Ladies' Vroom: sales to women surge at Glendale Harley dealership.

IN that ultimate female road-trip movie "Thelma & Louise,' Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis hit the open road in a convertible.

That's soooooo 1990s.

Today, those ladies would be riding Harleys--especially if they started out in Glendale.

The Harley-Davidson dealership there, run for the past 30 years by Oliver Shokouh, has seen its female customer base explode. About 30 percent of its Sportster model buyers this year have been women, up from just 2 percent 20 years ago.

"And those 2 percent probably had more to do with men who didn't have the credit, so they brought a girlfriend or a wife to buy the bike for them," he said.

Shokouh has spent the past five years figuring out ways to attract more women and minorities into the store. It's no small task. When it comes to reaching out to women, Harley-Davidson has what marketers call an "image problem."

"There's a certain sense of intimidation for women," Shokouh said. "Walking into a Harley shop to talk to some big burley tattooed guy? They probably feel more comfortable talking to a woman."

Almost half the Glendale dealership's 60 employees are female, and both of Shokouh's daughters work with him.

"We have a lady who runs our finance and insurance program," he said. "She's a hell of a rider. She fits in really well here."

Shokouh started his outreach effort five years ago with a fashion show at the dealership, to showcase the latest in biking fashion and accessories. It brought so many women to the store that he now hires professional models and holds two runway-type shows per year--spring and fall lines, of course. The shop also organizes the annual "Love Ride," a 50-mile bike ride, fundraiser and concert that draws almost 25,000 riders, raising more than $1 million each year for local charities.

Shokouh's efforts to sell to women tapped into a larger movement.

Nationwide, women made up 9 percent of Harley-Davidson Inc.'s sales back in 2001. But the Milwaukee-based Harley started aggressively marketing to women in 2004, creating a "Women and Motorcycling" section on its Web site. By 2005, female buyers increased to 11 percent of sales.

"It's no secret that women control more than 50 percent of the assets in this country," Shokouh said. "If women are only 9 percent of buyers, and the other 91 percent are male, I would say there's room for considerable improvement."

His efforts have paid off. The dealership sold $25 million worth of motorcycles last year, up from just $7 million in 1995.

The manufacturer has made special efforts in designing bikes to be more women-friendly. The Sportster and Dyna Low Rider models are smaller, with lower seats. The Sportster weighs 150 pounds less than the standard Harley, and the driver sits upright, making it easier to control the bike than in the typical "Easy Rider" posture, where arms and legs are stretched out. Those two models are designed to be handled by riders as small as 5-foot-4.

Most dealerships sponsor a Harley Owner's Group, or HOG chapter, and the groups are required to have a Ladies of Harley (LOH) group--or at least an officer to represent the female riders, whether they're passengers or riders. Glendale's LOH chapter led a ride from L.A. to Ojai earlier this month, with the men's HOG chapter bringing up the rear.

Don't forget the chrome 

Ellie Collin bought her first bike in 1986, from Bartels' Harley-Davidson in Marina Del Rey. Her husband bought a Harley two years before, and she decided she wanted to drive herself. "My husband had to drive it home for me," she recalls.

She now works at Bartels', managing the motor clothes department, and she's noticed the increase in women looking to ride.

Usually women come in groups of two or three, maybe one of them is going to buy, Collins said. "It's exciting to see more ladies coming through the showroom, taking charge of their lives."

Riding with a "lady friend" is different, she says, citing the camaraderie and common interests. "A guy will just work on the engine, while the women will buy the clothing and the accessories and all the chrome."

But even with lady-riders hitting 10 percent, biking is still a man's world.

"There's a section of men who still think that women belong in the back seat," she said.

Bartels' L.A. No. 1 HOG chapter has about eight female riders, according to Director Mike Dean, a number that's held steady for some time.

"My own wife has made some noises about doing it, but I think for now she's going to stay passenger material," Dean said.

Most female riders start out as passengers, and get inspired when they see another woman riding. Starter bikes are often little Vespa scooters, the popular European brand, or Japanese brands like Honda or Kawasaki.

"They rapidly become unimpressed with the scooter as their confidence and skill level increases," Dean explained, and some graduate up to big twin-engine Harleys.

Most dealers say it's the women's attitudes that are changing. "My girlfriend rides a Road King, and she weighs 105 pounds," said Forrest Nolin, co-owner of Bartels'. A Harley-Davidson Road King is considered a man's bike. For Nolin, it's a sign the old stigma that "the girl should be on the back" is disappearing.

Los Angles has several women's motorcycle clubs outside of the Ladies of Harley, with names like Women on Wheels, the Iron Angels, Biker Beauties, and the Spirit Angels.

Dean acknowledges their numbers on the roadare only increasing. "What man doesn't notice a woman on a motorcycle?"