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October 01, 2018 2 min read
In choosing bikes ...
There has never been a better time for female riders. One of the biggest hurdles for women entering motorcycling has been the weight and seat height of modern motorcycles. It wasn’t always that way. Early motorcycles were lower and less formidable and many female pioneered motorcycles. War time especially created a generation of despatch riders. But the 1970s super- bike revolution made motorcycles higher and more powerful. Even though they were lighter, they were top heavy and difficult to handle. That trend has continued until the past few years.
Now there are two trends that are bringing female riders back:- the growth in learner-approved motorcycle models and the trend toward customising old bikes into lightweight bobbers, cafe racers, street trackers and scramblers.
These days there is a huge field of low-to-mid-capacity bikes in the market. They include such safety features such as good suspension and ABS, but they also have lower seat heights and less weight.
Female riders don’t have to settle for cheap brands, either. Ducati has done well with its low-capacity Monsters and now Harley is joining the field with its Street 500 and 750. The 500 is aimed to attract a lot of young people especially women. It is also widely anticipated that either Indian and/or Victory will also reveal lower-capacity models to “capture” young and female riders. As for older bikes, they are back in vogue and they are ideal for women, although some of the kick start models may be a bit difficult for some. And most of these are customised by stripping them down, making them even lighter.
But it’s not just the practical side of the bike’s dimensions and capacity that is attracting women. They are also appreciating the design. One such woman is Oregon artist Keri Grassl whose recent exhibition in 2014, “Hooligan Lili”, is a collection of drawings of women on classic motorcycles.
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