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The impact of female riders on motorcycle culture (Master degree research prompt)

by Anton H. Fries
(Las Vegas, NV)

I am working on my master degree and I need some opinions from both sides of a topic.

I want to know if the female motorcycle community has changed motorcycle culture as a whole if so, for better or for worst? I am a big fan of female independence. My wife rides, Most of my female friends ride but I'm interested in knowing if the recent push from the motorcycle industry and the growing number of female riders today has changed motorcycle culture.

Basically how has the growing number of female riders affected motorcycle culture? Fashion, femininity, gender roles, gender bias, marketing, sexism, social norms, image, art, bars.

I need to get peoples opinions through interviews, both online and in person, I would like to present it as a magazine article with pictures and graphs

What do you think?

Thanks for your consideration,
Anton H. Fries

Comments for
The impact of female riders on motorcycle culture (Master degree research prompt)

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Sep 27, 2011
 Change of style
by: TattooChaos

I went from being told girls can't ride, only the boys (my 4 older brothers) could. I spent my childhood helping them in the motocross pit, cleaning bikes, grabbing tools, Hanson out trophies, and wishing I hadn't been born with a second X chromosome.

I jumped into everything else I could. I skydived, I drank, I hung around stunt riders, did several bike stunts, and the day I got a half-dollar burn from a Ducati my family made me feel like I was damaged goods for eternity. It was then, at 19, that I realized I am worth more than the function of my uterus.

I refused to let my brothers teach me how to ride, I've patched ten up enough times. This year, my 29th birthday request to my husband was for us to go through a class, get our endorsements, and each get bikes. After 3 months of rescheduling, we completed our class and both bought our bikes this past week. I've never been happier and my family quit speaking to me. *shrug* Whatever. :)
Sep 16, 2011
 guess I grew up on a diffierent planet
by: Anonymous

I'm 38 years old. I never rode a bike by my self until this year, but it never occurred to me that women didn't ride motorcycles. My mom rode when I was young. My high maintenance/fashionable aunt rode and my grandmother rode until she was about 70. After reading posts here and other places I have determined that I may have grown up on Mars.
Sep 03, 2011
 Are you speaking of Cultural change just in the US?
by: Robin_uganda

If you're interested in other continents, I'd have some input. Good project. I like the posts ladies. Keep m coming!
Aug 30, 2011
 Something to Add
by: Priestess

I have been riding for years since the age of 19.

I moved and registered in my new state. I was getting quotes one day on insurence for my ZX600 Ninja and the guy on the phone asked what kind of bike did I have. When I told him, his response was..." you think you can handle that?"

Without knowing anything about me,he just assumed that because I'm a woman that I was not capable or competent enough to control a bike I have been riding for years.

Now...What are the chances he would have asked that question or made that assumption if I had been a dude?....jerk.
Aug 24, 2011
 A Lot of Hidden Misogyny
by: Charlie

Thanks for asking this! I can't speak to long-term changes, as I've only been riding for a couple of years, but I would like to mention something I've observed a lot recently.

Let me start by saying that I have never had a problem buying gear or service for my bike. Anyone trying to sell me something has always treated me respectfully.

That said, a lot of online forums contain a good deal of negative talk about women. I regularly read comments such as, "My bike is the only woman that matters," or "I don't have to listen to my bike talk." These types of comments, which, as I said, are mostly reserved for the impersonal anonymity of online forums, reflect a sense that these forums are "men's space," space where men can voice their misogyny without consequences. I know I'm not the only person who has experienced this - there is a reason that there are so many women-only forums.
Aug 21, 2011
 changes
by: Lois

I've been reading these posts and one thing I feel differently about is people commenting about the size of bike women should ride. I think you should ride whatever you want to ride whatever size, I have a ninja 500 and a moto guzzi 750 and also my husbands harley XR1200, but I get women telling me I should get a big bike. I don't need anyone telling me what I need so we as women should not be faulting each other about what we choose to ride. I ride by myself and with groups I don't care what you ride as long as you ride if you choose to. If you havent already you should talk to some motor maids they can give you the history of women riders, they've been around since 1940 so yes women have been riding bikes as long as bikes have been around. check out the book On the perimeter the autobiography of Hazel Kolb.
Oh about boots I have a pair of Oxtar touring boots they are fantastic very functional and comfortable all day long for riding and great for walking around also.
Aug 20, 2011
 Not sure?
by: Zeta

Not sure if culture is changing, but then I've been riding 1.5 years.

