Bikers. The word brings to mind a rough-and-tumble, don’t-mess-with-me subculture of mounted highway marauders.

Laurie Montoya has spent the last 14 years working to change that perception.

From her home office, Montoya helps oversee Arizona’s contingent of BikerDown, a nonprofit formed to provide services that help bikers navigate the byways of a culture that tends to be feared by some, misunderstood by many.

While the local chapter of BikerDown, which Montoya says includes a substantial number of members in Tempe and Chandler, continues to grow since its founding in 2011, its focus has broadened to help fill voids that she says still exist.

Says Montoya: “At the heart of every motorcycle ride is a sense of freedom. But that freedom can vanish in an instant when a rider is hit by an u

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