Motorcyclists Women

My mother is horrified. Any mention of my motorcycle causes her to turn away involuntarily and hold her breath, as if I am a toddler too close to the top of the stairs. My girlfriend is quiet and patient. She doesn't say so, but I know each time I phone home from the road, the possibility that I'm calling from a hospital passes through her mind. Understandable. I've done that once before. Complete strangers--even casual acquaintances--seem genuinely shocked.

My mother is horrified. Any mention of my motorcycle causes her to turn away involuntarily and hold her breath, as if I am a toddler too close to the top of the stairs. My girlfriend is quiet and patient. She doesn't say so, but I know each time I phone home from the road, the possibility that I'm calling from a hospital passes through her mind. Understandable. I've done that once before. Complete strangers--even casual acquaintances--seem genuinely shocked.

The "girl" bike has long been a put-down for motorcycles so diminutive and underpowered that no "real" bikers would be caught riding them. But a number of niche motorcycle makers that produce lightweight, low-to-the-ground models say they are experiencing unusually high sales these days, particularly among women. Just 11% of motorcyclists are women, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council in Irvine, but Taiwanese manufacturer SYM says 80% of its 266-pound Wolf Classic buyers are women.

SORRY, boys. Slobber all you like, but this bike isn't for you. The 2007 Miss Behavin is for the ladies. That's right. It's a girl's bike -- not a sissy bike, as the term so often implies, but a bona fide bike for women. What's so feminine about this ProStreet Softail? It isn't only the name but the lack of manly extremes. The rake is a humble 34 degrees, and the rear tire won't be inflating any egos at a mere 250 mm. The pullback handlebars are close enough to stop any unwanted hunchbacking.