Passes & Canyons Blog

Research study seeks women riders.

I announced this on Examiner but I figure I ought to go ahead and announce it here, too. Ginger Bucher, a Ph. D. candidate at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (I’ve never heard of that school, have you? That’s a little odd, isn’t it?) is conducting a study on women motorcyclists, both riders and passengers, and if you are a woman, she is looking for your input.

Here’s the letter she sent me:

Currently, I am collecting data as part of a dissertation through Indiana University of Pennsylvania. I am a rider, former MSF-certified RiderCoach and Assistant Coordinator of the PA Motorcycle Safety Program. In my role as an independent motorcyclist researcher, I am focusing on women motorcyclists both passengers and riders.

The online project began in October and continues through December, 2012. You can view the details at:
www.research.womenmotorcycling.org

To date, over 530 women motorcyclists from the US and Canada have completed the questionnaire representing over 3,000 individual comments and responses to essay questions. The online community and network of motorcyclists has made the response possible. I am reaching out to UK and Australian female motorcyclists as well.

I am asking for your help to increase awareness in the motorcycling community about the study. While I have an enormous amount of data to sort through already, I am interested in gaining the most complete picture that is possible in a short time with limited resources. The project is purely academic (i.e. self-funded) with no commercial or industry sponsorship.

When ready, I plan to report the findings in a wide array of settings. Given the level of interest from national organizations, I foresee the possibility of follow-on research to further explore the rich experiences of women motorcyclists.

Thank you for taking time to read about the study. I hope you will consider some options to get the word out. I welcome your suggestions and input.
Ginger Bucher
Indiana University of Pennsylvania

So, if you feel like adding your voice to her data, or know any women who might be, go for it. And hopefully, Ginger will be back later to share her results.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Only a biker knows . . .: Motorcycle wit and wisdom, #24

Biker Quote for Today

Bad decisions make good stories.

If, like me, you’re a guy, you may not be aware what a large group of women riders there is out there. Believe me, though, they know. And they’re in touch with each other.

It’s not until you wander into some community page that your eyes open. This happened for me recently when I got a link exchange request from Kristen at VaVaVroom, a website where they sell “motorcycle clothing and gear for her.” Not being female, and my wife having all the gear she needs, I wasn’t much interested in the main part of the site but they have a link for “Community” where they say “The VaVaVroom Community Pages are a great resource for women riders (including those of you who ride two-up) to connect, learn what’s going on in the industry, find out about upcoming events, meet other women riders and unearth whatever you may need to enhance your overall riding experience.”

Going one step deeper for “Links,” when I clicked there it hit me. Here were links for a whole world of organizations I didn’t know existed. These included, to name just a few:

• Women Riders Council
• Women’s Riding School
• VTwin Mama
• RideMyOwn.com
• Her-Motorcycle
• Girls in the Game

Plus a whole lot more, including some that are relevant for bikers of either sex.

Now, I’m not naive, I’ve known that there are plenty of women riders out there, and especially at Sturgis in 2006, I saw more women on bikes of their own than I had ever seen before. I just didn’t realize the size and extent of the group.

All I can say is, that’s great! More power to all of you. It seems like more often than not it is women who say “But motorcycles are so dangerous.” The more women who ride and know the true nature of the experience the better for all of us.

Biker Quote for Today

You’re a lucky guy if your woman rides her own.