She's breaking stereotypes and records almost every time she gets on a motorcycle. Her fans say she's hot, fast and fearless. Porterfield even has the nicknames to go with it like "Speed Queen" and "Dallas Diva."
But, her official title is "Fastest Woman in the World on a Motorcycle."
"My top average through the mile is 240 miles-per-hour," Porterfield said.
Her top official speed at the Bonneville Salt Flats that got her into the Guinness Book of World Records is 232 miles-an-hour.
"I get a whole lot of people tell me that I'm crazy," Porterfield said. "And, they're probably right. Actually, I know they're right."
It all started when she was 16 in the Dallas suburb of Flower Mound.
"It was more of a fluke," Porterfield said. "I purchased my first bike from a neighbor. It was an old beat up machine. I just thought it would be neat."
And, she says no one was going to stop her.
"I think part of the reason I was so determined to ride was because everybody said at 16 I wouldn't be able to ride this motorcycle," Porterfield said. "There is just no way I would ever be able to ride it."
Well, that fluke encounter with a motorcycle turned into fate as her passion started her ride into the history books, along with a few trips to the courthouse.
"I got a few speeding tickets when I was younger," Porterfield said. "(Then) a friend of mine convinced me to get out on the track."
She started racing at 19. Then she eventually started her own motorcycle shop in Dallas called High Five Cycles. In 2006, she built her first superbike. In 2007, she went for her first record.
"2007 didn't go so well," Porterfield said. "I actually didn't break any records. I broke seven ribs, punctured a lung and had a concussion and I came off the bike at a little over 100 miles-an-hour and had a pretty bad accident."
Her body was broken, but not her confidence. She rebuilt her bike and her dream a year later.
"In 2008, my first record was 209 miles-an-hour which got me into the Bonneville 200 mile-an-hour club," Porterfield said. "The first woman on a motorcycle to do so, which is a huge accomplishment."
Then in 2009 she hit 232 miles-an-hour.
"It's a long time at wide open," Porterfield said. "It's a big test on the machine and it's big test on the rider. Things go by really fast."
Her life has been going even faster ever since with fashion photo shoots and bike building, along with a little time for family and hanging out with her boyfriend.
And when asked if her boyfriend rides she said, "Yes, he sure does." But, can he beat her in a race? "NO, he knows that I'm faster than him," Porterfield said. "But, he's really gracious about it too. It doesn't bother him at all."
Now she has her eyes on another record that has nothing to do with gender.
"I'd love to have the top record," Porterfield said. "I'd like to be the fastest person in the world on a motorcycle."
To do that, she'll have to go faster than 254 miles-an-hour. The fast money says she'll do it.
"It's been an amazing experience," Porterfield said. "I'm really living a dream."
But, her official title is "Fastest Woman in the World on a Motorcycle."
"My top average through the mile is 240 miles-per-hour," Porterfield said.
Her top official speed at the Bonneville Salt Flats that got her into the Guinness Book of World Records is 232 miles-an-hour.
"I get a whole lot of people tell me that I'm crazy," Porterfield said. "And, they're probably right. Actually, I know they're right."
It all started when she was 16 in the Dallas suburb of Flower Mound.
"It was more of a fluke," Porterfield said. "I purchased my first bike from a neighbor. It was an old beat up machine. I just thought it would be neat."
And, she says no one was going to stop her.
"I think part of the reason I was so determined to ride was because everybody said at 16 I wouldn't be able to ride this motorcycle," Porterfield said. "There is just no way I would ever be able to ride it."
Well, that fluke encounter with a motorcycle turned into fate as her passion started her ride into the history books, along with a few trips to the courthouse.
"I got a few speeding tickets when I was younger," Porterfield said. "(Then) a friend of mine convinced me to get out on the track."
She started racing at 19. Then she eventually started her own motorcycle shop in Dallas called High Five Cycles. In 2006, she built her first superbike. In 2007, she went for her first record.
"2007 didn't go so well," Porterfield said. "I actually didn't break any records. I broke seven ribs, punctured a lung and had a concussion and I came off the bike at a little over 100 miles-an-hour and had a pretty bad accident."
Her body was broken, but not her confidence. She rebuilt her bike and her dream a year later.
"In 2008, my first record was 209 miles-an-hour which got me into the Bonneville 200 mile-an-hour club," Porterfield said. "The first woman on a motorcycle to do so, which is a huge accomplishment."
Then in 2009 she hit 232 miles-an-hour.
"It's a long time at wide open," Porterfield said. "It's a big test on the machine and it's big test on the rider. Things go by really fast."
Her life has been going even faster ever since with fashion photo shoots and bike building, along with a little time for family and hanging out with her boyfriend.
And when asked if her boyfriend rides she said, "Yes, he sure does." But, can he beat her in a race? "NO, he knows that I'm faster than him," Porterfield said. "But, he's really gracious about it too. It doesn't bother him at all."
Now she has her eyes on another record that has nothing to do with gender.
"I'd love to have the top record," Porterfield said. "I'd like to be the fastest person in the world on a motorcycle."
To do that, she'll have to go faster than 254 miles-an-hour. The fast money says she'll do it.
"It's been an amazing experience," Porterfield said. "I'm really living a dream."
Current or prior Motorcycle Land Speed records in 4 classes:
- FIM Mile Record Class MPS-BF 2000 at 232.522
- FIM Mile Record Class P-P 1000 at 192.930
- FIM Kilometer Record P-P 1000 at 193.077
- FIM Kilometer Record Class MPS-BF 2000 at 232.492
- AMA Record Class MPS-BF 2000 at 232.523
- AMA Record Class P-P 1000 at 192.930
- SCTA Record Class M-BF 1350 at 209.398 AMA APS-BF 1350 at 234.0
- TOP speed: 246.6mph
Video of World Fastest Woman on a Motorcycle Guinness World Record set by Leslie Porterfield