It's still difficult to find clothing that fits and/or doesn't look ugly. SO we're not being catered for in that department.

But other riders I've met seem generally supportive of chicks on bikes and don't see it as anything very different which I think is great. Great place to ask this question is here: http://www.netrider.net.au/forums/index.php
Aug 18, 2011
 I love what I reading
by: Anton

Thanks ladies, I love what I'm reading. Keep adding to this if you will. I will need to find people who do not share our positive opinions on female riders and its affect (positive) on motorcycle culture on a different site or in person. Sadly, I think I know who to talk to. As many of you mentioned, the older generations seem to have difficultly with the shifting demographics of motorcycling. It's not always said out loud, or when women riders are present, but there still seems to be resistance to the independent female rider. To me, one of the sexiest thing a woman has is her independence. I am not interested in taking care of a grow woman. Cheers to you ladies who ride and work on your own bikes, that's impressive.
Aug 18, 2011
 Woman on the road
by: Anonymous

I don?t think the female motorcycle community has changed the whole culture so much as our entire culture has been evolving. Areas that had once been the sole bastion of men have opened more and more to women. Just take a look at the changes in women?s role in the military from WWII to today. There are many women who mirror men in motorcycling today (particularly in the Harley crowd) for whom the bike, clothes and accessories are a fashion statement. That being said, having more people on the road riding is a good thing, people are being more aware of motorcycles on the road and are less apt to invade our space on the road.
Aug 17, 2011
 heroes
by: Robin

I grew up on a farm - my dad rode motorcycles with my brothers, horses with me. Even so, I've always loved to ride - cars, horses and now motorcycles. The other day, my boss saw my bike in the parking lot and said, "What are you thinking, riding that thing? You have CHILDREN!" Would he have said that to a man with a family?
We are all treated differently in ways based on our gender. My thanks go to the women who've been riding all these years, showing me I can ride too.
Aug 17, 2011
 Boots
by: Sharon

I haven't had any problem buying women's riding boots. I go to a shop that specializes in motorcycle gear. Most any motorcycle dealership has gear as well as bikes. I bought ladies boots with a normal sized heel for just under 100$. These happened to be Harley boots but there are others. Good sturdy boots that come over my ankles. Very comfortable and not to heavy. The boots with 4 or more inch heels are for women who ride on the back or those who just want to look like they belong to the motorcycle culture. Those of us who ride know we just use what is most comfortable and serviceable. Can't imagine riding in some of that "motorcycle fashion" stuff.
Aug 17, 2011
 Masculine VS Feminine
by: Regina

I have read many of the contributions to your thesis. I have to agree with the anonymous author. So many times when going into a dealership, unless they know me already, try to steer a woman toward smaller bikes. Women can be "girlie" and still ride a bike. It bothers me a great deal to be stereotyped into a particular "group. My first husband was very lets say "old fashion". We had a bike before I began to have children. AFterward, when the kids were grown I began to look again. My husband made the mistake of commenting on me getting a bike of my own. I had ridden since I was 15. Needless to say after our divorce several years later, I did and do own my own bike.
I knew of several women that rode where I now live, but were not accustomed to venturing out without a man in tow. This society has been made up of many single moms and as well as "single by choice" women. I have started a sisterhood of women that bonded together doing just that, venturing out without a man. We get many looks, but I can assure you, we are all very capable of straddling more than we have been programmed to do. I didn't have to burn my bra to earn the right to make that choice. Most of my friends can service their own rides and take very good care of them. Do not get me wrong, I am a feminine woman, I like to dress well when the occasion arises. But ask me to ride and I am right there. It gives such freedom, and shows many of us strength and power as women we didnt realize we could have. I have seen many very "beaten down" women come into their own by showing themselves they could ride and not feel threatened by anything but their own fears. Riding has shown them to face fears of many kinds. I would not have fathomed women of the 50's riding motorcycles without much ridicule. Has the female culture changed by us as women riding a motorcyle? Yes thank goodness.
Aug 17, 2011
 New Mediated Identity of Female Bikers
by: Wanda Cronauer

