Most students who commute to campus do so within the confines of a car, but students who choose to become members of the Wolfpack Motorcycle Association prefer another mode of transportation.
Former club president and nutrition and human biology graduate James Hampson started the organization two years ago with friends who he used to ride motorcycles with in high school.
“We saw a bunch of other bikes on campus, and between parking and stuff, asked them to ride and that sort of thing,” Hampson said. “We recognized that we had an opportunity to, I guess, create another social outlet to learn how to work on the bikes and learn how to ride better.”
Members meet at West Deck for about an hour before heading out to a restaurant as part of scheduled bike nights held throughout the school year, according to Hampson.
On weekends, the club members partake in group rides.
“The first group ride we had as a club was pretty exciting,” Hampson said. “We had a pretty good turnout, and most of the fun of it is we have all people kind of our age riding together. It looks pretty cool when you have a group of about 20 motorcycles riding down the road.”
A few of the more experienced riders also went on a group trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains in fall 2012, where they rode about 500 miles through mountains and back roads, according to Hampson.
There are about 100 members in the organization’s Facebook group, which serves as the main mode of communication for get-togethers.
“The group has gotten really close,” Hampson said. “We have an ongoing group message in the Facebook group … and a bunch of them actually ended up living together last year. It really is a close-knit group of guys, and we have a bunch of girls in the club, too…”
One of these girls is Andrea Cuevas, a junior in biology who said she started riding last year as a way to “redeem” herself after falling off a moped.
“My first group ride was with the Wolfpack Motorcycle Association, and it was nice,” Cuevas said. “It was kind of scary because it was all back roads, but after the first 30 minutes I got the hang of it, but when I first got on the motorcycle I was very paranoid.”
Only a few girls ride in the club, which does come with some challenges, according to Cuevas.
“It’s definitely different,” Cuevas said. “You always have guys say, ‘Wow, that’s so cool. Wow, that’s so badass … that’s so hot.’ I don’t normally go on the group rides because it’s always guys, and it gets a bit awkward.”
Still, Cuevas said she enjoys the sense of community the club brings.
“My favorite part about the club is how we meet once a week, and it’s not just NC State students; we’ll also invite people from different colleges that ride,” Cuevas said. “It’s a great way to meet new people and see a variety of different bikes.”
For example, members often bike to football games together in the fall, according to Cuevas.
The more experienced riders also provide tips to members on how to ride and perform bike maintenance, according to Hampson.
“I’ve learned a lot about how bikes work just from being a part of this group,” Cuevas said. “I’ve learned how to change oil … change an exhaust, changing brake pads, changing the carburetor.”
Hampson said the main allure comes from the thrill of the ride.
“You’re basically sitting on 100 horsepower, and it’s just kind of liberating, the ride … you feel the wind and that sort of thing,” Hampson said. “It’s kind of like why a dog sticks his head out the window in the car.”
To join the club, search Wolfpack Motorcycle Association on Facebook to connect with members and find meeting times.
