Who said that only men should ride motorcycles? There are actually tons of women who enjoy riding motorcycles, and some of them are famous! Back in the day, buying a motorcycle was originally seen as an affordable alternative to a car.
But it eventually was seen as a rebellious alternative to owning a car. And the rebellion label stuck. That said, here is of some female “rebels” spanning across different generations who love them some motorcycles.
Gal Gadot
As a citizen of Israel, Gal Gadot was had to spend two years in the Israeli army. That naturally made her tough. She broke out as a star after ‘Fast and the Furious.’ She was brought back for ‘Fast Five,’ with her character being a former Mossad agent.
The sight of Gadot on a Ducati motorcycle instantly made her a star. She came to love the bike and even bought a 2006 Ducati Monster-S2R. But now, the Wonder Woman claims to have cut down on her biking since becoming a mom!
Olivia Munn
The star of ‘Magic Mike’ revealed that she would only ride her chopper in the middle of the night, from 2 am to 4 am, to avoid the heavy Los Angeles traffic and many of its reckless drivers.
However, Munn decided to live on the edge and go for a spin in the day time, but it didn’t go so well. “I come home and as I’m pulling up my street… a coyote comes out… in front of me, looking straight at me. I don’t know what to do, I freak out, I’m still going, I skid out, take my motorcycle down (and) now I have a scar,” she said to Jay Leno.
Pink
Pink’s all about female empowerment, and if it takes some rebellion, so be it. The singer has always been vocal about her love for biking. On Instagram, she said, “Some girls like diamonds, I like heavy metal and carbon-fiber and chrome.”
Her husband, Carey Hart, has built and designed motorcycles specifically for her. Hart is a professional motorcycle racer, which means the two are a perfect match. Take note: Pink takes motorcycling very seriously and always wears helmets (cool ones, too).
Rihanna
Rihanna is a huge motorcycle buff; she’s been photographed on bikes countless times. The singer also features motorcycles in her work. For example, during the 2017 fashion week in New York, Rihanna made headlines when she made her entrance sitting on the back of a motorcycle.
Rihanna has also been seen riding a motorcycle in her music video for “Needed Me.” In the video clip, she can be seen riding the streets of Miami looking, of course, incredibly cool on her motorcycle.
Miranda Kerr
The model made history as the first woman from Australia to become a Victoria’s Secret Angel. A model from the age of 13, she also became a paparazzi favorite when she was with Orlando Bloom. And as it turns out, Kerr has been riding motorcycles since she was five.
Kerr did a photoshoot with her Honda Superhawk. And as she told the Daily Mail, she prefers smaller bikes over big ones. She’s been spotted on motorcycles with Bloom as well as other beaus.
Elsa Pataky
Anyone from the cast of ‘Fast and the Furious’ series has to have a real love of hot rides. Pataky is one of them. She was a big hit in Fast Five as Elena, the tough cop. In real life, she has a serious love for a good Ducati, which she rides at a private track.
She and her husband Chris Hemsworth can be spotted sharing a bike on their trips to India and other places. Pataky told Us Magazine that her motorbike rides through the jungles of India was “the craziest thing I’ve ever done.”
Angelina Jolie
Angelina is no stranger to motorcycles. She rode the Triumph Street Triple R for her film ‘Salt’ and the Yamaha TRX 850 in ‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.’ On her 35th birthday, her ex-hubby Brad Pitt gave her a red MV Augusta, which helped her learn how to ride.
“It’s a proper bike, and it’s powerful. I used to have a bike years ago, but I hadn’t owned one for a long time. Sometimes we’ll (Brad and I) go on the track together, and there you can go really fast and let your hair down,” she said once in an interview.
Miley Cyrus
If you think of a celebrity rebel, chances are you’ll think of Miley Cyrus. The star that has been photographed riding motorcycles many times. On her 21st birthday, her father Billy Ray Cyrus bought her a motorcycle that reportedly cost a clean $24,000.
The custom Cam-Am Spyder is a three-wheeled bike, which makes it easier and safer to drive, but it’s still cool! The sporty bike is capable of going 0 to 60 mph in under 5 seconds. Miley has also been seen on Harley-Davidsons.
Kate Hudson
Kate Hudson is an actress that you probably wouldn’t expect to know how to ride a motorcycle, but hey, looks can be deceiving. She first learned to ride one for her motorcycling scenes in a movie, as she didn’t want to use a stunt double.
In an interview, Hudson said, “Learning to ride the motorcycle was the hardest. But I had a great teacher. We started on a little Yamaha dirt bike, then we went big – to a Harley 880 – and from there we went back down to a Triumph. It didn’t take me too long; I was riding the little bike that first day. The Harley only took a day, too. It would have been harder if I didn’t grow up on a ranch where we used three-wheelers because I understood the clutch and changing the gears.”
