The Motorcycle Bug

The motorcycle bug touched this mother and son riding duo early. Cindy Schiffer started with small mopeds as a child, moving on to dirt bikes and dual sport bikes. Her first bike was a yellow Honda C90 in the mid-70s. She gave up her motorcycle license when she and her husband, Bill, moved here from California in 1992.Fast forward a couple decades, and their son Daniel thought it would be a lot of fun to ride. “I spoke to my mom about it right after I got my driver’s license, and she was totally anti-motorcycle for me,” he recalls. “The last time I brought it up, she said if I mentioned it up again, she’d take my car away!  In my senior year, she asked if I wanted to take the motorcycle course with her.”For Cindy, it was inevitable. “I got my motorcycle license again because Daniel said he wanted a motorcycle. It seemed clear that he would get his license. I wanted to do what I could to help him be a safe rider.” The pair took the motorcycle safety class together at New River Community College. “I’ve always enjoyed the challenge and freedom of riding,” she adds.In February of 2019, they purchased these 2017 Benelli TNT 300 bikes, one black and one green. They are only available in black, green, red or white to honor their Italian roots.  History of Benelli Some folks will remember 1911 for Chevrolet entering the car market or the first Indianapolis 500, with an average speed of 74.601 mph. Average speed today exceeds 170 mph. In northern Italy, a widow poured her life savings into a new business in Pesaro on the Adriatic Sea. Mrs. Benelli wanted to assure that each of her six sons had a stable job. Initially, the company was a service garage, and the young men built spare parts for cars and motorcycles. Eight short years later, the brothers made a 2-stroke 75cc engine and attached it to a bicycle, with disappointing results. Not to be deterred, the band of brothers presented two models of their “Velomotore” 98cc, 2-stroke, lightweight motorcycle in 1921, followed by a 147cc version in 1923. One of them began winning races on their motorcycles, which spawned more designs, a larger production scope and increasing sales.  Why Benelli? The Schiffers chose the Benelli brand because “they are nice looking, comfortable, fun, easy to ride, inexpensive and sound great.” They are identical except for color with 300cc, engine is in line, twin-cylinder, 4-stroke, liquid cooled, eight valves. There are six speeds with a wet slipper clutch.“They have a maximum speed of 95 mph,” Daniel explains, “but don’t accelerate well over 65 mph. It’s not for interstate or fast highway driving, which makes it a great first bike. It gets around 60 miles per gallon.”The pair enjoys rural 2-lane highways, like going out Glade Road, along the New River and out into Giles, Bland or Pulaski counties. Daniel loves it for commuting to work or class in warm months. “I play some Black Keys or Elton John, which I can only hear at the stop lights. It’s a much more enjoyable commute, not the mention improved parking choices.” He’s known for taking the long way home for the fun of riding.  Why the New River Valley? Bill and Cindy love to travel. He is from Pennsylvania, she from Minnesota. They met in Flagstaff, Ariz., when Bill was residing in Colorado and Cindy in South Dakota. Most years, they spend six weeks in the west on vacation, traveling with as many family members and friends who can make all or part of the trip. They love to explore national parks and forests and particularly enjoy showing these wonderful sites to people who have never been there. The couple decided to leave California before starting their family to be near relatives in the East. They wanted a college town in the mid-Atlantic region with multiple U.S. Forest Service offices within an hour. Blacksburg fit the bill for its small-town feel, down-home attitudes, amenities and opportunities. Daniel sums it up succinctly: “The New River Valley is an incredible place with outdoor activities, beautiful landscapes and great people!”Both parents retired from careers with the U.S. Forest Service. Cindy remains active as a Logistics Section Chief, supporting Incident Management by responding to large wildfires and hurricanes all over the country. They have served as emergency foster care parents and still enjoy time with kids – “anybody under 40! We have great hope for the future because of what we see in young people.”Daniel holds a mechanical engineering degree from Virginia Tech, where he was a member of BOLT, a design team which converted a Yamaha motorcycle from gas to electric. He works at a local brewery and has been a wildland firefighter and mountain guide.  The Therapy Angle An article on webbikeworld.com by Kathy Koewler is titled: “The Mental Health Benefits of Riding Motorcycles”; and subtitled: “It’s Real & Not Just An Excuse To Ride”. She shares what most people already know, that riding a motorcycle requires more focus and concentration than driving a car. “Scientists believe that this added concentration actually increases brain function and health.” She goes on to cite studies about the advantages of being outside, healing power of nature, solitude inside the helmet, improved mental clarity and stress reduction. It’s a nice class of people who enjoys this form of therapy, like Brad Pitt, Pink, Keanu Reeves, Christian Bale, Stephen King, Angelina Jolie, Cindy Schiffer, Bill Clinton, Matthew McConaughey, Tim Allen, Cher, Miley Cyrus, Daniel Schiffer, Jewel, George W. Bush, Alanis Morissette, Tom Cruise, David Beckham and many more, Dan Aykroyd included.