GENERAL NEWS

WOMEN MOTORCYCLISTS ARE ON THE RISE!

MORE AND MORE WOMEN ARE EMBRACING THE JOYS OF MOTORCYCLING

BY Lucy England ON 24 June 2020

An interesting thing has been happening in the world of motorcycling and it is not just the result of the pandemic, it was already a thing before covid struck - more and more women are embracing the joys of motorcycling!

This seems to be a 21st century thing, in the US, millennials and Generation X women are far more likely to ride a motorcycle than previous generations – in fact one in five motorcyclists there are female! In the UK half a million women now hold a full motorcycle licence. Women riders, when asked, say that they love the way going for a ride clears the mind and helps them to leave the stresses and strains of the day behind.

In the US studies reveal that the average age for women motorcyclists is 39 and 49% of women riders do their own motorcycle maintenance. In the UK there are many over 50s women getting into motorcycling - great nickname - The Baby Vroomers! While statistics are not the be all and end all of everything, some of the results make enjoyable reading regarding motorcycles: 33% of women motorcyclists say they are less stressed after a ride and over half say that their motorcycle makes them happier, with 74% claiming that riding their bike has improved their lives – nice to hear.

Wheelie Women

Women riders' motorcycle clubs are on the increase too, to cater for this rise in wheelie women. In the UK, women only clubs include: Curvy Riders, The Hells Belles and the Lippy Ladies, where women can meet up and ride out together and make it a sociable and mutually supportive occasion with like-minded friends.

The Women's International Motorcycle Association which was started in 1950 has also grown exponentially and now has 20 WIMA divisions and around 1300 members worldwide. The Great Britain group WIMA GB is very active and organises meets, rallies and events and has a network of travel contacts, although we'll have to see how that pans out as lockdown is lifted.

Not only is riding for pleasure and for practical reasons like commuting on the rise amongst women but, starting with that inimitable female race pioneer Beryl Swain, so is female motorcycle racing. Female racers include: Speedy Maria Costello (conqueror of the IOMTT amongst other races), Jenny Tinmouth (BSB), Patsy Quick (Dakar rally), Emma Bristow (Trials champion), to name but a few.

So there are an increasing number of women motorcyclists out there, doing what they enjoy and living the dream. Motorcycles for all and more people riding - definitely a good thing we say – share the fun!

TOPICS: WOMEN