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AMA Women and Motorcycling Conference

Hi Ladies,

A bit of part-crashing, for which I apologize, but I saw a couple of Washington State posts, and the bit about Harley's caught my eye also.

I ride with a small group (W.O.M.E.N.--Women On Motorcycles Enjoying Nature) and we run the gamut from my Airhead R80/7 to a couple of HD's to brand new BMW's to Yamaha RD350 "Two-Smokers" and back to my 1969 Triumph Bonneville. Personally I don't like being behind a straight-pipe Harley, but I wear earplugs anyway, so that helps. (And again personally, I believe that Loud Suits Save Lives....)

Anyway, the point is that early on, we agreed not to knock each others rides, and it works for us......although I did point out that I needed to be the first one to start up in the morning, since I can't tell if Millie (My R80, 'cause compared to the rest of my bikes, she is Thoroughly Modern) is running or not, once the Big Twins light off.....:wave

So I guess I'm really just dropping in to say a Newbie "Hi!" from Skagit County, Washington, here in the snow. :scratch
 
As others have mentioned, BMW riders don't represent the largest segment of women at the AMA Women and Motorcycling Conference. My husband and I attended the rally in Keystone, CO in 2009 also and had a great time. He rode demos all day (almost no waiting to try anything you like) and I was able to attend some of the seminars. Men are definitely in the minority - and that's kind of refreshing for a change. :)

Speaking of demos, the BMW demo fleet was staffed 100% by women, with models selected based on the intended audience - women! Women signed you up, explained the bikes, and led very spirited demo rides. The only gentleman insight was the knowledgable fellow that drove the semi and helped with bike setups. I rode the R1200RT twice then came home and bought one! I wrote them a letter after the event thanking them and letting them know that having the demo fleet there DID result in a sale.

Many of the women I met had incredible stories of overcoming obstacles, self-discovery or being "liberated" from the passenger seat. Many have received little or no encouragement from other motorcyclists they've associated with before the AMA Women's event. The BMW community seems generally much more accepting of women riders. I hang out mostly with other BMW riders, so that was an interesting discovery for me. I had no reason to assume it wasn't that way in other motorcycling circles.

The vendors all sell gear made and sized by and for women, and there was quite a variety from practical to lifestyle products. The vendor area was fairly large relative to the number of event participants.

I'm only 5'2", but I ride an F650GS, an R1200CLC and now an R1200RT. Most women I chatted with were surprised at that, voicing expectations that BMW's were too tall for most women. So it was nice to represent BMW as an option for women other than cruisers and other "starter" models often pushed at shorter or smaller riders (men included).

We're hoping to visit Yosemite on the way from Sedalia to Carson City for the 2012 event. Other than having a great time in Keystone 3 years ago, we've never been to NV so that was enough excuse to go there.

If you've never been before, I'd suggest you consider trying it at least once.
Maybe we'll meet you there.
 
Hi Kelly,

Nice to meet another woman on a Chromehead! I'll probably ride the RT this time. It's just more comfortable for longer rides. I'm in MI, so that's going to be a lot of miles in a fairly short time for me. As it turns out, all 3 of my bikes are blue - 1 by choice and 2 by chance. Probably won't be too many blue BMW's with MI plates in Carson City at rally central, so I should be easy to spot, even if I end up on the CLC for some reason.

Are your going to Sedalia too?

Tracy
 
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