Meet Timothy, one of the Twisted Road community's most active and passionate members. 

A dedicated motorcycle renter based in Richmond, Virginia, Timothy's incredible journey showcases his love for motorcycling, adventurous spirit, and resourceful approach to funding his rides. 

With 19 rentals across five states and over 4,400 miles covered, Timothy truly embodies the essence of the Twisted Road experience. Whether braving cold temperatures, riding in the rain, or sharing his rides with family, Timothy's story is an inspiration to all riders in our community.

Following is our interview with Tim, who is a huge asset to the Twisted Road community.

Tell us about yourself.

I now live in Richmond, Virginia. I have five kids: one married, one in grad school, two in college, and one still at home. We have homeschooled all five from the beginning.

I am originally from New Mexico, where I first learned how to ride a Honda XL 100. After college, I moved to Virginia.

I have worked at the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention for the past 30 years. My latest position is as a Data Service Engineer.

Donating plasma is a big part of my riding a motorcycle because donating plasma funds my rentals on Twisted Road. After every donation, CSL Plasma gives me $50, and I can donate 2 times a week.

How long have you been riding, and how did you first get into motorcycles?

My dad taught me to ride on his Honda XL 100 when I was in high school. I rode that little Honda for about 7 years on the dirt roads around Aztec, New Mexico. I did not have my M2 license then.

I stopped riding when my parents became missionaries to South Africa, and the little Honda wore out, and I didn’t have the money to fix it. 

When I moved to Virginia, I did not ride because of different goals for spending money, and “there were no dirt roads, and I did not want to ride on the paved ones because there were too many crazy drivers out there.”

Then I became interested in riding again after about 35 years because I realized I was getting older, I missed it, and there are safe ways to ride. So I took a motorcycle safety class to get my M2 license in March 2023 and have been renting bikes on Twisted Road ever since.

I have rented 19 times in the last 2 years on nine different bikes. I’ve ridden over 4,400 miles in 5 states, all on rented bikes.

I do not own my own motorcycle. One rental was not with Twisted Road because there wasn’t a bike to rent within 100 miles of Aztec, New Mexico, on Twisted Road. Because I have to pick a day in the future to rent and ride, I am stuck with the weather. 

So I have learned how to ride in the rain and cold. I have ridden when the low temperature was in the 30s. On one ride, I picked up the bike at 7 a.m. on December 1. It was 33 degrees.

There was another ride on a day that had a 100% chance of rain. I rode for 2 hours and 45 minutes in pouring rain. I think renting motorcycles makes each ride a special ride. At least it does for me.

When I can, I like to include my family on my rides. I have taken my oldest daughter on rides, and this fall, I started meeting my wife and youngest son for lunch while they are on a homeschool field trip. I have also taken a trip to see a daughter in college. I want to see the other daughter in college as well.

What’s your favorite motorcycle, and why? And which one(s) do you currently own?

This is a hard question. I have many favorite motorcycles. Sometimes I want and like simpler, smaller bikes, and sometimes I want more power.

• 2017 Moto Guzzi V9 Bobber because it is a simple bike, handles well, and has a wet weight of less than 500 lbs, but has all the power I need on the back roads. It is my “go-to” bike on Twisted Road. I have rented it seven times. The owners are awesome! They are also within 25 miles of my house. I have put over 1,400 miles on it. (Here's a link to this Moto Guzzi V9 Bobber rental)

• 2001 Harley-Davidson Dyna Wide Glide because it is probably the most classic and beautiful bike I have ever ridden. It was also the first bike that had more than a 1,000 cc displacement engine. It is red and has chrome everything.

• BMW R 1200 GS would be on my list also because it is very comfortable and is good for longer rides just about anywhere. The heated hand grips and lots of luggage are also nice. (Here's a link to this BMW R 1200 GS rental)

I would like to ride an Indian Scout Sixty or Scout Bobber. I know there are some on Twisted Road. Right now, they are too far from my house. But maybe someday, I will get an opportunity to rent them.

What moto trips have you taken? Tell us some highlights.

Really, a lot of trips are memorable moto trips.

