As riders we celebrate motorcycling for the freedom, adventure, and connection it brings. But what about the things we don’t want to talk about? The things that non-riders seem to focus on: the danger, the carelessness, the tragedy. 

In this heartfelt episode of Kitty on the Tank, Chantill and Gina begin by acknowledging two recent tragedies that have people locally and globally back on their heels. While these losses are difficult to talk about, they open the door to an honest discussion about the reality that comes with loving life on two wheels.

Together, they reflect on how the choice to be a rider can affect us in different ways, not only as riders, but also as partners, parents, family members, and friends. They explore the emotional weight of witnessing loss while choosing to continue doing something that brings so much joy and purpose.

Rather than allowing fear to have the final word, this conversation gently shifts toward empowerment. Chantill and Gina discuss the importance of making safety your first line of defense: investing in rider education, taking refresher courses, maintaining your motorcycle, planning your rides thoughtfully, and wearing quality protective gear every single time you ride. These aren't just recommendations, they're acts of love for yourself and for the people waiting for you at home.

The episode closes with a compassionate conversation about navigating relationships with loved ones who may not understand or support riding. Whether they ride beside you or simply worry from afar, honoring those relationships starts with demonstrating that you take your own safety seriously.

Because the greatest way to honor your passion for riding is to give yourself every opportunity to keep doing it for years to come.

This is a tender, honest conversation about loss, resilience, responsibility, and the incredible community that reminds us why every safe ride matters.

This Episode's Listener Question:

What moved you about this conversation?

Follow us on Instagram @KittyOnTheTank and tag us in your ride photos, stories, adventures, and shenanigans. We'll be featuring listeners and celebrating members of this amazing community in future episodes.

For this episode, if anything's bubbling up for you around the “both/and” of riding or adventuring, share, share, share! 

Mentioned in this Episode

More Information about the tragic death of Zachary Ethan Thompson II

and

Glenn Hansard

Safety Gear:

Stellar Moto Brand - An independent, premium motorcycle and extreme sports apparel company based in Los Angeles, California. Founded by Hollywood costume designer and rider Jenna Stellar, the brand focuses on bridging the gap between high-fashion aesthetics and technical safety. They specialize in creating stylish, protective clothing that easily transitions from the motorcycle to daily life.

Tobacco Moto Wear - Tobacco Motorwear is committed to creating the best and most durable motorcycle clothing for men and women on the market. With premium materials and impeccable craftsmanship, our gear offers timeless style and exceptional protection, built to last.

Jane Motorcycles - The brand joins the heritage of U.S. military uniform fabric with contemporary style.  We source fabric from Japan and the United States for exceptional workwear that is well-made, well-fitted, and locally-crafted.

Shoei for excellent full face helmets

Trainings:

California Highway Patrol Safety Course

The Women’s Moto Project

Clutch Motorcycle School

We Roam Moto

Other Worthwhile Mentions: 

🏍️ Where Next Moto

https://www.wherenextmoto.com

🏍️ Women's Moto Wellness Summit

https://www.womensmotowellnesssummit.com

Follow, Subscribe & Share

If you enjoyed this episode:

⭐ Follow the show

⭐ Leave a review

⭐ Tell a friend

⭐ Share this episode

⭐ Tag us on Instagram @KittyOnTheTank

Put your kitty on the tank, ladies.

Credits

Hosted by Chantill Lopez & Gina Pelucca

Production by Alyssa Frain - https://www.alyssafrain.com

Original music written and performed by Max Mackey - https://www.maxmackey.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is extra special because, for the first time since they started the show, Gina and Chantill are recording in-person instead of miles apart. The occasion? Chantill's big birthday celebration! 

Enter the unforgettable gift: a motorcycle-shaped whiskey decanter that is equal parts totally on brand, absolutely badass, and maybe just the smidgiest over the top. But sure to be the center of many conversations to come…

Through the laughs, as always, Kitty on the Tank takes a gentle sweeper into deeper subjects.