Katee Sackhoff
Katee Sackhoff is an actress that’s appeared in many shows, including ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’ and ‘Robot Chicken.’ But, she’s best known for her work on ‘Battlestar Galactica.’ She’s also a major motorcycle enthusiast.
She even helped start a motorcycle-riding charity. Her motorcycle is called The Classified Moto KT600, which is the result of a project motorcycle built using an old 1987 Honda XL600R bike. Quite impressive, Katee.
Jewel
Here’s another one that might surprise you. The singer and songwriter Jewel is another woman that really enjoys motorcycling. And you know what? She has actually biked across America!
In an interview, she said this: “When I drive a car, I am able to let my mind wander to worry about work, or even to write a song. But on my bike, safety is first, and it forces me to focus and live in the present, and so the scenery and the day and the air and curve in front of me fill all my senses — it’s great.”
Marisa Miller
If you haven’t seen model Marisa Miller’s appearance on ‘Conan,’ you should because it’s one of the funniest things to see. Conan O’Brien struggles to keep it together as Miller steps out wearing a red dress and a ridiculous V-neck.
Aside from modeling, Miller is a big motorcycle fan. In fact, she made history when she became the first-ever spokesperson for Harley-Davidson (which is something they had never done before).
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson’s appreciation for motorcycling has been well-documented. In her 1996 film ‘Barbwire,’ she was seen riding a Triumph bike. She has also been seen on a 2004 Honda Valkyrie Rune, which is rumored to have been sold for over $30,000 in 2008.
Triumph and Honda make great bikes, so Anderson must have great taste in motorcycles. The Honda Valkyrie, in particular, is very powerful as it can go from 0 to 60mph in just four seconds.
Wynonna Judd
Not many people know of the famous country singer’s strong passion for motorcycles. She has a collection of them, and it’s not just for the hell of it. She loves to ride when she gets the opportunity. But one of those times turned out to be tragic for her and her drummer husband, Michael Moser.
One day, her husband was riding in front of her, and he crashed his motorcycle into an oncoming car, which caused him to lose one of his legs. She stayed by his side and has claimed that the accident made their relationship even stronger.
Beyoncé
Beyoncé and Jay-Z were seen sharing a motorcycle in Jamaica. That same bike was later put up for sale, and it had a starting bid of $40,000! But this wasn’t the first time Beyoncé was on a bike.
Beyoncé was photographed with Jay-Z on a motorcycle and was the main image in the video for “Part II (On the Run).” Sharing a motorcycle with your lover might be one of the coolest things you can do with your partner!
Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sinatra was another big star who fell in love with motorcycles. The singer was pictured with bikes many times over the years. The most famous time was her role in the 1966 movie ‘The Wild Angels.’
The film involves a biker gang as the main characters, and Nancy Sinatra plays the leader of a biker gang’s girlfriend. And in the movie, she can be seen sharing a motorcycle with Peter Fonda.
Jillian Michaels
Fitness expert Jillian Michaels appreciates a great motorcycle. Even though riding an actual bicycle may be better for the body, something about riding a motorcycle gives you the illusion that you’re getting some exercise.
Michaels is an experienced rider and her bike of choice? The classic Harley-Davidson VRSC. The VRSC is also known as “V-Rod Muscle,” which pretty much gives you an idea what it’s all about.
Maria Costello
This may seem like an obvious inclusion on the list – one that may elicit the reaction of “duh” – but it’s worth including Costello because she’s an important motorcycle racer.
She made history as the first woman ever to race at the Isle of Man. At one point, Costello held the world record for being the fastest female motorcyclist. Costello is another woman on the list that chooses to ride a Honda. Her favorite bikes are the RVF400 and the CBR600RR.
Ann-Margret
Actress Ann-Margret has been seen many times on a motorcycle and starred in a biker film. Ann-Margret was in a 1970 film called ‘C.C. and Company’ where she rode a motorcycle. She also had a number of other roles that she had to ride one for.
She was photographed on an older Honda Dream (that was the first-ever motorcycle to be sold by the company). She has also been seen on a Triumph motorcycle, and the poster of her riding it became iconic.
Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Bardot was a sex symbol in her 20s and became an icon in French cinema. In her younger days, she was seen on motorcycles a lot. She’s another old school celeb that has a poster of her on a bike that became iconic.
Her poster became immensely popular in the 1960s and 1970s. It was a classic image, just like the Farrah Fawcett poster that many young men grew up with.
Tricia Helfer
Like Katee Sackhoff, Tricia Helfer is also known for her part on the show ‘Battlestar Galactica.’ She has also appeared on ‘Two and a Half Men’ and has been on the cover of Playboy.
