Rider Feature: Michaela Trumbull
“Bolt”, built and raced by Michaela Trumbull. Photo: @krissyleephoto
Meet Michaela Trumbull, one of Royal Enfield's Build, Train, Race riders. This fellow Lita was challenged with building a custom 2020 RE Continental GT650 into a race bike, then training to race her build- all of which she never attempted before. Michaela is sponsored in part by Hell Babes, and she recently chatted with us about her journey from the garage to the race track.
“It's a beautiful dance between woman and machine that I am a long way from mastering.” - Michaela Trumbull. Photo: @2ndaryhwy
Q: Tell us about yourself: where are you from, what is your background.
Michaela: I am a small-town cosmetologist living in Sheridan, Wyoming. Originally from Yankton, South Dakota, I definitely didn’t grow up riding or working on motorcycles. However, since I moved to Wyoming 9 years ago, you can’t keep me off of two wheels. When it's not snowing, I'm usually on my dirt bike or ripping the open roads with my husband and friends. I have always loved to challenge myself and seek adventure and riding motorcycles fills that desire for me! I’m never afraid to try something new!
Q: Why and when did you begin riding?
Michaela: About 9 years ago in college, my husband, Coy bought his first Harley. I would always ride on the back, and I loved the fresh air, the open roads, and making those core memories with him. One day, we were riding up Spearfish canyon in South Dakota, and something clicked inside of me. Being on the back of a motorcycle made me feel alive and free. I wanted more, and the only thing that could give me more freedom was having the controls in my own hands! It was at that moment that I realized I didn’t want to be a passenger anymore; I wanted to ride beside him on my own two wheels! He took me to a parking lot and began to teach me how to ride on his bike. Before I knew it, my passion for motorcycles began growing– and growing fast! After the first summer of learning the ropes, I got my license and bought a street bike. Now several bikes and thousands of adventures and miles later, my motorcycle journey continues to grow bigger and better!
Photo: @wattofoto
Q: Did you race and build prior to starting the BUILD TRAIN RACE program with Royal Enfield?
Michaela: No, I had never even seen a race track prior to the program, let alone built a motorcycle. In fact, the most I had ever done mechanically on a bike was changing my oil and technically, I didn't even do it myself. I watched. So when given the opportunity to challenge myself to learn something new, I was all in! Plus, who doesn’t want to push a motorcycle to its absolute limits on a race track?!
Q: What do you love most about motorcycles?
Michaela: Motorcycles have helped me more than I could have ever imagined. They have helped me through many of life's challenges, all while creating unforgettable memories. My helmet is my journal; ironically, when I’m on the back of a speeding motorcycle, my world slows down.
I have had three different street bikes and three different dirt bikes, and each of them have healed me in their own way. In particular, my road racing bike that has earned the name Bolt, has helped me through the biggest hardship of my 29 year life yet.
Bolt was a challenge all of her own. I had to build her into a race bike without knowing anything about how to build a race bike, let alone how to build a bike in general. That challenge helped keep my mind straight while coping with the heartache of finding out my dad was fighting stage 4 brain cancer. With that kind of life-changing news, focusing on my build was not an easy task. I fell behind on the process and almost tossed in the rag. I was so close to pulling out of the program, but seeing that bike in shambles kept me going. Not only was I building Bolt up, but she was building me up, too. I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t have this build to keep me focused on the positives in my life. From the outside, it probably didn’t look like that's the way I felt– but believe me, the pain, the anger, the confusion, and the tears were all there at full force. Bolt saved me and continues to do so. I am also lucky to have my husband holding me up and keeping me strong and motivated through the build. It’s a partnership I’m forever grateful for. I couldn’t race without Bolt, and Bolt couldn’t race without me . Neither of us could race without our greatest hype man and supporter, my husband, Coy Trumbull. We are the three amigos.
Bolt was a challenge all of her own.
You will never learn if you don't fail, and you will never fail unless you try.
Q: Tell us about your build. What did you start with, what have you done so far, etc.?
Michaela: The motorcycle that I built for Build. Train. Race. with Royal Enfield involved converting a brand new 2020 RE Continental GT650 into a one-of-a-kind road-racing machine. The first step was stripping the bike down to its frame and deleting all electronics, lights, kickstand, and all things that made it street legal. Once I had an empty canvas, I started to modify it with a lot of fancy parts. A few of my upgrades included suspension, controls, body work, paint, exhaust, air intake, wheels, tires, chain and sprocket upgrades, and the list goes on. I swapped the stock suspension with Ohlins shocks and forks, and I upgraded the triple tree with an S&S custom. S&S also hooked me up with a custom 2-into-1 race exhaust, and custom rear set foot controls. I then changed out my handlebars and levers and added a quick shifter and power commander from DynoJet. I took my 18" wheels and converted them to 17”, then slapped some Dunlop racing slicks onto them. Once the bike started to take shape, I sent off the body work to paint and had a custom lightning bolt inspired paint job applied. Long story short– the bike is completely custom, thanks to a lot of great partnerships and several grinder discs.
Above Photos: @krissyleephoto
Q: What are some challenges you have faced while building and learning to race?
Michaela: The list of challenges that I have faced through building and learning to race could go on forever. First of all, building a custom bike is not as easy as it looks on TV. Nothing ever fits perfectly, so you have to get creative most of the time. When you think something is going to be a 10 minute job, be ready for it to take several hours instead. I became very practiced at taking bolts in and out 200 times until everything was perfect.
The build was one thing, but racing the bike is a whole other story! Learning new things usually comes pretty easy for me, but racing challenged me more than anything I have ever done. Riding a race bike as fast as the bike can handle is an art form. You have to be completely aware of your body position, the bike's position, exactly where you are on the track and in a corner. You need to know where to shift, where to brake, where to enter and exit corners, where to hold your ground and when to twist the throttle.
It's a beautiful dance between woman and machine that I am a long way from mastering.
Photo: @2ndaryhwy
Q: Do you have any advice for others who want to start building and riding their own motorcycles?
Michaela: If you want to learn how to build and ride motorcycles, my advice is to jump in head first even if you are scared to death. It's good to get out of your comfort zone, because that’s where the most personal growth will happen. Don't be afraid to ask questions, because every single rider, racer and mechanic has asked the same question at some point in their journey. You will never learn if you don't fail, and you will never fail unless you try. Take the leap, it's worth it!
Above photos: @krissyleephoto