Beaming 'Beemers'
"For
me riding is both a sport and a passion. Every time I get on a bike, I
wanna get better. Every turn that I take, I want it to be the perfect
turn. I wanna fly. I want to do everything the right way. I want my knee
hanging down at just the right angle. I want to take the turn on the right
apex," says Helene Darvick, a Siren and 22-year veteran 'power biker'.
Laura Malfa, her companion, sounds no less passionate: "I'm a newer
rider. I went from a Honda at the beginning to a BMW when I got better. The BMW is like part of your body. You move your
hand slightly or your leg and that bike is so responsive, I just love
that…. It's like a sport in that it presents you with a challenge
and forces you to improve your skills."
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PHOTOS:
C.Z. Carlin
Darvick, Malfa and the BMW make three. |
Spring
is here and the two 'beemers', (short for BMW sports bike owners), lean
over Darvick's canary yellow R1100S, a recent $16,600 purchase to celebrate
her safe return from Pakistan and the Middle East. As a sound engineer,
she was part of the NBC
News crew covering events in those war zones.
"Motorcycling is a high risk sport," says Darvick, "and
you have to have the kind of personality that likes excitement and adventure.
There are a disproportionate number of women who are gay who ride bikes
based on that sense of adventure." Adds Malfa, her companion: "It
takes a certain kind of man to encourage his partner or wife to go out
riding and take that kind of [physical] risk."
As for the male bike rider, his image, over the last generation, has changed
from "Easy Rider" to "your Wall Street guy who grows a
beard on the weekend and drives a $22,000 Harley," says Darvick.
While women bikers are still a minority among the country's riders --
there were 4.4 million registered motorcycles in the U.S. in 2000 -- they
are increasingly drawn to sporty high-end machines. In addition to a digital
fuel injection motor, Darvick's BMW also has heated handlebars for cold
weather riding. It also represents a sizeable investment.
Depending on performance, "luxury liner" sports bikes, as Darvick
calls top-of-the- line fully computerized BMWs, Harleys, and the main
Japanese brands -- Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha -- can cost more
than $20,000 when basic accessories are included.
Premiums that cover a bike rider, compared to auto insurance, are relatively
modest. Malfa, who lives upstate and whose record is accident-free pays
a mere $360 annually. Basic gear such as helmets, leather suits, gloves
and boots may add another $1,000 to the bill. "We can now find gear
cut to a woman's body," says the 130 lbs, 5 foot 6 inches Darvick.
"Not so long ago, all that was available was made for men."
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However,
on the road and at most of the mainstream rallies, the owners of racing
or sports bikes, sometimes known as "speed freaks," recognize
each other as a community, regardless of gender, social status or profession.
What sets them apart is their machine's performance. "Even the guys
with tattoos head-to-toe, they're mostly friendly. All they want to talk
about are the machines and sharing riding tips," says Malfa, tucking
a strand of long blond hair behind her ear.
Highway patrols, however, turn out to be less congenial. While Malfa credits
luck more than caution for her clean record, Darvick last year had her
license suspended after a third moving violation in 18 months. "Yea,
I've collected quite a few tickets," says Darvick with a smile and
a shrug. "When a cop stops me, I try to be as charming as can be.
No more rockin'. I'm good now."
For beginner motorcyclists, Darvick and every biker we spoke to advises
against unstructured instruction on country backroads. "Every woman
can ride. The only things she really needs is the passion and drive to
go ahead and do it," says Darvick with the conviction of experience.
"The key then is for her to find the bike that's right, the one she
feels confident on because it 'fits' her. Then take some professional
instruction, make some new friends and go take a ride in the country!"
GO TO NEXT PAGE - Facts
& Stats
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BOOKS
FOR THE CURIOUS
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Bike
Lust: Harleys, Women, and American Society Hear Me
Roar: Women,Motorcycles and the Rapture of the Road Growing
up Harley-Davidson: Memoirs of a Motorcycle Dynasty |
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OTHER USEFUL LINKS
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