I just got back from a three day motorcycle road trip, during which I noticed a surprising number of female riders. I saw them everywhere I rode, some with husbands and boyfriends, and some in mixed-gender groups.

I recently read that ten percent of all new motorcycles are bought by women, but seeing these women on the road and talking to them at the end of a long day is a new experience for me. His descriptions of the day’s journey sound exactly like the way the men share their day’s experience. What is not surprising is that women enjoy the sport of motorcycling just as much, if not more, than men. In fact, I can’t think of any sport other than soccer that women don’t participate in.

Motorcycle manufacturers are waking up to a new audience and are now producing motorcycles that are tailored for women. I saw several women riding Ducati Monsters, a hot Italian bike that works well for shorter women who want to be able to plant both feet on the ground when stopped at a stop light. Other manufacturers will follow suit now that their light women will become a proportionately larger part of the motorcycle buying public.

Women are signing up for National Motorcycle Safety Foundation classes, and in the absence of excess testosterone, women are likely to prove themselves superior riders who have nothing to prove. I have noticed that women, in general, ride at the same skill level as men, or better.

I spoke to several women at the end of the day at a motel where it seemed like every biker in Northern California was staying. It was in Humboldt County, which is three hours north of San Francisco. But some women were from much further away. Their stories about their bikes sounded exactly like my own stories that I’ve shared dozens of times with other cyclists I’ve met on the road.

The first time I saw a female cyclist was ten years ago, and I have to admit, I thought she was incredibly sexy. She wore a full-face helmet and leather clothing, hiding her face and her body completely, so the image of her was beautiful. Seeing a woman with her hair flying behind her, leaning into the curves, was distracting at first. It was also incredibly sensual to see a woman astride a powerful engine, being in charge of driving her. I don’t mean this in a demeaning or chauvinistic way at all. I just appreciate how beautiful a woman looks riding down the road. Maybe women feel the same way about the men they ride.

I hope more husbands and boyfriends will encourage the women in their lives to participate in what was once a male-only sport. The more women share this experience, the more cyclists will be on the road. And, the more motorcyclists, the more aware the driving public will be about watching out for motorcycles.

It is an excellent hobby that a man and a woman can share. Riding two bikes is very different from riding on the back of a man’s bike. The experience is visceral and involves all the senses. The men I’ve spoken to whose wives travel with them are delighted that they share their passion. In addition, the quality of the trip is superior when you do not have a passenger. It’s more fun to walk alone.

I’ll be looking for more women along the way, and I suspect that by the time I stop cycling, hopefully not for too many years, the number of women cyclists will approximate the number of men. It is a sport that we can all share and enjoy.

What I have also noticed is that single women who ride are extremely popular. Men fall all over each other in their desire to talk to these women. It’s also not a bad way to meet a guy. At the very least, there is a shared passion. Welcome to motorcycling. It is a real pleasure to have you with us.

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