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Biking sisterhood revs up
In spite of my ill-fated introduction to riding a motorcycle last fall (I finished the training course with my pride intact, but not my hoped-for licence), I can't help but feel a tug of sisterhood with women who are making their way onto their own bikes.
Humber College's Andy Hertel says about one in four students in the Motorcycle Rider Training program are now female. Many readers have told me they're eager to hop off the back of the bike and put themselves into the power seat. And the industry is responding.
This week, for the third year, International Female Ride Day was recognized around the world yesterday, when women are encouraged to ride their motorcycles either on-road or off.
BMW conducts Ladies Only Demo Days – Ontario's is May 16 (bmw-motorrad.ca). The program is led by women with the intention of providing a relaxed atmosphere for learners and veterans alike.
Liz Jansen, a pillar of the Canadian women's motorcycle world and an instructor with Humber College, co-ordinates the event for BMW. Representing Ontario for the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada, Jansen is the chair of the Women's Rider Council. She's immersed in the sport, serving on the Advisory Council for the American Motorcycle Association's International Women and Motorcycling Conference, and has watched women's involvement grow to 12.6 per cent of riders – an increase of 29 per cent in just six years.
"The median age is starting to rise among women riders," Jansen told me. "We're seeing women in their mid-40s and up gaining confidence as they purchase and ride their own bikes. And while I hate to overuse the word `empowering,' there is a terrific sense of that with women riders."
Jansen should know. She started Trillium Motorcycle Tours (trilliumtours.com) in 2003. With an emphasis on female riders, she offers tours that last from one day to one week.
In her inaugural year, there were four tours; this year she's up to 15, and the women are coming back with their husbands. Trillium has also started doing corporate rides, as businesses look beyond golf for bonding experiences for their employees.
"Motorcycles are about more than transportation," says Jansen. "It's a lifestyle. On a long tour, you travel literally with what you can carry. And for women especially, the freedom and confidence inspired by a bike branches out into other areas of their lives."
I believe this. For all of my struggles with the final test, the process of going from being unable to balance a motorcycle to actually riding one in fourth gear around the parking lot was exhilarating. And it wasn't about conquering a bike – it was about conquering my own fears.
Motorcycle manufacturers are meeting their new customers in style. Harley-Davidson's Alex Carroni notes the American maker is answering a growing demand for bikes sized more appropriately for women, lower prices for entry into the market, and events recognizing that women riders are different.
Harley-Davidson will be holding a "Precious Metal" event in Toronto on May 6 (preciousmetal2009 .ca), a women's-only evening featuring a decadent combination of motorcycles, fashion, a mobile spa and information – all things motorcycle, all things girl's-night-out.
These garage parties have heralded a new marketing approach, and their success keeps growing.
I'll be there with Liz Jansen as my translator, no doubt pondering hopping back into the saddle.
Lorraine Sommerfeld's column appears Saturday in Wheels and Mondays in Living. www.lorraineonline.ca
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