Featured Branch: THE LITAS SEATTLE

AUG 16

Get to know The Litas Seattle, one of our most active branches in the United States. Founders Lia and Monica have worked very hard to create an inclusive, supportive environment in Seattle and the surrounding regions.

Q: What does being part of the Litas Collective mean to you?

At first we thought The Litas was just an all-female motorcycle group, but it has so much more meaning behind it. Some of the feedback we’ve gotten from the ladies in our group is that it has changed their lives or that it has been a game-changer for them.

The Litas have brought together so many friendships and have led to some of our favorite memories. Some of our best friendships were formed through this group. None of this would have happened if we didn’t have The Litas.

We have a network of womxn who support each other, not only in motorcycle riding but in all areas of our lives. If someone is ill, we’re all there for them. If someone is having a difficult time, we’re all there for them. If someone is having the greatest moment of their life - job promotion, buying a house, etc. - we’re all there for them. Through thick and thin, we all rise to support each other.

Q: How did you discover The Litas?

The Litas Seattle originally started in 2015 as The Litas Puget Sound, covering most of Western Washington, with a span of 150 miles between our northernmost and southernmost area. Just like many other female riders who were looking to find others to ride with, we discovered The Litas Puget Sound. However, the branch was inactive when we found it in 2018. So in February 2019, a few of us had the opportunity to restart the branch under new founders. We jumped at the opportunity, excited that we had a chance to form an active Litas group in our part of the state.

As our branch started to expand and grow larger, we helped start and welcome some of our sister branches in the surrounding cities. The Puget Sound region covers Snohomish, Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia, so we divided our branch in order to better serve the women across the Puget Sound region. Because we were now our own branch serving the Seattle area, we changed our name in November 2020 from Puget Sound to Seattle.

Please share the greatest strengths that each founder brings to your community.

MONICA: (@go_hemi)

Monica is extremely driven and detail-oriented. She keeps all the complicated "moving parts" operating smoothly, and is very proactive in welcoming and reaching out to those new to the collective. She often gets together with new riders who want help with group riding or learning how to ride on the highway for the first time, etc. She's not afraid of difficult conversations when problems arise, and she is tenacious in finding resolutions that work in the best interests of the branch and of the Litas as a whole. She is also very active in planning and leading rides, and always jumps in to help on any activity or event we have. She has her finger on the pulse of every aspect of the branch and is the force that keeps us moving and growing. In addition to all that, Monica is incredibly supportive and protective of all our riders.

LIA: (@lia.the.lita)

Lia is probably one of our most seasoned riders and brings an immense amount of riding experience and knowledge about different kinds of bikes to our group. She’s an outstanding ride captain and is always willing to step up to lead when needed. Everyone who rides with her always mentions how safe they feel when she’s leading. She is very patient and level-headed - amongst any chaos. She is also one of the most generous, kindhearted people we know. For a fundraiser for one of our sister branches, The Litas Olympia, she donated her Sportster 883. The raffle raised funds for Olympia founder Lisa Wood, who is a cancer survivor. Lia is the heart of our branch.

Q: What are some challenges that you have overcome as a collective?

We've dealt with the difficulties of such a large geographical spread in our membership by first trying our best to plan rides in different parts of the region. For example, our first two rides in 2019 were separated by 176 miles at their farthest points. We have encouraged and helped new branches get started in surrounding regions to better serve the areas farthest from Seattle.

As mentioned, the branch was inactive when we joined in 2018. Since the restart in early 2019 we added the Admin Team. These women help our founders with organizing regular monthly rides and meetups, as well as a number of social events, holiday and anniversary parties, etc. With everyone's help, we’ve been able to bring an inactive branch back to life.

Want to ride with The Litas Seattle?

Upcoming events:

Our next ride, led by Admin Team member Sarah Leonard, will take us over Chinook Pass, near Mt. Rainier in the Cascade Range, to the town of Naches in Eastern Washington. The mountains are spectacular out here, and we love to take advantage of the beautiful roads.

With the disappointment of hearing that Dream Roll has been canceled this year, we’ll be hosting our first moto campout at the end of August.

In September we’ll be celebrating our 6-year anniversary with a party.

Come ride with us!