The rider safety course I enrolled in had a female and a male instructor; this helped ease my nerves. I was sure the female rider would sympathize with my timid approach to street bikes.

The course was held over two weekends, and would equate to 15 hours of instruction time. There was a classroom section and a hands on riding section. At the end of the course I would be tested on my knowledge and riding ability.

Christie Cooley had a "vague notion," as she put it, that she wanted to be a chic who knew how to ride a motorcycle. When Christie found out that her "bad ass" college-aged niece was getting her motorcycle license, it pushed her off the sofa. Christie signed up for a Motorcycle Safety Foundation class that day and she received her license in March of 2006.

Christie Cooley tells us: "It only begins with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Rider Course. From there, talk to people, listen to people. If they've crashed, find out why. If you're a woman, charge up your bullshit detector, because a lot of dudes will have a lot of advice for you, and half of them don't know what the hell they're talking about, but like to sound macho and manly."

Looking to deepen your riding skills and technical ability this summer, but not sure about sharing the road with the male ego? Consider, then, your options for all-female track days, riding schools and extended tours.

The costs and time involved are on par with a pretty standard summer vacation budget or weekend getaway, and participating in a all-female track day or tour will leave you with a stronger affinity for motorcycling and a connection to other women who share the passion.

Would you rather…

The classic party game opener has gotten an academic upgrade; its catch phrase made it's way into a study released in January by the University of Strathclyde that reveals a “surprising” new inclination of female bikers. Survey says: They’d rather be riding.

The author of “Chicks on Bikes,” Christina Shook, is teaming up with writer and motorcycle adventurer Tamela Riche for a new book on women motorcyclist cancer survivors the working title is currently: Live Full Throttle: Life After Your Cancer Diagnosis. We caught up with Shook before she begins her adventure of meeting, photographing and exploring the healing nature of motorcycles in the lives of several female cancer survivors.