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MOTO WONDER
WOMAN
For many, motorcycling can be a fun hobby or
an affordable way to commute. For Jocelin
Snow, motorcycling is a way of life. From rider
to racer and adventurer, she has devoted
her life to all things two-wheeled. ADVMoto
recently got a chance to chat with Jocelin to
learn where her obsession started, what she’s up to now,
and where her travels will take her in the future. Jocelin
Snow: No one in my family rode motorcycles, but I caught
the motorcycling bug quite young and bought my first motorcycle
(a Kawasaki KDX80) with my paper route money,
without telling my parents. I paid a kid at school $10 a week
all year until I had it paid for. Then, I took the school bus to his
home where he taught me the basics of how to ride. I rode
that bike every chance I could, having to push it just over a
mile to abandoned railway beds and old sand pits where I
could ride. At the time, I did not have any riding buddies, so I
learned the hard way about proper gear, and why riders wear
it. And, I learned about motorcycle maintenance and what
had to be done to keep a bike running properly. By 18, I had
progressed from the KDX80 to a Kawasaki Ninja 250, and on
to the more powerful Ninja 750. Along with the larger Ninja
came the need for speed, and I soon discovered drag racing
and road racing. After a year of road racing at a club level,
I obtained a pro racing license, and became one of the first
females to race AMA 250GP. My professional road racing
career was short-lived. After a few years I found myself in
a wheelchair, following a horrific crash at Daytona.When I
recovered from the crash, I began racing off road. I found it
more affordable, and felt it was a little less risky racing hare
scrambles and enduros. Many people have inspired me, but
the earliest was the legend himself, Malcolm Smith. I joined
him, along with a group of expert off-road riders in Baja on
a few occasions. It was a change from my solo riding and
competition, and I discovered I enjoyed riding with other riders,
sharing the day’s action and taking in the scenery. After
an exciting day of riding, we would all gather around as
Malcolm shared some of the most amazing riding stories.
These stories stay with me today and inspire me to push
for my goals and never give up. I continue to be inspired by
Malcolm, his love of motorcycling, and his desire to seek
out adventure. ADVMoto: Racing a BMW R1200GS through
technical terrain can be a challenge. How do you manage
such a massive machine?JS: At 5’-1.5” and 115 lb., just
about every motorcycle that I’ve owned is usually a bit larger
and is almost always oversized for me every time.
“No one in my family rode
motorcycles, but I caught the
motorcycling bug quite young.”
I’ve struggled with all the usual, dabbing a foot, getting
a bike off the kick stand, stopping without tipping
over, etc. The GS Trophy and riding a big adventure
bike really isn’t “racing,” in fact it has more to
do with slow-speed handling, balance, and control.
With my inseam, dabbing isn’t really an option when
I have to slide all the way off the seat to get a foot down. As
I like to tell the guys I ride with... size really doesn’t matter.
What does is keeping the bike moving forward in balance
and under control. About eight years ago, I attended a motorcycle
show and found myself drawn to this amazing BMW
R1200GS Adventure. I remember it clearly; it looked quite
intimidating, all black, with bright yellow accessories, and
had every Touratech aftermarket part on it. The salesman
explained that this was the machine that would do everything.
I could put it all together on this bike—the road racing,
the off-road, the technical riding, the long haul—this was the
bike. Then, I sat on it, and after several attempts, I could
not upright the bike from the kick stand. At that point, I’d
owned well over 30 motorcycles, and rode them plenty, but
this one was scary. I walked away from the bike in defeat,
while my riding buddies told me that I was too little for such
a big bike, and that I needed to be able to have two feet on
the ground to properly control such a serious machine. So,
“How do I manage such a massive machine?” The answer
is, I believe I can manage it, so I do. I practice often, and I
ride as much as my schedule allows. But mostly I work to
find a way to make the bike do what I want it to do. I do have
my own special ways to get a GS off the kick stand, counter
balance in tight maneuvers, negotiate technical terrain, and
even pick the bike up from a drop, it’s truly mind over matter.
34 CLUTCH December 2020
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