WIMA on the Move

Winds of Change at What WIMA is all about – 225 riders from 11 countries took part in the WIMA What’s new at WiMa? international President ZaRa StRange and gB President CaRoLine LUnnon bring us up to date 2019 International Rally

WIMA – the Women’s International Motorcycle Association – has had to adapt to the many challenges in 2020 and ‘21, just like every other motorcycling organisation. Newsletters, online meetings, social networking and phone calls have kept international members together just the same as always. We have even managed to hold a few WIMA GB events in between lockdowns.

WIMA continues to grow internationally, with six new national divisions joining in 2020 and a further two this year – we now have over 3500 members in 40 countries, all active in their own country. And because we cover both hemispheres, there are always summertime events happening somewhere to which overseas members are welcome.

Zara Strange: International President

I came to motorcycling late, in my fifties, hoping to avoid the worsening commuter traffic in Aberdeen. I sat my CBT, quickly followed by the full test in 2006 and straight away fell in love with the freedom of my local Scottish roads, something I do not get when driving a car.

I joined WIMA in 2008 after reading about the club in a women’s motorcycling magazine and my first international rally (Holland in 2010) stands out. I had never before been part of such a large group of like-minded women motorcyclists who, despite my own language difficulties, made me most welcome. And yes, there were men there as well, not many, but several partners of WIMA members who were also welcomed and joined in the many activities.

Above: wIMA International President wIMA Zara Strange rides an Africa Twin Below: Caroline with Boo the Triumph

Above left: The way we were – Miss BMF contenders, late 1960s Above right: wIMA National rally at wolvey, 1979

I tend to ride alone, initially because all of my friends thought that I was mad to take up biking. Later I found that I enjoy the freedom of being able to go where I want and stop when I want, meeting up and spending time with WIMA members along the way. I find that people the world over are all basically the same, generally friendly and welcoming, especially to a solo woman traveller. Maybe it is my age or the big bulky biker clothing that I wear but I have never felt threatened.

Caroline Lunnon: WIMA GB President

Why WIMA?

WIMA’s international constitution has two main criteria that all divisions must agree to. The first is our objective:

To improve and promote activities, advancement, goodwill and friendship amongst women motorcycle enthusiasts from around the world. WIMA aims at using the common interest of motorcycling to promote the well-being of women in general.

And the second:

Membership of National Divisions will be open to all women interested in motorcycling, irrespective of age, nationality, race, sexual orientation, religion, type of bike, or level of experience. Non-riders are eligible for membership.

Our members come from all sorts of backgrounds, and WIMA has a wide range of abilities and speciality biking interests. We welcome all women interested in motorcycling, not just riders, and we have bikes of all sorts, sizes and ages. We want as many women as possible to be able to enjoy the benefits and pleasures of motorcycling, including those who cannot yet afford a bike of their own or who just enjoy being a pillion rider.

As a part of this, we actively welcome and support divisions in countries where human rights, especially women’s rights, are relegated to second or worse place.

Many national divisions have their own charities that they support, whilst at an international level we support MJ Piki, a wonderful organisation that teaches women how to ride, how to repair bikes and supports them to operate a safe bike taxi service for women in Tanzania: https://www.pikilily.com/mj-piki

The future is looking very rosy for WIMA and although our 2020 International Rally in Germany had to be cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions, we are hoping that this year’s event in the Netherlands will go ahead. One thing is for sure, women’s motorcycling and WIMA are here to stay and will continue to grow across the whole world.

I have been riding for just over seven years, using a Triumph Tiger 800 that took me around the world in 2018/2019 – I’ve also got a Triumph Scrambler 1200 and an AJP PR3 200cc dirt bike, and my current base in France was bought primarily because it has a barn to store the bikes in!

I was supposed to be spending the summer of 2020 trail riding in the Limousin region of France, getting more confident motorcycling on dirt before heading off down Africa from the autumn. Fate had other ideas for me.

