MALACCA: Behind their feminine charms and demure looks, these women are as tough as the brawny men on big bikes.
Heads turned and a flush of excitement filled the air as they cruised through the narrow streets of this historic city yesterday for a two-day gathering that paraded 40 high-powered bikes from all over Malaysia and Singapore.
These ladies were participating in the Women on Wheels – First Gathering in Asia big-bike tour, which rolled off from Sungai Besi, near Kuala Lumpur, on Saturday morning. They arrived here in the afternoon on the same day.
Among them were 18 women bikers from Singapore. The rest were from Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Perak, Penang and Kedah.
The powerful machines included big names like the Honda Super4 400cc, Honda CBR 1000cc, BMW RT 1200cc, Yamaha Fazer 1000cc, Suzuki K8 1000cc and Honda Goldwing 1600cc.
Extreme sportswoman Maznah Zolkifli, who organised the meet, admits it was common to see men on the big bikes.
“We want to show that women too have interest in these mean machines,” added Maznah, who was the first woman to complete the annual Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race in 1999 and the first recipient of Malaysian Youth Ambassador Award from former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 2003.
She said the idea to form an all-women big bikers group was first discussed among several close friends who are motorcycle enthusiasts.
“We started communicating over Facebook and soon found ourselves talking with other women bikers to form a group,” she added.
Maznah, who rides a BMW RT 1200cc, said the event marked the first time that women from the two countries were participating in a convoy and bike tour.
“We made a point to stop in Paroi, Negri Sembilan, to support a youth programme aimed at raising awareness over the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza,” she said.
Teacher and a mother of four Noor Hasnah Adam, 35, said riding a big bike is not merely about being brawn.
It is about having courage and determination, added the president of the Mistri Bikerz Club, an all-women bikers club in Singapore.
“Just because we are women, it does not mean we are not capable of taking up the challenges usually associated with extreme sports,” she said.
