Bikes for Women: A Guide

Whenever you watch a motorcycle advertisement, you are shown muscular, tall and more often than not, lumbersexual or shirtless men going about getting their work done on the advertised bike – and the masculinity woven around the motorbike industry is somewhat warranted. According to a survey done by Motorcycle Industry Council in the United States, women own 14% of all motorcycles in the country and we can only expect it to be lower in India.

Yet according to the same survey, the percentage of female bike owners has doubled in the last 16 years and as more and more inspiring women of India break the stereotype of bikes being a man’s ride, this number is set to soar. A bike doesn’t need to be branded as feminine for it to be woman-friendly. An ideal bike for the average women must be smaller size and lighter in weight. Based on your needs, you can choose between a standard, cruise or a sports bike – and nobody will stop you from riding it!

Here’s a list of bikes well-suited for women.

Perhaps the most lightweight contemporary motorcycle in India is the Honda Dream CD. Weighing only 105 kilograms, this bike beats the popular Bajaj Pulsar by 50 heavy kilograms. It is a 110 cc perfect-for-beginners bike that would cost you around Rs.44,000.

With a best in class fuel tank capacity of 10 litres and an amazing mileage of 86 kilometres per litre, the Star City can get you across multiple states with just one refill of the tank. It weighs just under 110 kilograms.

Shell some more money for your first bike and go ahead with Avenger. You can match your style with either Cruise or a street model. Priced at approximately Rs. 85,000​, this low height (725mm) bike is worth every penny. If you can handle a weight of 150 kg, this bike will become your darling in no time. The comfortable design of the cruiser will make you leave the world behind and head for a road trip. Take the plunge!.

The tagline of this Indian bike was “mileage ka naya satya”. Delivering over 90 kilometres per litre in the mileage department, the Discover 100 is a blast-from-the-past 4 stroke classic motorcycle. Owing to its extreme popularity, you can buy an old pre-owned model of this bike for anything around Rs.15,000 – a decent price tag if you’re a woman testing waters in the motorcycle world.

This isn’t a bike you will find in India and it hasn’t been manufactured in a while but if you are not new to bikes and can handle a heavy machine, this is what will catch everyone’s eyes when you roll down the streets. It is safe to say that the bike can only be found in marketplaces of pre-owned goods, if at all easily. Its engine clocks at 696cc, which is three times the power of the average Indian motorbike.

This is not a bike. This is a superbike and a choice of many racers worldwide. If racing is your ballpark, this bike (and its sister variants) could land you in the list of Indian women achievers We’re just going to let the picture do the talking.