years since we joined SCRC and every moment is a blast. Many of our forever-friends are SCRC members and are truly the coolest people. We've gone across country together, through several states together, experienced wild weather and random situations together, and it all makes for great adventures. I was so honored when our first officer, Tom "Tank" asked me to be a road captain to help out with this club. I absolutely love riding and improving my skills.