Daily Slideshow: Bollywood Starlets (and the Women of India) Love Motorcycles
Women from India continue to find freedom in motorcycling. Just as in any country, the rich and famous get a little more attention.
By the Numbers
2015 data from the U.S. Department of Transportation indicated that of the 263.6 million registered vehicles in the United States, 8.5 million were motorcycles. That equates to a low 3.3 percent of all U.S. registered vehicles were motorcycles. 2012 data from the India's Transport Research Wing, Ministry of Surface Transport indicated that 115.4 million motorcycles were registered. Take into account the 41.9 million other vehicles and that equates to a 73.3 percent of all vehicles in India were motorcycles. Comparing the numbers reveals that for every motorcycle in the United States, there are 12.8 in India. That's a whole lot of motorcycles! One could easily think that with so many motorcycles in India that Bollywood starlets on motorcycles would be nothing new. Why has the media attention increased over the past few years?
A Harley will cost you
With so many motorcycles in India, it's a surprise to see how expensive a Harley-Davidson costs in India. As per bikewale.com, a Sportster 883 runs from 725,000 to 1,063,400 INR ($11,200 to $16,500 USD). To put this into perspective, the example provided paints a picture of the cost of living in India. A furnished one-bedroom apartment in Delhi averages about $250 per month. That Sportster 883 is equivalent to four and one-half years rent. In Bangalore, which has a cost of living comparable to San Francisco, a semi-furnished one-bedroom apartment runs $600 per month. That same Harley would be equivalent to almost two years rent in Bangalore. With a low cost of living in India, a Harley-Davidson could easily be seen as a luxury motorcycle. Seeing a beautiful starlet riding American Iron is, in itself, noteworthy. But there is more.
Leading Roles
Bollywood starlets have been seen more often openly riding their motorcycles as the culture in India has begun to shift gears (pun intended). These actresses are just a few of the many women who have begun to find their passion in riding motorcycles. As with most Bollywood actresses, the media is always looking for another story. The women of India have noticed and a movement has taken root in India over the past few years. Slowly, but surely, women motorcyclists have increased in numbers despite cultural roadblocks.
Culture Change
Women in India have begun to break in traditional gender stereotypes. Women have found freedom, empowerment, and a connection to other like-minded riders. India currently has nearly a dozen "women-only" biker groups, some with nearly 1,000 members.
As a whole, the motorcycling community has grown in India, with the first India Bike Week taking place in 2013. That first year had 1,000 women bikers register for the event. Two years later, in 2015, the number increased to 2,500.
Veenu Paliwal (pictured) learned to ride in college. However, she was forbidden to ride by her husband. After her divorce, she purchased a Harley-Davidson. With her children away at college, she enjoyed her weekends riding. She had planned on riding 50,000 km (31,000 miles) a year before upgrading to a Road King. Tragically, she passed away on April 11, 2016, due to injuries she sustained during a motorcycling accident.
"There are constant challenges for women in today's male-dominated world. It is up to us to break out and prove that we are capable of anything. Biking was one such way of telling both men and women that, 'hey, we women can ride too'." - Veenu Paliwal.
Cultural Acceptance
On International Women's Day 2017, Harley-Davidson India inaugurated their 28th Harley Owners Group (HOG) chapter: the Ladies of Harley. Starting in December 2017, the city of Dehli will have a new police patrol consisting of an all-female motorcycle patrol. The unit, called Raftaar (Speed), will have 600 motorcycles units. This is a long step forward for women motorcyclist being accepted in India's culture.
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