While some of our sisters are
content to express their rebellious side with a sports car, others notice that
anyone can drive a convertible without much in the way of special skills.
Motorcycles are different. They require a bit of training, which makes it an
exclusive club where the members have an affinity borne of a commitment to do
something most women simply do not attempt.
Happily, there are plenty of organizations to help us along the
way. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation helps riders of both genders who are
starting with absolutely no experience. Continuing on from there, we can avail
ourselves of classes such as Streetmasters (to sharpen our street skills) and
Freddie Spencer’s High Performance Riding School (where we can go faster in a
controlled environment).
For many women, the initial learning process is completed on
diminutive small displacement motorcycles, such as the Kawasaki Ninja 250 or
Honda Rebel 250 (see MotorCyclingMag.com for an on-going female beginner’s test
of the Rebel). Then, as riding confidence is gained, our aspirations begin to
turn to more performance, style and prestige in what we ride. Two distinctly
different brands that have special appeal to women are Harley-Davidson and
Ducati.
Harley-Davidson represents our natural desires to present ourselves as
simultaneously relaxed and self-confident, as well as revealing a little bit of
our "bad" side, able to play with the boys while retaining our essential
femininity. Ducati, being Italian, is a much more elegant proposition. The lines
appeal to our artistic aesthetic, the seating position is assertive, and the function of the
motorcycle is focused on sleek performance. In this case, the ability to keep up
with the boys is more literal. We want to go fast, and Ducati allows us to do
that with Continental style and grace.
 Thanks to an ever-expanding plethora of style
and color options, any woman’s desires and tastes can be
accommodated. (Click image to enlarge)
While we hesitate to feminize two particular models from
Harley-Davidson and Ducati, there are specific examples that are especially
suited to women moving up the motorcycling pecking order. The Harley-Davidson
Sportster 883 Low offers women a seat height of 26.3 inches to forestall any
intimidation that may come with a motorcycle that weighs nearly 600 pounds when
ready to ride. The Ducati Monster 695’s seat sits four inches higher than the
883 Low, but the motorcycle itself is quite light, at less than 400 pounds, and
appealingly trim through the midsection. The name "Monster" is at odds with its
sophisticated style—it is neither a behemoth in appearance or handling—so we
refer to it as the M695.
 Location photography: Don Williams. (Click image to enlarge)
Taking the M695 and Sportster out for rides, we were taken by
how the two motorcycles behave so differently depending upon their situation.
Rides to the Rock Store in the Santa Monica Mountains allowed us to indulge in
the sinuous curves of Mulholland Highway and the narrow canyons that sprout from
the vine. This is the natural habitat of the Ducati. The poised 695 directed us
through the curves with a minimum of effort on our part. It encouraged us to go
as fast as we dared, and we did so without any worry of exceeding its handling
or tire capabilities. Each ride tempted us to lean the bike over farther in
turns, recalibrating our personal limits. The acceleration of the Ducati is
manageable without reducing its ability to induce heart palpitations. The large
front disc brakes were not taxed when slowing down the motorcycle, so we always
felt in control—an important sensation for a rider who is getting more serious
about speed.
As a cruiser, the Sportster was only at ease when we were. For
the career woman who has a corner office in a Burbank Media Center high-rise,
this will mean uncharacteristically allowing herself to unwind a bit. The
Sportster is nothing like the M695 in the mountains. The Harley will get to the
destination as assuredly as the Ducati, but it will not make the trip hastily.
Unlike the M695, which never scraped the road, the Sportster is not shy about
grinding metal against pavement, especially on the right side.
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