Roar Motorcycles: designed and built by women, for women
Yvonne McAvoy
AllAboutBikes.com LadyMoto Content Editor
Kathy Tolleson’s passion for motorcycle riding began over four decades ago. Kathy, who stands only 5-feet tall, spent years trying to find motorcycles that fit her well enough to where she could truly enjoy them. She knew she wasn’t the only woman having problems with motorcycles built around a man’s stature and wanted to give women more options.
In 2008, Kathy launched Roar Motorcycles, Inc. in Daytona Beach, Florida, one of the first motorcycle dealerships in the country completely geared toward women.
Roar Motorcycles purchases new and used motorcycles and then customizes or “Roar-ifies” them, as Kathy calls it. “We’re always looking at ways we can get a bike a little more female friendly,” says Kathy about their customizations. Much of their business also includes customizing a woman’s existing bike so that the bike properly fits her.
Although some women balk at the thought of ‘girly’ bikes, Kathy explains, “the bottom line is that the average American male is much taller and much bigger than the average female. They have a longer arm reach, a longer inseam and they have more upper body strength.”
As far as the looks of the bike, Kathy compares it to men’s and women’s shoes, “go to a men’s shoe store and what do you see? Black and brown. When you walk into a woman’s shoe store, we have a rainbow of colors! Women love color and they love beauty. Men are more into function than women.” Kathy has found that when a woman has a bike that is customized to her tastes, it is less intimidating for her to ride it.
Roar Motorcycles, Inc. will also begin manufacturing their own motorcycle this year, the WildKat. This one motorcycle can fit a man or woman from 4’10” tall to 6’ tall with a fully adjustable seat height that ranges from 23” to 29.5” without additional parts or brackets. The foot pedals also move in 2-inch increments to adjust to each rider according to their inseam. The WildKat will come in six colors and can also be customized with any color of paint or theme.
Roar Motorcycles also holds women only rides and classes at their dealership. Their Pre-Motorcycle Training Course is a confidence building class to prepare women who are taking the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) course but have no experience with motorcycles. This class enables women to get familiar with a motorcycle and to also share fears and questions with other attendees.
You can see the WildKat and other ‘Roar-ified’ motorcycles at their Web site. For tips on how to make sure a bike properly fits you, check out Kathy’s article, Bike Fitting.
