Interview by Marilyn Stemp

Though petite Kathy Tolleson had been riding for decades, she frequently met too many women who lacked the confidence to try riding their own motorcycle. So she set out to solve that problem by developing a concept that alters a bike’s stance and handling to provide the security and assurance women needed to get behind the bars.

She’s been putting that concept in practice at her shop, Roar Motorcycles in Daytona Beach, for three years now. We caught up with her there for a quick chat.

IW:What’s the draw of a pink bike?

KT: “What I have found is that motorcycles don’t look so intimidating in feminine, friendly colors. [Though her regular rider is black!] Maybe because the bike is pretty and it’s blingy, it gets attention. We’ve had women sit on our bikes and the guy will say: ‘I’ve never been able to get her to sit on a bike before.’ Then she lifts the bike off the stand and finds out how that easy it is and the next thing you know she’s going to take the class.”

IW: Is this part of your subtle strategy to reduce the intimidation factors for women?

KT: “Yes, especially for women of shorter stature. If you can get on a bike and touch the ground flatfooted, it inspires confidence. We’ve narrowed the seat and lowered it. For riders 5’2” and under we call it our “petite.” Your knees are your shock absorbers and when you’re reaching to just touch the ground, you’re starting from a deficit.”

IW: So you’re also addressing rider confidence?

KT: “Absolutely. You need slow speed confidence but it’s also important that you can be comfortable for 300 or 400 miles. You don’t feel confident when you know that when you stop someone’s going to have to help you back your bike in to park. You can ride it but you can’t move it around? That’s not good.

“We have talked to so many women who were ready to quit riding, they had dropped the bike and were scared to try again. And we said: let us lower the bike, do the seat work, change the risers—and they’re back on.”

IW: How much does that cost?

KT: “Basic fit service is under $1000. It depends on the make and model. But just a custom seat can make a huge difference.”

IW: Do you take a different approach to women as customers?

KT: “Definitely. Women buy different, they shop different. Women make buying decisions more slowly than men.”

IW: How do you see this panning out?

KT: “In the next 15 to 20 years I predict it’s going to be more unusual to see a woman on the back of the bike than riding her own. Just look around at the age of women riders—both back and front seat. Women are connecting, and by nature they’re more inclusive. We want our girlfriends riding with us.”

Resource
ROAR Motorcycles, Inc.
897 Bellevue Avenue, Suite 104
Daytona Beach, FL 32114
386.255.7527
866.621.ROAR

www.ROARMotorcycles.com