Inspired by the decanter sitting between them, Gina and Chantill unpack the idea that every story has two sides. Every adventure has moments that make you feel unstoppable...and moments that make you question all of your life choices. They share the rides that thrilled them, the experiences that challenged them, and the lessons they never saw coming.

Of course, no episode would be complete without celebrating the incredible people they've met along the way. From fierce women who redefine what it means to ride, to the men who've become trusted friends, mentors, and road companions, this episode is a love letter to the motorcycle community that continues to show up, lift each other up, and make every mile worth it.

So grab your favorite drink (bonus points if it's poured from a ridiculously cool decanter), pull up a seat, and join Gina and Chantill for an episode full of laughter, heartfelt reflections, a little birthday magic, and proof that the best conversations - just like the best rides - always have more than one side.

This Episode's Listener Question:

Follow us on Instagram @KittyOnTheTank and tag us in your ride photos, stories, adventures, and shenanigans. We'll be featuring listeners and celebrating members of this amazing community in future episodes.

For this episode, if anything's bubbling up for you around the “both/and” of riding or adventuring, share, share, share! 

Mentioned in this Episode

⛰️Two Wheeled Expeditions: 

https://www.twowheeledexpeditions.com/

⚙️Stellar Moto Brand:

https://www.stellarmotobrand.com/

🏍️ Where Next Moto

https://www.wherenextmoto.com

🏍️ Women's Moto Wellness Summit

https://www.womensmotowellnesssummit.com

Women’s Moto Groups, Collectives + Organizations

• The Litas – A global women's motorcycle collective
• https://thelitas.co/
• WeRoam Moto – A women's adventure motorcycle community
• https://weroammoto.com/
• Women Riders World Relay (WRWR) – An international community born from the world's largest women's motorcycle relay.
• https://womenridersworldrelay.com/
• Motor Maids – Founded in 1940, Motor Maids is North America's oldest continuously operating women's motorcycle organization.
• https://www.motormaidsinc.org/
• Curvy Riders – An international women-only motorcycle organization with chapters around the world.
• https://www.curvyriders.com/
• Black Girls Ride – A community dedicated to increasing representation and creating opportunities for Black women riders.
• https://blackgirlsride.com/
• Motoress – A global media platform for women riders.
• https://motoress.com/
• Women Riders Now – Online publications dedicated to women who ride and a directory of women's riding groups.
• https://womenridersnow.com/

Adventure-focused communities

• ADVWoman – Off-road and adventure motorcycle training specifically for women.
• https://www.advwoman.com/
• International Female Ride Day (IFRD) – A worldwide annual celebration encouraging women everywhere to "Just Ride!" on the first Saturday of May.
• https://www.internationalfemalerideday.com/
• Women Adventure Riders (WAR) – A community centered on adventure motorcycling.
• https://womenadvriders.com/

Follow, Subscribe & Share

If you enjoyed this episode:

⭐ Follow the show

⭐ Leave a review

⭐ Tell a friend

⭐ Share this episode

⭐ Tag us on Instagram @KittyOnTheTank

Put your kitty on the tank, ladies.

Let's get it.

Credits

Hosted by Chantill Lopez & Gina Pelucca

Production by Alyssa Frain - https://www.alyssafrain.com

Original music written and performed by Max Mackey - https://www.maxmackey.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You know that saying, "The journey is the destination?"

Yeah...it's also where all the weird shit happens.

This week, Gina checks in from somewhere between New Orleans and California after what was supposed to be a straightforward ride west. I’m sure you can guess that…it wasn't.

Because the road doesn't care about your f*cking itinerary.

Heat? Reroute.

Wildfire smoke? Believe it or not...reroute again.

Drop a laptop somewhere along the way? Uh oh. 

Turns out one of the greatest riding skills has nothing to do with leaning into corners. It's learning how to hold your plans loosely enough that adventure and life can surprise you and you can leave enough space for the glory.

