If she can do it, I can do it.

“If she can do it, I can do it.”

I bet that’s a phrase that’s familiar to a lot of women who have gotten into motorcycles. I know I said it to myself a few summers ago. It certainly changed my life. I hope that seeing me out there riding has made other women say it to themselves, too.

The more I’ve researched while trying to launch this site the more I realized that a lot of the back-stories from other women riders is very similar. Common words used are “freedom” and “control.” I certainly wanted to be in control of my own machine, rather than relying on someone else-always fearful of falling off the back when hitting a very large bump in the road. And being in control is so much better.

This article talks about the growing numbers of women motorcyclists (or “Biker Babe” as the title suggests). Harley Davidson added a women’s section to their website, which I feel is both good and bad. Yes, it’s great that they’re recognizing the economic growth of women buyers, but I feel like the addition is almost patronizing. It’s a bit transparent, in my opinion, to employ this tactic to get women to buy. Especially when they’re marketing a Sportster for their first bike. Ladies, there are so many motorcycles out there to choose from. Don’t sell yourself short.

Also in the article, Suzuki acknowledges that they know 12 percent of it’s buyers are women, but they aren’t creating any special focus on women. Their company spokesman was quoted as saying “…we think we know is that women motorcyclists don’t want to be called women motorcyclists. They just want to be motorcyclists. They don’t want a women’s motorcycle.” YES!!! That is EXACTLY how I feel! Finally somebody gets it! I wish more companies would employ that opinion.

Just because I’m female doesn’t mean I want a clutch-less, pink motorcycle, pink helmet and matching pink jacket. I know there are women out there who want to flaunt the fact that they’re a “biker babe” (sorry, I couldn’t help myself). Maybe it empowers them or something. It’s just not my bag, baby.

I’m optimistic that the gender separation will die out someday (although not anytime soon). Wishful thinking, perhaps, but I’m confident there will be a day where it won’t be such a novelty to see a woman riding her own bike. I know the nearly nekkid models on motorcycles with their asses up in the air will continue to perpetuate. However, I’d like to think there will be more women writing articles in regular motorcycle magazines and advertising feature women riding, not posing.

Anonymous says:

August 8, 2007 at 8:44 am

If she can do it, I can do it….

Ten great blog posts from rippin-kitten.com | Rippin-Kitten says:

May 9, 2008 at 9:54 am

[...] If she can do it, I can do it This was one of the first posts I wrote that tackled my internal struggles of “women [...]

Casper says:

June 13, 2008 at 7:41 am

Great post, thank you. I’m an MSF instructor, and weekend after weekend 1/2 of my students are female. I prefer working with them, for a lot of reasons.

Tell me this – Time after time I hear women ask if we have “All female” MSF classes. Well, ummm, No – we don’t. I’ve explained to them that there’s no yelling, no “Pickin’ on”, we don’t let students cut each other up, etc. etc. But they still want all female classes. At the end of a class I told one lady “There are a few female instructors, but we could probably set something up”, and she said “No, you were great, guy teachers are fine, I’d just be more comfortable in a class with just female students”.

Ok, I’m stumped. What’s up with that?

Lizzie says:

June 13, 2008 at 9:07 am

Thanks Casper. I only have my own experience having gone through the MSF course but maybe I can shed some light. When I took my class I was shocked and amazed to find that I was the ONLY female student in that particular class. Immediately I felt insecure and instant pressure to NOT make a fool of myself in class. Unfortunately, that turned out to be the case.

I was HORRIBLE out there the first day. I dropped the bike on myself, I couldn’t figure out the friction zone and let’s not even discuss shifting gears! And in the back of my mind I felt like all the guys in my class just pitied me and wrote me off that I should go home because I was just going to fail anyway.

After going home and crying a river that night (and with a LOT of encouragement from my then boyfriend) I changed my attitude and decided that I was not going to quit. The next morning I went in like a different person. Even my instructors didn’t recognize me while I was on the course and I ended up passing the class just fine.

So I guess that was a long story to get my point across but the idea of an all-female class would appeal to women who don’t want FEEL judged or pitied by their male counterparts in the class-even though everyone’s in the same boat.

I personally don’t support the idea. I think if you’re going to be a woman who rides a motorcycle you have to be a motorcycle rider, not just a FEMALE motorcycle rider. You should learn how to use a clutch instead of relying on an automatic, you should learn how to park your own bike and how to pick it up if you drop it.