When Editor Steve let me talk him into sending me to represent RoadBike at the sixth annual Femmoto event at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway this past October, I think he had visions of women exchanging recipes, hand-holding group sing-alongs, and possibly even a charged-up speech or two about equal rights in motorcycling. Had he known about the new co-ed track demo day, the three days of co-ed street demos, the smattering of race legends, or all of the fit, hot female bodies sporting high-tech track suits, I may not have stood a chance.

For years I have been drooling over the opportunity to head out to this woman-powered demo weekend. It’s no secret that more women are in the rider’s seat on both the street and track each year. We are becoming a powerful force in the industry as well. Femmoto is our opportunity to gather and celebrate these accomplishments, as well as try out a vast selection of motorcycles in a controlled, noncompetitive environment. For someone such as myself who has always wanted to, but never has, ridden on a track, it was the perfect venue.

Starting out the long weekend on Thursday, Riders Of Kawasaki (ROK) reserved the track for a members-only, co-ed track day. Each day began with a comedic riders meeting given by event director Bonnie Strawser’s husband and longtime supporter, Monte Lutz. Track sessions were divided into five 20-minute-long sessions, and we were split into designated groups according to skill level. Being that I was a first-timer, I listened intently to what each flag meant, where to exit the track, and so on. I also took advantage of the classroom instruction between sessions, where I learned about track techniques like clutchless shifting, proper braking, and body positioning. By the end of the ROK track day, I felt completely confident on my borrowed Kawasaki ZX-6R and ready for the official start of Femmoto.

Each year the grassroots event gets larger, with more vendor support and OEM participation. This year’s entrants nearly doubled, as 563 women signed up for various street and track demo rides. Bonnie concedes that the growing success of the event is due in part to the increased willingness of major manufacturers to place more emphasis on the women’s market. In addition to past-year supporters Kawasaki, Aprilia, Ducati, Honda, Buell, Harley-Davidson, and KYMCO, this year Suzuki brought a street demo fleet, Hyosung came with track demos, and BMW of Las Vegas set up its booth with a selection of bikes to sit on and drool over. Honda even presented entrants with a look at its Canadian-market CB125, and a questionnaire about the bike to examine viability of a US introduction.

Kawasaki not only showed up the other OEMs with its lot of Ninja sportbikes and an assortment of streetbikes including a ’08 Concours 14 and brand-new Versys, but, for the second year, offered the Kawasaki Off-Road Experience. Sold out for the entire weekend, the half-day class was designed to give riders basic instruction from MSF-certified instructors, and an opportunity to ride the 125s and 250s all over the dirt course. Classes were broken up according to riding experience, and even first-time riders were welcome. Not wanting to miss anything, I signed up for yet another first-time experience on Friday afternoon. It was a blast popping up and down the jumps and bumps until I hit a deep rut and ate some dirt. It was the perfect opportunity for me to decide that I much prefer traction.

Sticking to the pavement for the remainder of the weekend, I got to try everything I wanted, including a Hyosung 650, Honda’s Freddie Spencer CBR 600RR, Aprilia’s Tuono RSV1000, and Kawasaki’s Mean Streak and Z1000. Track instructors, chosen by Angie Loy from Jason Pridmore’s STARR school, kept tight control of the track, which was divided into two halves and three groups; two novice and one intermediate. The atmosphere of the entire event was uplifting and inspiring, and track safety was the obvious priority. Passing was only allowed in designated areas during the intermediate sessions.

In between sessions, participants could browse vendor tents or take in a seminar or two. Or what I did, which was talk excitedly about motorcycles to anyone and everyone. Besides rubbing elbows with other female journalists and participants, I was reunited with RoadBike’s former editor, Jessica Prokup (left, top), who was there promoting the sport by offering MSF classes courtesy of Discover Today’s Motorcycling. Genevieve Schmitt (left, center), former editor of Women Rider, was promoting www.WomenRidersNow.com, a web site committed to highlighting women’s issues related to motorcycling, and Jan Plessner, Kawasaki’s public relations manager and one of Femmoto’s biggest behind-the-scenes influences, who was on hand to meet and greet at Kawasaki’s big rig.

Saturday night saw the Femmoto banquet and fashion show at the Neon Garage. Featuring the latest women-specific gear from major sponsors G-Line, Icon, Scorpion, and some of the OEMs, the highlight of the fashion show was when Bonnie and the crew from G-Line came out dressed in the soon-to-come Femmoto track suit. Genevieve gave an inspiring speech about how women have become a viable segment of the motorcycle market, and awards were handed out to recognize the money raised to fight breast cancer. All proceeds of Femmoto, beyond basic operating costs, were donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The membership and entry fees, donations, and auctions all combined to bring this year’s total contribution to an impressive $13,188!

I was warned. I was told that riding on the track is addicting. Thoroughly hooked, I’ve been searching for a local track-riding club and a ZX-6R of my own. The personal highlight for me, besides the thrill of riding fast on a track, was meeting so many other women who are equally excited about the sport. Femmoto 2008 is set for October 3-5 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. If you’re a female rider, this is the event to go to. RB

Leaders & Legends