we are not looked upon as sluts or outlaws as were the previous generation of female bikers were. I am a 60 year old woman who has been riding her own for two years after not having ridden for 30 years. I am pleased that our culture has accepted us as just riders and are excited to meet me when they realize I am not only a woman but an older woman. Most women tell me that they wish they had the courage to do what I do along with the phsyical strength needed to ride their own. Recently I have had a heart problem which required a medical procedure. I have not fully recovered and can only ride my bike short distances, but this has not kept my love of riding from being an important part od my life. My husband and I have drawn closer since we began riding together 6 years ago. I still ride on the back of his for our long cross-country trips and we actually talk more when we are on the bike. Our retirement plans include a motohome [toy-hauler] to load our bikes in, along with an at home experience rather than staying in hotels. We plan to sell our home, buy a condo and a really nice motorhome and take our bikes and hit the road. When my age becomes a factor then I will get a Tryke, but for now the freedom and independence riding gives me it number one in my life. I grew up during the birth of women's liberation and I only see life improving for women as time marches on. I ride because I can!
Aug 17, 2011
 Culture
by: Anonymous

There was a time when I felt, as a woman, you needed to be part of a "gang" and almost appear as a lesbian, or "older" woman of a man who's in a gang to be a true "biker". As I have attended more and more events, I've noticed more and more females on obviously female owned bikes. I'm older now, and if I wore the attire, I would, myself, fit into that "older woman of a man" image. Because of that very fact, I have tried to wear gear that sets me apart and shows my "independence" and still female qualities. When I attended a charity event at the local Harley dealership 2 weeks ago, a man in attendance stated that the bike he was pointing to appeared perfect for me. It was a small bike, maybe a 500 at best. I laughed and told him I had upgraded from that size bike long ago. The statement (which I've heard SO many times) told me that men still see women on smaller bikes. That a large bike (I ride a 2010 Stratoliner Deluxe) is something that's "too big" for a "girl".

I feel as though, because females ARE gaining ground and finally riding on our own, the motorcycle industry has started to market more for females. Between clothing, advertisments, and commercials, you see more women in an active role, not just posing in a bikini while sitting on a bike. I understand the marketing ploy of it, and I'm not against the fact that, regardless of how many feminists yell about it, sex does indeed sell. When I stood in the dealership to purchase the bike, my salesman actually convnced ME that the bike was NOT too big for me. While it was more of him trying to sell the bike, I honestly believe he really was not trying to just sell a bike, but sell ME a bike I would LOVE. While most women I know are intimidated, not just by the size/weight of a bike, they are intimidated by our culture telling them that a larger bike is for a MAN. I see more younger women who feel the need maybe to "prove" themselves by getting "crotch rockets" when, if you talk to them, they talk about their desire to RIDE... long distance ride? A crotch rocket was designed for performance, and being FAST... it's not comfortable over long distances at actual highway speeds. They obviously really want something more along the lines of a cruiser but are being told by marketers and our culture if they aren't able to prove themselves on the "fast" bikes, they aren't really "cool".
Aug 17, 2011
 clothing
by: Lois

I know it's advertising but I hate the way they plaster the name all over everything. Heaven forbid you buy a different bike then you have to either buy a new wardrobe or take the crap about what your wearing vs riding. Great for business I guess.
Aug 16, 2011
 boots
by: Quynn

My biggest complaint is boots. There are very few women's riding boots. Most of the ones I come across have the 4" or higher heels...how am I going to ride in that?
Aug 16, 2011
 Clothing
by: Anton

Thanks for your input. I agree about the clothing being hard to find and not cut for a woman's body shape. My wife and I have the same trouble. I know that if she is not comfortable, she will be less likely to want to ride with me. We think that most of the clothes for women are "fashionable" not "functional." Women have been seen (and still are in some circles) as "seat candy." Leather bikini tops and thin fashionable leather jackets have little function to them, and I can't imagine that they even feel comfortable to wear. I believe the industry is changing but not fast enough.
Aug 16, 2011
 changes
by: Janine

There's been quite a few changes from clothing, gear, accessories, and bikes. A woman can now buy motorcycle clothing that has been designed for a woman's figure. The gear is also in woman's sizes now. I just got a woman's helmet that fits me perfectly. My old helmet was big, even though it was a small, and I had to wear a thick headband or a winter hat under it for it to fit. The accessories are no longer just Maltese cross, skulls, spiders, etc. Now there are bling ring for gauges and bling plate holder. I also bought bling bar and shields. Some bikes are also being aimed at women with there low heights, and narrow seats. In addition, the paint scheme on some of the new bikes are aimed at women. Also, a lot of women's MC clubs are cropping up everywhere.
Aug 15, 2011
 Sounds interesting
by: Laura K.

I'll read your article, once you write it. And contribute to it if you like... are you going to post a way for volunteers to get in touch with you?

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