She won’t take a back seat

Working woman, wife, mother, biker. The country's first woman to own a Harley-Davidson, Sheeja Thomas of Bangalore, shares her passion for bikes and tells us why riding pillion is not an option, on the occasion of Women's Motorcycle Month in the US

She won't take a back seat

HR professional and mother to a seven-year-old boy Sheeja Mathews has recently been spending more time at the gym than usual. The reason is her shiny new Harley-Davidson Iron 883, easily weighing over 200 kilos, which the 34-year-old wants to be fit enough to ride.

PIC/ Sandeep Harinarayan

On July 5, 2011, Sheeja became Harley's first Indian woman customer when she bought the motorcycle from the Tusker Harley-Davidson showroom in Bangalore. Coincidentally, July is also Women's Motorcycle Month in the United States, a month-long celebration of women riders, who have broken gender barriers and challenged stereotypes by making it fashionable to ride bikes.

Sheeja, who has been riding bikes for the past 15 years, says she always wanted to own a Harley, inspired by the Hollywood road trip movies and biker chick flicks she has watched.

"I have ridden Indian-made bikes, including 350cc Choppers and Bullets, and always wanted to upgrade. I needed to own a Harley," she says.

Besides the comfort, style and sound of the Harley Davidson bike, there was another reason Sheeja wanted her own: the ability to stop traffic and turn heads. "I am often stopped at traffic signals by women, who want to admire my bike."

Size zeroes, step aside
Sheeja says that given the bike easily weighs over 200 kilos, one needs to be very fit to handle the load.
"If you are a seasoned rider you should be able to control the weight," she says, adding, "You need to be tall enough for the kind of seating you choose, and your feet should touch the ground. You definitely can't be a size zero."

Sheeja, who wanted a large bike, opted instead for a basic model (Rs 6,50,000, ex-showroom), with help from her husband, who is also a biker. "If speed is your criterion then the Harley is not for you, because it is more of a cruiser," she says.

Good road sense and the ability to stay calm are the other pre-requisites of a good biker. "When men see a woman riding a Harley, they will often get really close in order to intimidate them. You have to be able to handle that," she explains.u00a0u00a0u00a0

Not there yet
Sheeja is waiting to hit the 800- kilometre mark, so that she can go on a spin out of town, as she is allowed to ride the bike no faster than 60 to 70 km/hour within city limits.

For now, Sheeja's trips are restricted to the local salon or supermarket to buy milk. Except on Fridays when she rides her Harley to work. "Usually, I am dressed in a sari or churidhar to work, but on Fridays I get into my biker gear, which is how people know that I have my Harley along."

Getting into sturdy jeans and boots, however, has more to do with common than fashion sense, given the amount of heat generated by the Harley V-Twin engine.

The beauty though, of the machine is more than skin-deep, according to Sheeja, who says, "The feeling while riding a Harley is just incredible."