She won’t take a back seat

She won't take a back seat Working woman, wife, mother, biker. The country's first woman to own a Harley-Davidson, local girl Sheeja mathews 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

Working woman, wife, mother, biker. The country's first woman to own a Harley-Davidson, local girl Sheeja mathews 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

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, weighing easily over 200 kilos, which the 34-year-old wants to be fit enough to ride.

On July 5, 2011, Sheeja bought the motorbike from the Tusker Harley-Davidson showroom in the city, which made her Harley's first Indian woman customer. 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 motorbikes.

Sheeja, who has been riding bikes for the past 15 years, says she always wanted to own a Harley, finding inspiration in Hollywood road trip movies and biker chick flicks. "I have ridden Indian-made bikes, including 350cc Choppers and Bullets, and always wanted to upgrade my model. I needed to own a Harley," she says.
Besides the comfort, style and sound of a Harley-Davidson, there was another reason why Sheeja wanted her own: its ability to turn heads. "I am often stopped at traffic signals by women who admire my bike."

Size zeroes, step aside
Sheeja says that given the bike easily weighs over 200 kilos, one has 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 (R 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 zoom out of town for a high-speed spin on her bike, as she is not permitted to ride it faster than 60 to 70 km/hour within city limits. For now, Sheeja's bike 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."u00a0

Wearing her jeans and boots, however, has more to do with common sense than fashion, given the amount of heat generated by the Harley V-Twin engine. Similar to the beauty of the machine, which is more than skin-deep. Sheeja elaborates, "The feeling while riding a Harley is just incredible."