Vroom vroom, ladies!

Imagine zipping around on a bike on the racetrack, accelerating from 0 to 100 kmph in about 5.5 seconds and zooming on to top machine speeds in excess of 200 kmph and going lap after lap until the chequered flag is waved at you even as your long hair is flying behind the crash helmet. This does sound like cinematic fantasy out of Bollywood in a country whose road users still mutter ‘Lady driver’ in that supercilious tone whenever they see a woman drive by.

The adrenaline rush of speed is, however, no more a male preserve. So many bastions may have come down in recent times with women pilots taking off just last week in fighter jets on Air Force missions.

Even so, motor racing has remained men’s biggest ego trip for long, an extension of male libido as it were. Only now are things changing. The wheels of gender justice are known to move, if only slowly. Men still gawk at women riding motorcycles on the road, which is why an ad hit back saying, “Why should boys have all the fun ” as a winsome Priyanka Chopra takes off on a bike.

Recently, a namesake in Priyanka, née Kochhar, a model and biking enthusiast, was beside herself with joy when she got an offer to play the role of a motorcycle-riding teacher for a high-end automobile advertisement.

When Priyanka reached the shooting spot a day later, the concept had, however, been changed and, to her dismay, she was told to play a housewife, riding pillion on her husband’s snazzy new vehicle. “India is not yet ready for women bikers,” was the explanation she got.

Being a biker herself, she was furious. “If I had had a choice, I would have walked out of the shoot,” says Priyanka who buzzes around Mumbai roads on her KTM Duke 200. The doughty Priyanka is determined to break gender stereotypes in the male-dominated world of petrolheads. And, she isn’t alone. With the help of social media, thousands of Indian women have started connecting over a shared love of motorcycles.

Bike clubs Lady Bikers, Lady Riders, Hop on Girls, Biking Queens, REgals, Bikerni and Biker Babez are some of the all-woman riding groups across the country that provide a conducive environment for beginners to learn the nuances of motorcycles. They exchange tips — on apparel, bike maintenance and road safety — and organise riding days.

Over the years, the biking community has seen a rapid evolution with more women hitting the trails and later transforming into professional racers. Yet, the mindset of manufacturers hasn’t kept pace with them as a majority of them follow the beaten path of marketing their products with men in mind as potential buyers.

Priyanka recounted another incident involving a multinational automobile giant in which they refused to give her a test ride just because she was a woman. “The company said it was against their policy to allow women to test the vehicle. Despite having a valid licence, I was not allowed to ride,” she says. Worse, they offered to send a male executive along to ride pillion if she insisted on testing.

Today, Priyanka, who runs a blog for reviewing motorcycles, needs 48 hours a day! Next month, she is heading to Ladakh with an all-woman team to officially test Royal Enfield’s latest offering. “Some manufacturers have started realising the importance of reaching out to women, but a few are still not convinced,” she chuckles.

Pro racing is here In recent times, bike riding has become more inclusive with more and more women making seamless transition from joyrides to professional racing. Ramji Govindarajan, whose Honda Ten10 Racing Academy organised India’s first all-woman bike racing event earlier this year, says it’s a natural progression.

“For long, women were offered a ride in championships only for the sake of glamour. Or, it was tokenism. But it’s a different scenario now. Women who have long been riding on weekends want to experience an adrenaline rush and the next obvious step is pushing their machines to the limit in a safe and controlled environment,” adds Ramji.

What surprises Ramji the most is the competitive spirit that these women bring into the sport. “Some are serious about making a career out of it. And, I would say they are more focussed than men,” adds Ramji.

For Pooja Dabhi, a 23-year-old from Pune whose association with bikes started with her daily commute to college, it’s a sign of women empowerment. According to Pooja, her personality has been transformed — for the better — ever since she started riding. “I used to be shy and an introvert,” informs Pooja.

At traffic signals, Pooja is often subjected to teasing as people giggle and pass remarks, looking at a pint-sized girl stretching one leg out to balance the mean KTM Duke 200. “They would soon be awestruck to see me whizz past them when the signal turns green,” she quips.

Pooja made an immediate impact when she hit the circuit. “I came into racing to get over the fear of cornering at high speeds. After I finished on the podium in my very first race, I decided to dedicate the next two years to motorsports to see whether it could be a career option,” she adds.

Riding bikes has not just boosted Pooja’s confidence, but also earned her a lot of admirers. “However, I still love to ride solo on weekends because it gives you an unmatched feel of independence. I just pack my bag and switch off from the rest of the world,” adds Pooja who regularly organises biking tours for women.

Sense of liberation When model Priyanka was struggling to cope with the pain of a break-up, the sound of the revving engine came as a soothing balm. “The break-up egged me on to power down the open road leaving my worries behind. It was my first ever long trip and I felt liberated,” recalls Priyanka who is now engaged to an automobile journalist.

Chennai’s Alisha Abdullah has vivid memories of her father and former national champion, R.A. Abdullah, making her sit on the fuel tank of his bike before they would zip down the beach road to enjoy the sea breeze. Having always looked up to him in awe, it was only natural for Alisha to follow in her father’s footsteps despite oppositions from other members of her conservative Muslim family.

Alisha has been a familiar face on the domestic racing circuit for almost a decade, having competed in two-wheeler as well as saloon car championships. Now, she is the brain behind TVS’ one-make series in which 18 girls are gearing up for a first-of-its kind battle. All the participants were handpicked after a series of trials and auditions conducted in schools and colleges. The biggest challenge Alisha faced in bringing the girls to the track was convincing their parents. “One girl was even ready to run away from her family to be able to race with us,” says Alisha.

Gender bias Though all-woman racing has kindled interest among manufacturers as well as riders, Priyanka doesn’t like to be pigeonholed. And she doesn’t want any privilege for being a girl either. “I have been regularly stopped by police on the highway and the minute I take my helmet off they just let me go without checking my licence and papers. I hate this bias. A woman can also commit mistakes. And all these days, I have been riding alongside men. If I take a plunge into professional racing, I would be competing in the open category,” she adds.

Chennai girl Rehana Reya, who emerged victorious in the first ever all-woman race in Chennai, attributes her success to male riders around her. “Whatever I’ve learnt it’s from them mostly,” says Rehana who trains under ace Indian superbiker K. Rajini.

Rehana says ‘dressing up’ for the race is the most daunting task as it took a considerable time for her to master the art of slipping into the one-piece racing leathers. “It might look cool to see a girl sporting the racing overalls, helmet and a big shiny boots. But the first-timers will have their task cut out. The safety gears weigh you down and you can’t walk upright with heavy cushioning protecting your spine,” explains the 20-year-old Rehana.