From hiding their hair in their helmets, jackets pressed down, to carrying foldable batons and riding in groups, Indian women motorcyclists do all they can to ensure their safety—and even to hide their identity from onlookers.
The horrific gangrape of a Brazilian motorcyclist in Jharkhand’s Dumka has brought to the fore pressing questions about the safety of women bikers in India. ThePrint reached out to several of them, based in different parts of the country, from Goa to Mumbai, Gurugram to Rishikesh. All but two say they had experienced at least one instance when they felt a serious threat to their safety and escaped in the nick of time. “I make sure I start riding in the early hours and reach my destination before sundown,” one says. “I think twice before stopping to eat at a dhaba, avoid any eateries situated near liquor shops,” adds another.
About the challenges they face while biking in remote areas, the women bikers say their negative experiences were not limited to far-off regions and they had faced harassment while biking in big cities as well.
Some say their past experiences have deterred them from riding solo and made them doubly careful about planning their trips. Now, they ride only during the daytime, make no unscheduled pit stops, and depend on male bikers for their safety. On the contrary, a few others say they will continue to go on their solo adventures without fear, as men do.
All of them report experiences where young men tried to overtake them, passing lewd comments, “slut-shaming”, staring at these women. They recall being surrounded by groups of men as they’d stop to ask directions, refill at a gas station, or stop for a bite on a highway.
These women bikers’ anger and despair over what happened to the Brazilian motorcyclist is palpable, and they have rallied in her support. They do not want the outrage around the crime to die down and want the rapists to get the punishment they deserve.
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‘Hurts male egos’
Gurugram-based Nikita Yadav, 32, who heads marketing for a luxury brand, has been riding motorcycles for as long as she can remember.
“I am a street biker and my sister is a track biker. We have experienced a couple of incidents. I don’t think the country has gotten used to seeing women on bikes. Now we don’t go out on our bikes unless we have an entourage. We hide our hair in our helmets, jackets pressed down, so people don’t know we are women,” she says.
Yadav, who rides a fiery red Ducati Panigale, recalls a 2023 incident. “My sister and I were riding on Golf Course Road. There was a speeding car, they were coming so close. In their heads, they were having fun. They tried to ram into our bike.” She attributes the men’s unruly behaviour to their hurt egos.
“I ride a Ducati — it is a guy’s dream to ride such a bike. So, they feel: How can a woman be on it? Even on the highway, they will pass snarky comments when we stop at red lights. When you stop and try to communicate with a local [resident], you are surrounded by a crowd.”
And the Jharkhand incident has only sunk their hopes for a safer India for women. After moving 10 steps forward, the country has moved 30 steps back, she says, feeling helpless about changing the mindset of such men. “What standard are we setting internationally?” asks Yadav.
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Won’t deter women bikers
Shashi Bala from Mumbai says the Jharkhand incident will, in no way, deter women bikers from going on adventures. “They will never get scared, this won’t stop them or change their ways. The survivor, even after what she went through, rode her bike to the police station.”
The motorcyclist, who has been biking for the past eight years, has covered vast distances across North India, covering areas like Rishikesh, Mukhteshwar, Delhi, Lucknow, and Rajasthan on her Royal Enfield Hunter 350. “When they see a female biker, they chase,” she says.
Bala’s experiences have been both good and bad. “Whenever we travel to rural areas, people are mostly very hospitable and accommodating. There was one time when I lost my way and reached Najafgarh. I was alone, but people were very helpful and helped me find my way home.”
But she doesn’t have such memories associated with NCR.
“I was cycling with my daughter in Noida Extension during the pandemic. These young boys started chasing us, saying, ‘Arre madam, where are you going?’ We immediately cycled to the nearest police station. The police kept insisting I file a complaint, but I just wanted to get home safe.”
When incidents like the Jharkhand one happen, families get extra worried. “There is sometimes family pressure to ride with groups. They trust us, but they don’t trust society,” says Bala.
Google coordinates, 2 SIMs, 2 phones
Twenty-nine-year-old Flexcia D’souza, a travel content creator, has been riding solo for the last 10 years. She has covered states like Karnataka and Maharashtra and cities like Jaisalmer and Delhi. And day in and day out, safety is on her mind. “I always share my Google coordinates with friends from the community. I keep two SIM cards and two phones.”
D’souza plans her itinerary in a way that she’s out of remote places before sundown. She connects with other bikers for recommendations and leaves early for destinations.
And luckily, she has not had any bad experiences so far. “People are often intrigued; they ask where I am going, why I am riding alone, who am I with. At a petrol pump once, when I was riding toward Mangaluru, there was an old gentleman who said, ‘You seem really suspicious. Why are you alone? Can you take off your helmet and prove you are a woman?’”
But D’souza knows how bad it is for Indian women bikers in general.
“No matter how careful you are, it can happen to anyone. I am extra cautious and vigilant. If I haven’t reached my destination by sundown, I cut the trip short and book a hostel or hotel. I have camped but in a controlled situation.”
Biking forums help
Delhi-based Arindam Maiti and Ananya Dixit, both 35, have been riding together for four years on a Dominar 400 and an Avenger, respectively. They have done the Ladakh and Spiti circuits and covered almost every hill station in the country — around 15,000 km.
“Biking is a male-dominated sport. Once we were crossing a tunnel in Jammu, we were followed for a long time. It happens not just in remote areas, it happens even on expressways,” says the ed-tech professional.
“We feel unsafe while riding during the night. People follow, overtake, try to race you to the point where you feel uncomfortable,” he adds.
According to Ananya, an artist, one of the biggest concerns for women bikers is common washrooms at pit stops. “We have to think twice before stopping at dhabas to eat. We avoid roads that have too many liquor stores.”
And the plains are worse than the mountains. “In the plains, especially North India, I have faced it (harassment). Just to avoid the stares, I sometimes don’t take off my jacket. We also make sure to camp at a place where there are other people around.”
For foreign riders, Arindam strongly recommends biking forums. “Forums like xBhp are a great place to get a lay of the land, you will get a lot of advice, suggestions, and precautions, contact numbers of the nearest mechanics in case of a breakdown, etc.”
‘Allowing’ women to co-exist?
Jasmine Kaur Makhija, a filmmaker and Kathak dancer, recently moved to Rishikesh. “For women, while going for any adventure activity, the first thing we need to be afraid of is men. Just to experience an adventure, to experience nature, I need to let my guard down,” says the 28-year-old who rides an Avenger 220 and is a member of the Women’s International Motorcycle Association (India Chapter) and the Bikerni Association of Women Motorcyclists.
“When a woman is sitting alone, people don’t even respect her space. They enter that space, and they don’t care if the woman is feeling uncomfortable or not. It is like they are allowing women to co-exist. Just the fact that I have not been on any solo trips so far is due to this male mentality. I know I need to have 2-3 friends as backup. A lot of dependence on men comes from this. It puts women back centuries,” she says. “Instead of teaching our boys how to be, we teach our girls, which is where we go wrong. That is where it begins.”
(Edited by Humra Laeeq)