Cookie, Badkat, Zoom and Legs. These are names/ of some female motorcycle riders. The sport/ has become increasingly popular/ among women.

For many years, motorcycle riding/ was considered/ a male sport. Women/ usually rode/ on the seat/ behind the men/ operating the two-wheeled vehicle. Now more and more women/ are taking the front seat.

The Motorcycle Industry Council says/ more than twenty million people/ in the United States/ ride motorcycles. The number of female motorcyclists/ has increased greatly/ over the past few years. More than ten percent/ of motorcycle owners/ in the United States/ are women.

We spoke/ with Lisa Russell, Briggit Pope, Rayna Evans and Angela Meeks-Odom. They are/ on the executive committee of Lady Sport Riders motorcycle club/ in Largo, Maryland. They say/ they ride/ for more than fun. They say/ it gives women/ a sense of freedom and control. They also say/ safety/ is very important. The risk of injury/ is high. So they wear protective clothing and equipment/ at all times, especially for the head.

In nineteen ninety-eight/ the number of female bikers/ rose sharply. Lady Sport Riders began/ in nineteen ninety-nine/ in the Washington, D.C. area. The women/ formed the organization/ to share their love of motorcycle riding. They say/ female motorcycle clubs/ permit women/ to share a strong sisterhood. Like other motorcycle clubs, the members of Lady Sport Riders/ also help their community.

The group says/ it wanted to be more than just women/ who gathered to ride motorcycles. So it organizes events/ that help national health organizations and women’s shelters. And it gives financial awards/ to students.

Female riders/ have helped change motorcycle culture. The Motorcycle Industry Council says/ more than five years ago/ manufacturers/ began making equipment/ that makes riding/ more pleasant/ for women. Some bikes/ now have smaller, softer seats/ and controls/ that are easier to reach. Modern clothes/ for riding/ look good/ and still provide protection. In the past, women rode motorcycles/ that traveled/ at a moderate speed. Now/ theirs are as powerful/ as the ones/ men ride.

Lady Sport Riders believe/ women/ have earned their place/ in the sport of motorcycle riding. When speaking of male motorcyclists/ the members of the club say: “They Made the Game…We Came to Play!”