Please Note: All articles are linked through Dominican University’s EBSCO account and are accessible by students and faculty of Dominican. However, the articles are cited in the Complete Bibliography and can be accessed through other libraries and some can be found through other search methods or sites. For those who know Becca personally, please contact her and she will directly access the article on your behalf.
Women on wheels: Open road beckons to female motorcyclists ~Amy Matthew
Amy Matthews profiles several female riders and researches why motorcycling is a growing sport among women. She focuses on new riders and shares the following advice:
“New riders: What to expect You're going to drop the bike . . . at least once. You're going to be nervous for a while. You're going to get frustrated. You're going to hear "crash" stories from nonriders whether you like it or not. You're going to get advice from others whether you want it or not. You're going to find you're not wearing proper-fitting gear at some point (wrong sunglasses so eyes water, gloves too bulky, etc.). You're going to struggle with how to manage your new hairstyle called helmet hair. You're going to spill gasoline all over the tank . . . at least once. You're going to realize riding your own motorcycle is cooler than you ever imagined. You're going to find yourself smiling more often.”
Motorcycle Manufacturers are finally realizing that women are a viable market. This is one of many articles dealing with increased focus on women riders. from the Abstract: “The article discusses the changing trends in women motorcycle market. Harley Davidson launched its garage party concept, women-only themed open house geared towards women's riding interests in 2006 in an effort to fuel the female motorcycle market. It is said that women are not shying away from the once male-dominated mode of transport and recreation.”
In this article from the Bangor (ME) Daily News, Anderson profiles several woman riders and investigates the increasing trend of women riding motorcycles. One of the riders in the article states, ”For the longest time, we were referred to as fender candy because women on the back had to look good. Now, you're in the front with the bugs and everything, It's liberating to go from fender to front seat."
"Girl Power" and Participation in Macho Recreation: The Case of Female Harley Riders. ~Catherine A Roster
This study by Catherine Roster focuses on why women participate in the “male dominated sport of motorcycling” and includes group interviews. According to the author, “A grounded-theory approach reveals five sources of empowerment that women gain by participating in motorcycling. This study demonstrates the role facilitators play in creating and cultivating sources of empowerment. It also exposes how feelings of guilt, vulnerability, and concern about societal images can undermine women's feelings of empowerment.”
Don't Call Me “Biker Chick”: Women Motorcyclists Redefining Deviant Identity. ~William E. Thompson
In an effort to redefine traditional terms like “Biker Chick” and “Deviant”, Thompson addresses stereotypes of the female motorcyclist in this article. From the Abstract: “Findings indicate that female motorcyclists manipulate several meaningful symbols in order to redefine what has largely been viewed as a deviant identity. Riding motorcycles is what they do, not who they are. Women who ride feel a sense of freedom, excitement, and empowerment as they maintain their femininity while participating in what has traditionally been viewed as a masculine endeavor.”
According to Scelfo, “The Newest bikers wear lipstick with leather: it’s a girl thing”. In her article she sites statistics from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and others as to the rise in women motorcyclists. Scelfo states, “Today's female riders are reinventing motorcycle culture. The Ladies of Harley in Billings, Mont., have abandoned rest-stop visits to pubs and taverns, instead taking breaks at clothing and craft stores. Forgoing flames or the skull and crossbones, the New Jersey Spokes-Women chose the mariner's compass as their symbol--a traditional quilting pattern. But when it comes to the joy of feeling wind on your face, all genders benefit equally. "There's nothing better," says Smith. And now there's no guy blocking the breeze.”
10 Ways Not to sell a Motorcycle to a Woman. ~Val and Miguel Asensio
In this article the authors look at typical mistakes dealerships make when trying to sell bikes to women. Included are inflating prices, insulting the rider, directing the rider towards “girly” bikes, and offering accessories only in men’s sizes.
The author investigates the various types of women’s motorcycle organizations, how they are formed, and what types of women join. She discusses the advantages of joining a club and specifically addresses the Women's Mountain Bike & Tea Society.
This is a highly academic article and ethnographic study of Harley-Davidson motorcycle owners. According to the abstract: “We find women engaging, resisting, and co‐opting hyper‐masculinity as part of identity projects wherein they expand and redefine their own personal femininities.”
This article focuses on “born again” Christian women who ride as a ministry opportunity and a way of reaching out to others. This article focuses on the “No Boys Allowed”Women’s motorcycle club in Spokane Washington, which is a group of Christian women who minister as they ride. Snyder states, “While these stereotype-busting born-again biker babes find plenty of ministry opportunities to the unchurched, they've learned they carry an equally important message to non-biking Christians as well.” The article focuses on this non-stereotypical segment of the motorcycling community.