While I was waiting out the first six-week Covid lockdown I read in the club newsletter that WIMA GB was looking for a new President. Fresh in my mind was a feeling of empowerment after meeting a lot of phenomenal WIMA ladies from all around the world in London a month or so earlier. Also the inspiration and feeling of belonging to a family of women riders that I found as I rode around the world. Finally, I wanted to give something back to the biking family that helped me heal after I lost my husband in a motorcycle accident. I also had plenty of the most valuable resource that I could give them – time.

Making Connections

I joined WIMA early in 2019. I was halfway around the world at the time, and joined because belonging to a national division makes you a member of the worldwide association. Thanks to the relationships with WIMA I already had, I felt I had a good grasp of what it means internationally, and this gave me the confidence to step forward to take on the GB presidency. I knew that there were members who would happily fill me in on what I needed to know about the workings of WIMA GB. I just needed to meet them.

So during the brief period last summer when riders from the UK could head to Europe, I rode the other way. My mission was to ride as much of the UK as possible. Not only was I missing long rides but I also wanted to meet as many WIMA GB members as possible, all whilst keeping everybody safe. Easy, right?

Well actually it was. I met some women for a coffee at Squires, others for an impromptu camping weekend at Doms Bike Stop, and even more at the Cream Tea Tour to Lands End. I enjoyed listening to the WIMA stories they told me around the picnic benches and campfires. Not to mention being shown how I could pick my Tiger 800 up by myself, given the right technique.

There was a common thread to what everybody was telling me. From a member who had been going to WIMA rallies since she was a baby, to former WIMA GB Presidents, and women who had joined around the same time as me – all of them had formed lifelong friendships.

I did sense a nervousness that the growth of other women’s motorcycle clubs and internet-based groups, might be a threat to WIMA GB’s success, 70 years on since WIMA was formed, and one member asked if we will last another 70? The answer has to be yes. We are our members, and our members are very passionate about what WIMA means to them.

The pandemic has been a challenge for any club that enjoys meeting up in person as much as we do. In 2020 the WIMA GB National Rally and the International Rally in Germany (due to celebrate our 70th anniversary) both had to be cancelled. But the way people have adapted during the pandemic has also shown us that there are other ways to do things. We had a virtual Christmas party in December, and virtual rallies in February. Regional groups have kept monthly meetups going over winter using Zoom. I have been able to keep in touch with members who in normal times I may not even have had the opportunity to meet yet, especially as I have made my base in France.

We are all looking forward to our diaries filling up with events where we will be able to get together in person. When we don’t have to raise a hand or press a reaction button to speak. When we can play silly games, buy each other drinks, hug, stand around the motorbikes and chat.

WIMA + BMF

WiMa has been part of the BMF for over 40 years - it joined the family in 1980.

Contact: www.wimagb.co.uk and www.wimaworld.com

WIMA Worldwide

UAE (United Arab Emirates)

WIMA UAE was founded by Lara Tarabay in 2019 in a country where woman motorcyclists are still culturally frowned upon and perceived either as being without morals or rebellious. Really they just want to enjoy a hobby that is within their rights to do. WIMA UAE brings them together.

Above: wIMA Nicaragua was formed last year Below: The women of wIMA Ghana – part of the Female Bikers Initiative (Fbi) which campaigns to encourage screening for breast and cervical cancer

Nicaragua

In Nicaragua, motorcycles are predominantly used for essential travel and commuting, but the last 10 years has seen increased use by women, which has led to violence and street harassment by men. WIMA

Nicaragua President

Yolanda Acuña started the division in 2020, “to encourage and break traditional roles that are socially assigned to us.”

Yolanda works full-time in

Project Miriam, which fights for the right to education and a life free of violence for girls and women in Nicaragua.

Ghana

WIMA Ghana was founded early in 2021 by Catherine Lajide. “Female motorcyclists in Ghana mostly ride super sports and street bikes ranging from 250 to 900cc,” she says. “Women riders are not so common and as such, people are usually surprised to meet one riding a bike. Within the biking community in Ghana, our male counterparts have been supportive.

“Female motorcyclists are generally adored by the general public, but there is a negative perception of bikers generally as being thugs, lawless and a menace to society. As a community, we are gradually educating the general public, which is working.”