We dive into both the Outer Game and the Inner Game of rolling with whatever the road throws your way. On the practical side, we're swapping travel tips, talking weather apps (major points for Drive Weather) that have become absolute ride-savers, and sharing how we've been using AI to rethink routes, uncover hidden gems, and make smarter decisions before the kickstand even comes up.

Along the way, there are mechanical gremlins, a story that's almost too ridiculous to be true, unexpected acts of kindness, a few deep rabbit holes, and more than one reminder that the best adventures rarely go according to plan.

So here's our question for you...

What's the best story the road has given you?

The breakdown. The wrong turn. The person you never expected to meet. The moment that still makes you laugh every time you tell it.

Share it with us on Instagram @KittyOnTheTank. We just might feature you in an upcoming episode.

Now quit waiting for the perfect plan.

Put your kitty on the tank, ladies.

Let's get it.

Mentioned in this Episode

🏍️ Where Next Moto

https://www.wherenextmoto.com

🏍️ Women's Moto Wellness Summit

https://www.womensmotowellnesssummit.com

🧠 Nervous System Works (Chantill Lopez)

https://www.nervoussystemworks.com

🔥 The Wilder Practice (Gina Pelucca)

https://www.thewilderpractice.com

Coming Up Next

We've officially reunited in California, which means it's time to celebrate Chantill's birthday, hit the road together again, and point our bikes toward the Women's Moto Wellness Summit.

Knowing us, there will be laughs, questionable decisions, deep conversations, at least one near miss, and probably another story we'll still be telling ten years from now.

Follow, Subscribe & Share

⭐ Follow the show

⭐ Leave a review

⭐ Tell a riding buddy

⭐ Share this episode

⭐ Tag us in your adventures @KittyOnTheTank

Thanks for riding with us.

Credits

Hosted by Chantill Lopez & Gina Pelucca

Production by Alyssa Frain - https://www.alyssafrain.com

Original music written and performed by Max Mackey - https://www.maxmackey.com

Graphic Art by xofinn - https://www.instagram.com/xofinn and https://www.xofinn.com

All things supported by Operations Manager, Haylee Gernert - The Virtual Life

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever wanted to point your bike toward the horizon and just...go?

In this episode, we're talking all about riding solo, why we love it, what scares us, how we prepare, and why we think every rider should experience it at least once in their own way.

Gina takes us back to her 2017 100-day sabbatical, when she spent nearly 90 days crossing the country on two wheels. With no interstates, no reservations, and no real plan beyond following the road, she discovered that solo travel isn't just about where you end up, it's about learning to trust yourself.

As Gina gets ready to head out on another solo adventure from New Orleans to Sacramento, we dive into both the inner game and the outer game of riding alone. We talk about confidence, fear, excitement, and how the inner and outer game dance. We also uncover a sweet little nugget about the “spark” and we wonder…what’s your spark?

Of course, we also get into the practical stuff, packing (and overpacking), our favorite can't-live-without gear, why rain gear is basically a good luck charm, and how to pack the equivalent of 4 bottles of wine into your tank bag. I mean….

Whether you're a seasoned solo rider, you've been thinking about taking your first trip alone, or you're just curious what draws us back to the open road every chance we get, we hope this conversation leaves you feeling inspired to chase your own adventure be it in a car, on a bicycle, or on your two beautiful feet. 

We'd love to hear from you! Have you ridden solo? What's your biggest hesitation? or your favorite memory? Share your stories and photos with us on Instagram @KittyOnTheTank. We can't wait to celebrate this community with you.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave us a review, tell a riding buddy, and tag us in your adventures.

Now quit overthinking it...

Put your kitty on the tank, and let's ride.