When she’s not modeling or acting, she can be found on a Harley-Davidson. In interviews, Helfer has mentioned that she’s a fan of several Harley bikes, including the Wide Glide, Sportster, Rocker C.
Tina Turner
Tina Turner doesn’t really need an introduction, does she? Other than being a popular singer, she loved to ride motorcycles, even putting one on the cover of her single “Love Thing.”
One of Tina Turner’s favorite bikes was an Electra-Glide Harley Davidson. Turner’s bike of choice was seen in the video for her 1987 hit single, “What You Get Is What You See.”
Krista Marie
Krista Marie is a country music singer, and also has a reputation for being an avid fan of motorsports. Her song “Drive It Like I Stole It” is one of her more popular songs, revealing her love for driving culture.
She rides an ATV and enjoys motorcycles, too. Unfortunately, she suffered from an accident on the track, but it didn’t hold her back at all. She mentioned that she still plans to continue riding!
Alanis Morrissett
Morrissett is quite a fan of motorbikes. Unlike most of the ladies on this list, she prefers not to ride a bike made by Triumph or Harley Davidson. Instead, she goes for a more exotic brand.
Her bike of choice? The Ducati S4RS. The bike may not be as massive as the others we have seen so far, but it’s still a powerful one that’s capable of high speeds and full power.
Elizabeth Taylor
As famous and iconic as Elizabeth Taylor was in her heyday, there are still not too many people that know that Taylor was a big motorcycle fan. In this vintage photo, we can see her on her favorite purple motorcycle.
Taylor fell in love with bike culture; she even had tattoos and apparently hung out with bikers. Elizabeth Taylor’s bike preference was Harley-Davidson, people.
Michelle Rodriguez
Since ‘Girlfight,’ and ‘Fast and the Furious,’ Michelle Rodriguez has been proving she’s a real bada$$ in real life, too. Rodriguez actually needed to get her first driver’s license for the first ‘Furious’ movie.
Rodriguez has a fleet of fast cars, but she also loves superbikes. She can often be spotted on her Ducati around Los Angeles. And apparently, she doesn’t mind coming to a café smelling like a garage.
Gul Panag
Gul is a biker and has been riding since she was 17. In fact, the first bike she rode was an Enfield 500. “I enjoy riding bikes, it gives me a sense of freedom and a sense of liberation,” she’s said once.
She said the Enfield is considered to be “man territory,” but she is clearly showing us otherwise. Gul is an Indian actress, voice actress, model, and even former beauty queen who was a contestant in the Miss Universe pageant.
Kalki Koechlin
Kalki got her passion for bikes from her father, Joel Koechlin, the avid biker and photographer. The actor rode as the passenger on her father’s bike since she was a little girl. As she grew up, she would occasionally take rides on her own.
She and her dad took a 2,5000-mile biking trip to the Northeast on their Royal Enfield Himalayan bikes. “Really couldn’t have asked for a cooler new year/ birthday present. Can’t wait to take this baby out and feel the wind in my hair,” she on her Instagram photo.
Jaimie Alexander
The actress got her break as a cloned soldier on the series ‘Kyle XY.’ She later came to fame playing Lady Sif in the ‘Thor’ franchise, proving her toughness. Currently, she stars in ‘Blindspot,’ and the show has a lot of stunt work which she does much of it herself.
The stunt work includes motorcycle riding. She often gushes about the great bikes she uses for the show and how they help her decide which bike to buy. She’s been seen on a Harley in pink clothing to support breast cancer awareness.
Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka, Nick Jonas’ wife, first rode a bike in ‘Don,’ and she enjoyed it so much that she bought herself a Harley Davidson Superlow, customizing it in a hot pink color. The star rode a Ducati for her role as Alex Parrish in ‘Quantico’s’ season 3.
“Pink for chick power! Why should boys have all the fun!” she wrote in her Instagram caption.
The Traveller: Eagle Gerulaityte
Egle has a motorcycle blog. She’s from Lithuania and is a motorcycle traveler, adventurer, and storyteller.
Instagram: @eglegerai
“As the founding editor of www.womenadvriders.com, I love connecting female motorcyclists around the globe and help them travel more, better, and further. I am on an indefinite RTW journey, and most days, you can find me looking for delicious local coffee, typing madly on my laptop or exploring local off-road trails.”
The Racer: Red Spade
Anna Rigby, AKA Red Spade, is another blogger who’s been around for the best part of the last decade.
Instagram: @redspade
Red Spade’s Instagram is packed with all things motorcycles and racing. A photographer, artist, and an ambassador for all things awesome, you can find Anna on her Instagram for cool photos.