Motorcycle Women; The Mentor Program Interview

Written by Black Cat

A lot of you women riders interested in finding a woman's motorcycle mentor have asked a lot of questions about what the motorcycles and women's mentor program is really all about. I decided to hold an interview with Sherry, a woman motorcycle rider and owner of Motorcycles and Women to find out and share it with you.

I would first like to explain; Motorcycles and Women mentor program is in no way a substitute for a good motorcycle safety course. It is our recommendation that along with finding a mentor to help you in the learning process of riding a motorcycle, that you take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Education riding course

1. How is the motorcycle women mentor program encouraging more women to get out and ride?
The Motorcycles and Women mentor program was created to help women that want to learn how to ride and get their own motorcycle.

Motorcycles and women’s mentor program is a volunteer program of women riders helping other women. Our mentor program encourages women by example to get out and get their own motorcycle and ride it. Our goal is to encourage experienced women riders to volunteer and help a sister wanting to learn to ride by sending us their first name, their email address, their state and the nearest city or town where they ride. Then a women wanting to find help with getting into motorcycling can go to our website and find a ridding buddy or mentor.

2. Do you all have any information on the number of women riders who take advantage of the mentorship program?
We now have women riders in 18 states willing to mentor other women wanting to find a riding partner or wanting to learn to ride.

On average we get two - three women requesting a women riding partner or motorcycle mentor in a location that we don’t have a mentor in place yet. We do what we can to hook them up with someone; in some cases we just haven’t been able to find any one to connect them with. So if any woman wants to volunteer to be a mentor or a riding partner for a women that wants to get into motorcycling we would be glad to post your first name, your email address and the location (city & state) closest to where you ride.

3. Why are so many women riding motorcycles now?
Well the way I see it, women are evolving. We have come to the realization that we can get off the back and we are just as capable of riding a motorcycle as a man. I think a lot of it for me any way was fear. If you look at or sit on a motorcycle for the first time, it can be pretty intimidating. However, once you go through the learning process, just like anything else, you find that it’s not really anything to fear, respect yes, but fear no way…

4. How do men respond to the growing number of women riders? Do men respect women riders?
To be honest, most of the men I know don’t have a problem with me as a women rider. For the most part I don’t think they even look at me any differently than anybody else in the group. I suppose there are a few old school bikers out there those still holds onto the attitude that the bitch rides on the back. First off I haven’t ran into any of them and if I did id just have to tell them, this is 2009. Get over it already.

5. Are women riders riding for the right reasons or is there a number who ride just for the attention?
I can’t answer for all biker women. I really don’t know what the right reason is. For me riding is freedom. It has help to build my self-esteem and allowed me to see that I can achieve much more then I thought possible.

I also ride for the excitement. I ride a Harley Davidson Sportster 883 XL with extended foot controls, drag pipes and a stage one kit. It is exhilarating to crank on it and feel all that power under me.

I have to say though; there is nothing wrong with getting a little attention out of the deal either.

6. How did you become a motorcycle women and learn to ride?
I am one of the lucky one. I have a very loving and patient husband that taught me how to ride. I used to ride on the back just like a lot of women. One day he pulled to the side of the road, stopped the bike and told me to get in front. Reluctantly I did. He went through the clutch, gears, brakes and throttle and then said lets’ go… Well I did and I have never looked back.

Like I said, I was lucky. Even though I was, there are a lot of women that aren’t. Some may have men that just don’t have the time or patients to teach them. While others may not have anybody at all. That is why I started the Lace Wheels – Motorcycles and Women mentor program, to help women that want to ride that just don’t have the support that they should have.If you are a women motorcycle rider that would like to help email Sherry at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or join Here!

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