Motorcycle Explorer September 2016 Issue 13 | Page 16
So events like Babes Ride Out, where only
women gather to ride and share a more
feminine space together, are comparatively
uncommon. But for those girls who have
stepped into the world of motorbikes, they
provide a rare oasis of female energy where we
can enjoy the riding and the wider ‘moto-
dynamic' in our own way.
after a red light, those of us at the front waited
cheerfully and patiently, enjoying the
opportunity to stop and take in the stunning
landscape whilst the others caught up with us.
I’m pretty confident that things would have been
different if we had had men in our group. When
I rode through Peru and Ecuador with Paul, him
on his 660 Tenere and me on my DR 200, I was
For many guys, motorbiking is all about getting
always the one who wanted to stop, take photos
places fast and being competitive; for most girls and soak up the surroundings; often he wanted
it is completely the opposite. During our time on to push on, determined to cover enough miles or
the road together, I saw how we were motivated reach a certain destination that day. And I see
more by the value we place of being part of a
this style with other male riders too. Neither is
group and sharing experiences together. There
right or wrong - men and women are just
was no competition amongst us, despite the
essentially different. That’s why the chance to
different bikes we were riding - from 125s to
ride with just women is such as gift, and
1200s. Often we would pull over to take photos something us girls should all strive to do more
and share a joke, never in a rush to get back in
of.
the saddle. Even when the group became split