Looking for the Right Fit

Motorsport on 11th Avenue at 46th Street in Manhattan is one of the few places in the city where motorcycle enthusiasts can get sport bikes, motorcycle gear and clothes. They can also get service - change tire or replace a light bulb.
On a sunny Wednesday afternoon the store seems at first quiet. Come in and you realize there are customers inside. Dalton Ventura, 22, a salesman in the gear department, says that about 38 percent of his customers are women.
"Young women. And they know exactly what they want to buy. They get helmets here, leather jackets or boots. We don't carry gear just for women, so they usually get smaller men sizes."

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In the Motorsport showroom right next to the gear section, Sales Manager Eric Gelia is helping a customer.(see picture)
"This is my baby," Christine Williamson says, pointing at a green Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, "but I do like the red one." Williamson, 24, is a college student. She has been riding as a passenger for a year or two.She now takes riding lessons and has finally decided it was time to get her own bike. "Sport bikes are fun," she says. "I like the speed and the wind in my face. Riding is so powerful."

Gelia, 43, says that women make up only 10 percent of all bike buyers.
"On average, they are between 25 and 30 years old, graphic artists or computer professionals with a good income."
Gelia is exceptionally friendly and a big flirt.
Another woman heads straight for Gelia.

Cohen now rides the 1986 Honda Shadow 700cc

"I came here just to change my tire," Sharon Cohen says.
Cohen, 33, is a photographer and came to New York from Israel 12 years ago.
" I prefer the open space in Israel, " she says. "It's quiet and I enjoy the ride. Here, in the city I always have to be careful and watch for the cabs."
Cohen, who used to ride the 1987 Ducati 750cc in Israel, says she likes riding a lot.
" I feel the air, I feel more connected to everything around me, and I feel free."

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