Girls ride, too: International Female Ride Day is this Saturday at Harley Davidson Savannah

 International Female Ride Day is a day dedicated to female riders across the globe

WHEN it comes to riding motorcycles, we generally see men riding them. Whether we spot a motorcycle in traffic or on the highway, it's usually a man riding one while a woman is on the back holding onto him. However, don't count out the ladies: women ride motorcycles, too.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Colleen Cote, who does Marketing for Savannah Harley Davidson, as well as Julie “Jewels” Jarrell, an avid Harley rider, to gain more insight into the world of female motorcycle riders.

The idea for a female ride day started with the Harley Owners group six years ago. “I work with the HOG chapter, which is our Harley Owners Group. And my female riders in that group wanted a ride for International Female Ride Day. So let's make it happen. And that was six years ago. It was my first year doing marketing with them,” Cote says.

International Female Ride Day is a day dedicated to female riders across the globe. The day is always on the first Saturday in May, which this year is on May 6. Cote said that there are usually anywhere between 20 to 50 female riders, and the age range for female riders is from the early 20s all the way up to the 60s.

When asked about what inspired females to become bike riders, Cote said that it’s really cool and shouldn’t be limited to men. Motorcycle riding should be for everybody.

“But it is so much fun. I mean, if you have a bad day, get on your bike; if you aren't, get on your bike. It's just freedom. It's freedom from the world, you kind of can be in a group of people riding together, but still just being with your own thoughts on the open road with all of your senses heightened. It's just a great experience,” Cote says.

Confidence is important as a female bike rider, but Cote said that skill level is most important. Like any other skill, the more you practice, the better you’ll be at it. Getting out, going on different rides, and riding with different people is essential. With each ride, the women learn something new, and they can apply it to their future rides.

The participants for this year are excited to celebrate amongst like-minded women. “It's just a really great excuse to get out there and ride like we needed one. But to really come together and celebrate, I think they appreciate that. We as a dealership want to celebrate them, right?” Cote says.

The Harley Davidson dealership fully supports them: they have a riding academy class that teaches riding classes to those interested.

“So we offer it weekly, we've actually been adding some additional classes to our calendar because it fills up so quickly. It's typically a three- to four-day course. You learn everything in the classroom before you get on a motorcycle. And then we provide the motorcycle, and you can vote on the range, and they teach you your skills on the bike on our Riding Academy range. And it's amazing. I went through it a few years ago. One of the best experiences personally, not just because it's my dealership. But these instructors need to be certified through the state, but then they also need to be certified through Harley Davidson, which is a lot harder, right? And man hands down the best course I could. I could offer somebody if anyone's interested in riding. That's the place to go,” Cote says.

Each female rider has their own story as to how they gained experience. Some women have been riding as teenagers, whereas some started riding a bit later in life.

Julie “Jewels” Jarrell will participate in the female ride on May 6.
She is originally from Monticello, Florida, and rode on the backs of bikes at 15 before she started riding motorcycles on her own at 29. After a divorce, one of Jewels’ friends lent her an Ultra Classic Harley-Davidson. It had a low center of gravity and she loved to ride it. Soon after, she purchased an 87 Sportser and an 883 after that.

Jewels come from a family of motorcycle riders.

“Daddy said I can do anything I can set my mind to, and he was right,” Jewels says.

To Jewels, being a female biker is a time of solace to herself as a mom of five children. Riding her motorcycle relaxes her and puts a smile on her face. The event on May 6 won’t be Jewels’ first time on a bike ride: she participated in Bike Week in 1990 and has done everything in between since then.

Jewels had ridden her motorcycle for years because it gives her peace of mind, but it's also fun. She's gotten great support from other female riders in the Ladies of Harley and is excited about the upcoming ride