Mentioned in this Episode

🏍️ Where Next Moto

https://www.wherenextmoto.com

🏍️ Women's Moto Wellness Summit

https://www.womensmotowellnesssummit.com

🧠 Nervous System Works (Chantill Lopez)

https://www.nervoussystemworks.com

🔥 The Wilder Practice (Gina Pelucca)

https://www.thewilderpractice.com

Coming Up Next

Stories from the road! We’ll be checking in with Gina as she approaches the West Coast to hear about all the guaranteed weird shit that has transpired in nine days of riding. One thing will likely lead to another and we’ll go down some fun and wild rabbit holes, sharing near-misses, jackasses in big rigs, and maybe even tell you about the time Gina peed on the side of a church. Maybe ;) 

Follow, Subscribe & Share

If you enjoyed this episode:

⭐ Follow the show

⭐ Leave a review

⭐ Tell a friend

⭐ Share this episode

⭐ Tag us on Instagram @KittyOnTheTank

Put your kitty on the tank, ladies.

Let's get it.

Credits

Hosted by Chantill Lopez & Gina Pelucca

Production by Alyssa Frain - https://www.alyssafrain.com

Original music written and performed by Max Mackey - https://www.maxmackey.com

Graphic Art by xofinn - https://www.instagram.com/xofinn and https://www.xofinn.com

All things supported by Operations Manager, Haylee Gernert - The Virtual Life

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Holy shit. We finally did it!

After years of road trips, thousands of miles, countless voice notes, endless helmet-comms conversations, and roughly four thousand (give or take) conversations that started with "You know what we should do...?" Kitty on the Tank is officially a thing.

In this first episode, we're introducing ourselves, telling the story behind the name, and sharing why two women who've spent decades pushing boundaries, chasing adventures, and occasionally making questionable decisions decided to start a podcast.

We're also diving into what you'll hear on Kitty on the Tank moving forward:

🏍️ The Outer Game: motorcycles, road trips, gear, travel, riding skills, adventure, and all the practical stuff.

🔥 The Inner Game: courage, freedom, identity, friendship, fear, reinvention, risk, saying yes, and what happens when women stop playing small.

Because while motorcycles may be the door, they're rarely the ultimate point (well, sometimes ;)

Along the way, we talk about:

• Why we ride
• How motorcycling changes us
• The paradox of risk and freedom
• Riding together across most of the US
• Friendship, trust, and righteous indignation
• The origin of Helmet Comms Comedy Hour
• Why this show will probably make us laugh, think, rant, and frequently make hilarious and emotional statements about the mysteries of life

Most importantly, we're inviting YOU into the conversation.

This Episode's Listener Question:

Why do you ride?

And if you don't, why do you want to?

What do you ride?

What's the thing that helps you feel most alive about riding?

Share a favorite or challenging adventure...

We want to know.

Follow us on Instagram @KittyOnTheTank and tag us in your ride photos, stories, adventures, and shenanigans. We'll be featuring listeners and celebrating members of this amazing community in future episodes.

Mentioned in this Episode

🏍️ Where Next Moto

https://www.wherenextmoto.com

🏍️ Women's Moto Wellness Summit

https://www.womensmotowellnesssummit.com

🧠 Nervous System Works (Chantill Lopez)

https://www.nervoussystemworks.com

🔥 The Wilder Practice (Gina Pelucca)

https://www.thewilderpractice.com

Special Listener Discounts

Women's Moto Wellness Summit - $50 off with code FRIENDSANDFAMILY

https://www.womensmotowellnesssummit.com

Coming Up Next

Gina is getting ready to ride south to meet Chantill in California for her birthday, and together we're preparing for our upcoming adventure at the Women's Moto Wellness Summit. Expect trip planning, road stories, questionable packing decisions, and the usual amount of chaos.

Follow, Subscribe & Share

If you enjoyed this episode:

⭐ Follow the show

⭐ Leave a review

⭐ Tell a friend

⭐ Share this episode

⭐ Tag us on Instagram @KittyOnTheTank

Put your kitty on the tank, ladies.

Let's get it.

Credits

Hosted by Chantill Lopez & Gina Pelucca

Production by Alyssa Frain - https://www.alyssafrain.com

Original theme music written and performed by Max Mackey - https://www.maxmackey.com

Graphic Art by xofinn - https://www.instagram.com/xofinn and https://www.xofinn.com

All things supported by Operations Manager, Haylee Gernert - The Virtual Life

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.