I will always remember my first rental with Twisted Road on a Honda Rebel 500. Nothing special about where I went, but what I remember was that other motorcyclists would give me the two-finger motorcycle wave.

I did not know anything about this before this ride. It is the coolest thing. I was now part of the motorcycle community, and it didn’t matter what I was riding or how long I had been riding!

Another one was riding from Durango, Colorado, to Aztec, New Mexico, and Navajo Lake on the Harley-Davidson Dyna Wide Glide 2. This trip was where I first learned to ride as a teen, but this time, it was on paved roads (not dirt), and I had a much nicer bike to ride.

And I can't forget riding around 200 miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway to North Carolina on a BMW R 1200 GS for my first 2-day rental.

It was so cold that I put on a snowsuit, and I was super glad the bike had heated hand grips. On the way back, I stopped in Danville, Virginia, to get gas, and the key fob stopped working. 

I couldn’t open the gas tank, and more importantly, I could not start the bike. I searched my phone and found an Advance Auto Parts store that was a 7-minute walk from where I was. I was able to get a new battery for the key fob replaced, and I was on my way.

I was planning to ride back on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and if I had, I could have had a big problem when I got gas. I consider it God watching out for me that day.

What hobbies do you enjoy when you're not riding?

I like woodworking. I have a small wood shop in the basement of my house. I have made wooden puzzles, boxes, globes, pens, rubber band guns, and a lot of other things that have no practical value but are fun to make.

What’s your dream motorcycle trip?

Riding, for me, is not about where I go but the ride itself. Yes, I want to ride in more states than just 5, but riding anywhere is fine with me. Every ride has a destination in mind, but the freedom in riding is what I like. I can go on a road just because it looks interesting.

Sometimes I get to my destination, and sometimes I don’t. I also enjoy spending time thinking, singing, and praying when I ride. But if I had to say, a dream trip would be a longer one.

How did you discover Twisted Road?

I was searching the internet for motorcycle rental places. I found different ones, but I definitely like Twisted Road the best.

The rewards program cannot be beaten (1, 2, Free). Not only has Twisted Road enabled me to ride, but it has also enabled me to ride motorcycles that I didn't know existed 3 years ago. I like to ride at least 1 day a month. Most months that happens, but sometimes, because of weather (snow or high temperatures only in the 30s and 40s) or a scheduling conflict, it doesn’t.

What’s your most memorable trip on a Twisted Road rental?

My last rental with the Moto Guzzi was in the rain. I had a rainsuit, so I would not get wet, right? Well, not quite. When I put it on, I did not cover my left boot, and after 2 hours and 45 minutes of hard rain, water found a way to get in. My left boot got completely soaked. I also got water down my back.

The owners were great. They checked before the ride to see if I still wanted to rent it in the rain. They made sure I was comfortable riding in the rain when I picked up the bike. The Moto Guzzi was the perfect bike for this ride because I was comfortable with this bike. The owners also said that if the rain got too heavy during the ride, I could keep the Moto Guzzi until the next day. It was a fun day of riding in the rain, and I made it back to the owner's house on time.

What’s the best thing about being part of the Twisted Road community?

Meeting the owner of the Moto Guzzi V9 Bobber has been special. They have been good to get to know. I am the main rider of this bike. I remember one time I was looking on Twisted Road the way I normally do, and I did not see the Moto Guzzi listed. I knew they were trying to sell it.

So I messaged the owner and asked if they had sold it. I was happy to find out that they hadn’t. They just took it off because it needed some maintenance. They asked when I wanted to rent it again. I had to tell them I was just checking—I was not ready to rent it yet, but soon.

I also like talking to the owner of the BMW R 1200 GS. After my two-day ride, we talked for about 45 minutes. It was nice swapping moto stories. He told me about some of the rides he has been on and some of his experiences in the Marines.

What advice would you give to new Twisted Road members?

If you have any problems or questions about Twisted Road, contact them, and they will make it right or give you the answer you need. I saved the Twisted Road support phone number as a contact on my phone. Everyone who has helped me has been super nice to deal with. I even told them that they can call me Tim.

My legal name is Timothy. The next thing I knew, they were referencing me as Tim.