They can’t help it. The Harley ladies are just plain cool
Next time you hear the thrumming of some ‘lean mean steel machine’ next to you at a traffic light, you might want to see who’s riding. There is a community of women bikers who love the wind on their face
Maryana Rian, an Emirati in her mid-30s, grew up watching her uncles ride motorcycles in the Desert Cross team of the UAE. She started dreaming of riding her own bike one day. In 2001, she applied for a bike licence but at that time riding a motorcycle was a distant dream for Emirati women. “I begged and told them that I just want to get training and afterwards I would move to the UK to study. I told them I was a student and I couldn’t afford to buy a car. A bike was the only solution. They refused but I kept pleading,” Maryana said.
Luckily they allowed her to get trained. Soon, however, a police officer saw her riding and he understood that she had prior experience. “He called me to his office and said they will let me apply for a licence, but on one condition — I could not ride in my country.” The main reason was safety. “They were worried about my safety as a young girl. They let me take the bike licence test and I cleared. I was told that I was the first Emirati lady to get a bike licence, but to complete the procedure, they needed a signed no-objection letter from my family,” she added.
Five years later, she finally made her dream come true. She bought a 2006 fully customised Harley-Davidson Sportster that her friends called the ‘black shadow’ because of its unique look. Breaking the news to her family, however, was out of the question.
“I lost my dad at a very young age, but I am sure if he were alive he would have refused straightaway. For my mother, anything that could harm her kids was a strict no-no. So I had to do it behind her back. I hid my bike from my entire family.”
Maryana used to park her bike far away from home so that no one would find out. However she got caught within five days, thanks to her brother who followed her wondering why she was walking home everyday.
“All hell broke loose that day. The whole family and all my uncles got involved and took my bike away from me.”
In 2011, she relaunched her biking adventures when she landed a job with Harley Davidson as a sales executive. Since then, there has been no looking back. She became part of the Dubai chapter of Harley Owners Group (HOG).
“It makes me feel like a bird flying freely in the sky, with the wind kissing my face. It makes me feel that the sky is the limit,” she added with glee. Even though she feels proud and empowered as a biker, she doesn’t see herself as a role model or inspiration for other Emirati women. “This is a personal hobby and it’s dangerous as well. When I want to inspire others, I would love to do something that will benefit our country and our society.” Wives, mothers on Harley, because why not? Hina Malik, 37, is a mother of two. When she leaves for her sales job, her daughters come out to say bye to her... and her Harley. “Can we get a bike too when we grow up?” her daughters, eight and three years old, ask pleadingly. “Yes, of course,” comes her reply.
Back in Karachi, Pakistan, it was almost impossible for her to get her own bike. But in the UAE, she can and is living her dream. “This bike is my iron supplement. It’s my steel horse. It makes me feel strong and powerful, and I want to raise my daughters as strong women too. I would love to see them riding one day,” she added. Sometimes, you need to keep a low profile. Dana Adam, a Yemeni expat in her 30s, works as a customer relations executive at the Harley Davidson showroom in Dubai. Her family doesn’t know either, that she owns one. “I sold some of my jewellery and bought a bike. It remains parked in my building. I have been riding since 2014 and no one knows it’s mine. I will never tell my family because they will never accept it. But if they find out, I won’t give it up. It’s really close to my heart,” Dana said, “I have even named it ‘Adam’ after my last name.”
A commercial director in Dubai, Sara Momtaz has been riding for more than a year. A British Iranian expat, Sara said she tried keeping her biking a secret, but her parents saw her pictures on social media. “They don’t like it but they have to deal with it. At least they know I am a safe rider. That’s some relief for them.” Sara says some of the ladies decided to go and get the licence just because I got one. “People think that riders are drinkers, womanisers and don’t hold great jobs, which is completely untrue. I have travelled around the world and met a lot of bikers. They are all professionals and doing well in their careers. It’s also a very family-oriented hobby.”
Their message for other women? If something makes you happy, just do it. These Harley ladies are revving a revolution of sorts on the streets of Dubai in the hope that more women will break free of gender stereotypes.