H-D Forums Asks: Ladies, What Made You Start Riding?

By Cameron Vanderhorst - October 9, 2019

**Female H-D Forums riders talk about their inspiration for getting on two wheels.**

Harley-Davidson motorcycles have a unique, universal appeal. The freedom and individuality they represent appeal to everyone equally.

While the stereotypical Harley_Davidson rider may be a tough-looking guy with a beard in a leather vest and a do-rag, there’s lots of women that ride Harleys, too. Here at H-D Forums, we created a special section of the forum for women riders, called The Queens Of The Road.

Here, women riders can gather to discuss anything that’s on their mind, and network with other female riders. Recently, one of our moderators, Lauren Pets, who goes by uklauren on the forums, started a great thread in this section: who, or what, gave you the idea to ride?

Pets explains that, like many women, she started riding after her boyfriend taught her in college on his Yamaha XT 500 trail bike. When she moved from Florida to London that summer, she bought a 125cc Honda of her own. A quarter of a century later, another boyfriend inspired her to start riding again, this time on a Harley.

The first reply, from Grandma1956, starts off by explaining that her mother hated motorcycles, even though her father later encouraged her. He had ridden a motorcycle in Europe during World War II.

Back in the late ’60s, while visiting an aunt that rented cabins, she met a young woman who rode. A few years later, neighbors moved in who both rode motorcycles. Meeting those folks taught one very impressionable young girl that women don’t belong on the back of motorcycles – they can ride with the best of them!

Sarah93003 fondly remembers her stepfather teaching her how to ride a motorcycle, and how to shoot a gun (not at the same time, of course). She started out on dirt bikes, but switched to street riding after witnessing a death at a motocross race. Now, she rides a Harley.

The thread was just posted recently, so we’re looking forward to reading even more responses as the discussion picks up steam. If you haven’t yet, be sure to share your story with us in the forum thread!

Photos: H-D Forums/Sarah93003; Harley-Davidson