Helen Kiss Main is a petite, charming fireball of a lady who fondly recalls her days as an active member of the motorcycle group Motor Maids in the 1940s.

A Pottstown, Pa. native, Main has spent much of her life in Hampton, with regular weekend trips to her beloved second home, Eastbrooke Estate, in Mathews. Now 92, she hosts a yearly gathering of Motor Maids at Eastbrooke, welcoming members from across the region. A group visited her on Oct. 15.

Main started riding motorcycles in 1933, when she was just 14 years old. Her father had an Indian Motorcycle dealership, and he sparked her interest by teaching her to ride. Her mother, the mechanic for the dealership, was in full support. Main and her father often rode together, and for graduation from high school, he gave her a brand-new white Indian with red trim and a matching white and red uniform.

"I was the envy of the other kids," said Main.

She recalls one long solo ride from Pottstown to Springfield, Mass. She ca...