More women than ever before are choosing motorcycling as their way to unwind and de-stress from their busy lives.
Latest motorcycle ownership numbers, just released by the Motorcycle Industry Council, show female motorcycle owners rose to 12.5 percent up from 10.5 percent in 2009.
This comes as no surprise to Genevieve Schmitt, founder and editor of the leading resource for female motorcyclists, WomenRidersNow.com. She has her pulse on the women’s motorcycling demographic. “More than ever, women need a way to unwind, disconnect and de-stress from their busy, on-the-go lifestyles. My readers tell me riding a motorcycle does wonders for their soul as being out on the open road re-charges their mental batteries while helping them find clarity and peace of mind.”
“I’m a busy realtor in one of the most desirable areas of the country, Scottsdale, Arizona,” says 56-year-old Jan Kane. “Motorcycling is my way of unwinding from my busy life. Feeling the wind of my face and getting out in nature on the open road helps to slow me down enabling me to prioritize and focus on what’s really important. Riding is far better for me for de-stressing than a day at the spa.”
Ashly Holland, 33, of Livingston, Mont., started riding last year. “If you told me I would feel this good by simply riding a motorcycle, I’d have started years ago. I actually spend less time mentally unwinding on a massage table now that I have a motorcycle.”
“It seems counterintuitive to think that riding motorcycle could have such mental health benefits,” says Schmitt, “but talk to any woman rider and she’ll agree riding is far more powerful at creating balance in one’s life than one would imagine.”
Harley-Davidson recently publicized results of a survey indicating women who ride motorcycles feel happier, sexier and are more confident than those who don’t. Of the approximately 27 million motorcycle riders, 6.7 million are women.
