17/03/2023
" One of my closest female friends used to ride a motorcycle & it was the first time I saw a woman riding a bike, living the dream & that's when I knew I can pursue my passion, some day. 2017, I saved up money and bought a brand new Yamaha 150cc bike, before even learning how to ride it & then used YouTube videos to slowly learn riding a motorcycle. As a self-taught female rider, trying to practice on the streets of NCR alone, it was not an easy journey. There were times when I'd stop, struggling to start the bike again whilst strangers would stand, laugh and walk away. People would honk incessantly & I'd have to tippy-toe aside to just calm myself down, wipe the tears of embarrassment & then start again, alone. I was told no one would marry me, that I'll die, I won't keep up with the struggles in the long run and every other non-sensical crap talk to keep me from getting a hang of it.
Today, I ride a Husqvarna, a Swedish Off-roader, a founding member of a biking group that encourages Safe Biking across India, (as an off-set of a Super Bikers group) having ridden thousands of kms alone, in a group, on highways and far away lands. I have been to the hills, to the Salt Lake in Rajasthan & while I don't tour a lot, I aim to ride over the weekends with my biker friends who never judge me for my shortfalls and always there to encourage, support me as I have done enough already to not let anyone doubt my capabilities as a biker. I still get stares but I also get friendly thumbs up & head nods from strangers conveying the admiration for my passion & courage to follow my dreams.
I wonder why the world doesn't remember that automobiles or motorbikes don't distinguish between genders. "The Engines don't come with an M or F sign, so who are we to set that barrier?"
My self-confidence to be the woman I want to be makes me savage & I wouldn't change that for anything, ever! " - Ritika Singh,
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