Today is International Women’s Day and people are obviously talking about respecting women. I will too, but I’ll be urging them – to ride motorcycles. India is not used to seeing women on motorcycles. People in my country have less of a surprise on their faces when they watch walking on two feet than when they see a girl ride a motorcycle. After all, it has manual gear shifts! I’d like to take this moment to tell you women (who don’t ride a motorcycle, and the number is stupendously large) that it isn’t as difficult as you may have been made to believe. If you ask me I feel better control on a motorcycle than on a scooter, because they have larger wheels. Anyhow, why do I want more women to ride motorcycles, you ask?
To a person not in the know, a woman who rides a motorcycle in India must have a feeling of exclusivity because there aren’t many. While this exclusivity is enjoyed by many, it isn’t what all of us crave. Since people aren’t used to seeing us on bikes, they end up staring at us. And it isn’t a subtle gaze, it’s a stunned face.
My clothes when I’m on my bike are more like a boy. Am I ashamed of being a woman? Never! I just don’t want to be especially spotted and then stared at and then at times be catcalled. So, if female riders become a norm on our roads, I’ll be able to sport a pink t-shirt for a short ride to the grocery store.
Another reason is that I want women to stop being scared of motorcycles. All of my friends are afraid of them, one of them turns into a stone lawn ornament even as a pillion. It’s like a big scary dog. If you give it a chance, you’ll love it.
Change begins at home. Growing up I never heard my parents talk about me riding a bike or when I spoke of it, my dad would always be too afraid that what if I break a leg while learning. If you have a little girl in your house, introduce her to motorcycles at a young age. Don’t let her believe that bikes are only for boys. And if she likes them, let her have her first bike (at an appropriate age) like you would buy your son his first bike.
Marketing plays a huge role in Indian women’s choice of two-wheelers. A scooter or rather a ‘scooty’ is the appropriate two-wheeler for a woman – this marketing strategy has worked so well and has been shoved down our throats for so long, that women don’t even think twice before buying a scooter. A motorcycle is not even an option.
Women, break out of this notion and I assure you, your motorcycle can be your best friend. Mine is to me. When I go full throttle on my bike, it takes me away from worldly worries, it makes me happy. And there’s a scientific explanation for it, really! When you’re doing something exciting, your brain releases dopamine and that in turn gives you the feeling of happiness. And motorcycles are exciting.
Also read: Delhi to Kathmandu: Kawasaki Ninja 250R, Royal Enfield Thunderbird and a 2,400 km wild ride
It doesn’t have to be a big and heavy motorcycle in the beginning, you could start with a little motorcycle and then eventually move on to more exciting machines. Believe me, you will not regret the decision. And who knows, you may get interested in motorsports or long-distance touring. I’ve ridden my Kawasaki Ninja 250R from Delhi to Kathmandu. I never planned I was going to do it, but I did and it was great. A bike will open a lot of these opportunities for you. Give it a go.
