The Latest News on Women's Superbike

Kari Lamanuzzi
AllAboutBikes.com Staff Writer

MotoGP and Superbike are often seen as a boy's club, with the only place for women being in bikinis in the pit.  Over time this has changed, and legendary manufacturers like Ducati are now fielding women's teams all over the world.  Women racers like Catherine Green and Nicole McAleer are taking the motorcycle world by storm.

Catherine Green, also known as "Cat", was born in the United Kingdom.  With a father who rode motorcycles when he was younger and a mother who encouraged her every step of the way, Catherine experimented early on with higher level engines (400cc), but really found her groove with a '96 125cc Honda RS125.  She is now riding a newer model RS125.

Nicole McAleer is an Irish female rider who has risen to prominence in the motorcycle and Superbike world.  Her first major race was at Mondello Park in 2006.  Nicole raced in Mini-Motos as early as 8 years old, and got up to 9th place in the 50cc championship.  At 13 she graduated to the 125GP Irish Clubman's Championship, where she raced for a year before breaking in to the British racing scene.  Nicole was dropped after the first race in the 125 GP MRO Championship.  As a result, Nicole joined up with the British Superbike Championship halfway through the racing calendar.

Sam Burman is another UK woman rider who got her start in the low-cc races.  She has been biking since her 6th birthday, and her parents’ encouragement (including the fact that her dad raced for years) spurred her on to competing in Superbike.  Growing up, she held racers like Kevin Schwantz and Valentino Rossi in very high esteem, but now that she’s on her own bike in competitions, she simply looks to herself for inspiration.  She currently rides a 1996 Honda RS125 in motorcycle races.

These female racers are breaking through years of preference for males in the motosport world.  As motorcycle use has increased substantially among women (around 30% of new bikes are sold to women) the appeal of Superbike, MotoGP, and other racing circuits has increased in pace.  No longer a boys-only club, motocross and Superbike are poised to offer incredible opportunities to women motorcycles riders.  When it comes to motocross, women are no longer resigned to holding "go" signs in the pit.  Rather, they are some of the most exciting and potentially great people on the racing circuit.