By Fred Rau

Female motorcyclists. Women riders. Babes on bikes. Call 'em what you like, their numbers are growing, and sooner or later, you're going to have to deal with them. One of the last bastions of male supremacy, almost 99 percent testosterone-driven for more than a century, motorcycling has become the latest target of the pink horde, fresh from its successes in corporate boardrooms, private golf courses, and gentlemen's clubs of America.

Those in the know inside the Motorcycle Industry Council tell me that female riders made up about 0.5 percent of riders from the sport's inception until around 1946. World War II introduced a lot of women to the workforce, and some stretched their newfound independence so far as riding on two wheels. So it was that, starting from the end of the war, female riders increased their numbers by 100 percent to make up nearly 1 percent of the motorcycling population. And there they stayed for another 50 years.

Then came the 1990s. In one decade, the number of female riders, which had taken over 75 years to double, suddenly tripled. And even that was just a harbinger of things to come, as women began to build momentum. As of this summer, I'm told, women now make up over half of all riders who sign up for beginner riding courses. Read that again: over half. The handwriting is on the wall, and we male riders ignore it at the risk of our own extinction.

You can forget about all the old stereotypes and sexist jokes, because, by and large, the new female riders fit into two pretty normal categories. First are the older women who've ridden for years on the pillion and are now moving up to the front seat. I've talked to a lot of them, and for the most part, they tell me that they always wanted to ride, but were told it was something that proper young ladies "just didn't do." The social stigma was strong, and "let's not mince words here " many people automatically assumed that any female who dared to ride a bike had to be a lesbian or a real hard-ass, or both. But the times they are a-changin'. Much of that stigma has evaporated, even to the point that a lot of people now admire the adventurous spirit of women who ride. With that going for them, plus many years of enjoying two-wheeled travel from the back seat, many ladies in their 40s, 50s, and even 60s are walking into dealerships to get their own rides.

The second type is often typified (in my mind, at least) by a ponytail seen sprouting from the back of a brightly colored full-face helmet set atop a state-of-the-art riding suit, which is straddling a modern sportbike. It's this new breed of female rider that fascinates me most. If I might be allowed some generalizations, it consists of usually young, intelligent, athletic, and very independent women. Twenty years ago, I knew one rider who fit that description. Ten years ago, I knew three. Today, I can list over two dozen that I'm personally acquainted with. They are the future face of motorcycling. And, for the most part, they ride like the wind.

Instructors at both MSF beginner riding courses and top-notch professional track schools cite the same reasons for the riding prowess of this new breed. First, they're a "blank canvas" with no bad habits to unlearn or misinformed preconceptions of how to ride. And, second, the instructor doesn't have to break through a macho wall of egotism to get them to listen and learn. (Unlike the typical male attitude of "I know I'm already a good rider, but maybe you can teach me a few pointers." ) Most of the women aren't afraid to admit that they know nothing from the start and have everything to learn, and they aren't afraid of looking dumb by asking questions.

Women have not yet invaded some of the extreme ends of motorcycling, like MotoGP or the Paris-Dakar, though that may yet come. I rather doubt it, though, simply because of the physical demands required. Same reason you aren't going to see women competing in the NFL. But that doesn't mean they can't ride, and damn well, thank you.

Like it or not, women are the fastest-growing segment of motorcycling, and with the male motorcycling population aging and shrinking every year, they may very well be the salvation of the industry. This sport needs a crop of new riders coming up every year to replace those we lose.

And believe it or not, I, for one, love it. RB