There are so many reasons why women go into business these days. Some want the freedom to be their own boss, others want the flexibility, while some see a need in the market that they can fill.

MOTORESS.com, along with its sister site, RaceGirlMotorsport.com, gives women information about what's new on the market, resources, support, what other women are doing internationally and how to connect with motorcycling in the broadest sense of the activity."

Gray feels that cultural and social values need to change before more women will feel comfortable in breaking the stereotypes and grabbing a set of wheels for themselves.

"I've been teaching motorcycle riding to both men and women since 1985," said Gray. "And the reasons for women riding are varied but the common thread is that they are opting for a different lifestyle, seeking to explore activities formerly perceived as gender taboo, conventional or predictable - creating an outlet of new-found self-reliance, freedom and adventure."

As an ad executive in the movie What Women Want, Mel Gibson could only figure out what women want after an electric shock from a hair dryer that tuned him into his feminine side. While electric shock therapy isn't recommended to motorcycle sales people, understanding what women want definitely is. That's one reason that these successful women have thrived in a male dominated sport and field.

In its 2007 survey of women who ride, the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada,
Women's Riding Council, found that women wanted three basic things:

1. Opportunities for training, including maintenance training
2. Resources - for safety issues, avenues to networking, credible advice
3. Apparel and motorcycles that are functional and that fit.

For Rachael Robinson, an executive in a credit union, and her two sisters, all who ride out of Nanaimo, the drive to ride was to have something just for them.

"We all ride to get away from the every day stuff like kids and jobs," said Robinson," and we all find that when you're riding you don't think about anything else."

Her first bike was a "junker" given to her by someone. Piece by piece, Robinson built the bike until it was in top running condition.

"When I went into the dealerships for parts," she said," they treated me like on of the guys; that is, with the same respect and understanding."

Women aren't trying to be men by riding. Many women have a different sport culture than men, where their femininity is as integral to their fun as their bike. They rejoice in it, and feel that their bike is an expression of their freedom to be women.

"When I started to ride," said Kristina Jones from her office at Cameleon Power-Sport Apparel, "I was working for a ballet company. I needed gear that went from bike to ballet and the bulky men's wear just didn't cut it."

Jones set out to design apparel just for women. Her first goal was safety and that lead to developing Invisible Armor^TM, a lightweight mesh under jacket that has protection designed to fit a woman's body. All the pads, designed to be impact and abrasion resistant, are set into a moisture managing fabric. And, because they are on a stretch fabric, they adjust as the body moves, so they are always in the right place when needed.

"I believe that every woman should ride protected and look great," said Jones. "Protection that doesn't get worn isn't protection at all. That's why I made them in size X-small to 4X."

While Jones does have a great line of woman tailored leather jackets, the Invisible Armour^TM will go under any jacket a woman owns. It can be worn on its own but, cautions Jones, it only provides mid-range protection.

Women also look for comfort both in the bikes they ride and in the clothes they wear. Linda Viner-McAllister starting riding at age 55, after years of her husband encouraging her to join him. She now rides a BMW 650 SES, bit of a challenge because of her 5'4" height. A number of adjustments had to be made and she rides with a slight platform boot to give her added stability when stopped.

"My husband is an instructor so we went to a track and he put me through the paces," she said from her home in BC's Okanagan. "It was hot so I took off my jacket and gloves, then promptly laid the bike on its side and got some pretty bad road rash."

Linda wanted to be more in touch with other women who ride, and while surfing the internet, she found Women On Wheels® (WOW) and became their second Canadian member. Unfortunately, she didn't find the information at the dealership.

Founded in California by an avid woman motorcyclist in 1982 to unite all women motorcycle enthusiasts, WOW has over 3500 members mainly located throughout the United States.

Dealerships have the opportunity to give women a one-year membership to WOW if they buy their bike there. It's proven very successful in the U.S. because, once they have paid for three memberships, they get listed in the WOW magazine, on the website, and in the brochures.

In 2004, again seeing a niche market that wasn't being filled, Colorado's Jen Berryhill asked friends what kind of gear they wanted and then started One Bad Bitch, for the women who were born to be wild. Her designs appeal to women who feel empowered to take the sport out of the hands of men. As one tank top says, "This bitch don't ride bitch."

"Countless women have expressed frustration with the lack of clothing that reflects the empowerment and pride they feel while doing something completely independent," said Berryhill. "Many products are very general, uninspiring, and offer sub-par quality."

One Bad Bitch® has proven its appeal by selling thousands of items to women who are thrilled to see a refreshing new product line specifically created for the bold-and-sexy-at-heart.

So what about after that long day on the bike? Most women say they want to kick back in something comfortable and feminine. Vancouver rider, Brenda Kennedy, saw that most of the motorcycle themed clothing, even if it had feminine decoration, was still built for men with shoulders too wide, and length that made it great for nighties but not for night life. She created BitchinGear.

"BitchinGear stands above the rest in our dedication to helping women look great both on and off her bike," she said. "Our line of clothing and accessories is designed specifically for women's curves in hot colours and feminine styles."

And, really, what could be better after a long ride than to slip out of the leathers and into a great pair of yoga pants, matching jacket and a sexy tank underneath?

These women have created successful businesses because they filled the needs of women. There is still a huge market of untapped potential customers out there.

Do you know what women want?