Representing nearly ten percent of all motorcycle owners worldwide, female riders have remained the fastest growing segment in the two-wheeled marketplace for several years in a row. But being a chick on a bike has not always been quite so socially acceptable - especially when you don't like to play by the rules!

When Margaret Gast made her first attempt at conquering the Monodrome (a.k.a. 'The Wall of Death') back in the early 1900s, no one would have dreamed of sporting the pink leather chaps or high-healed riding boots found in modern motorbike dealerships. In fact, it would not be until the age of disco when a women named Kerry Kleid fought for her right to race that the AMA gave out its first professional license to a female rider. It probably didn't hurt that she had a reputation of being able to wheelie whatever she was riding...

Those pioneering women of motorcycle stunt might just say that girls like Tena "Stunt Blondie" Colbert, JoJo Farmer or Suzanne "Gixxie" Hamilton have it too easy these days. But the truth is, these girls are still raising their front wheels in a largely male dominated sport. And, at least judging by the photos, we don't think they will be taking a back seat anytime soon. For the full chronology of stunt crazy moto-women, head on over to spotmotorcycles.com, and be sure to check out the video of Jessica Maine after the break... apparently gravity has no gender barriers. Thanks for the tip Ken!



[Source: Spotmotorcycles]

Just when you thought you had looked everywhere - and failed miserably - to distinguish yourself from the rest of the gang down at your favorite biker bar, the crew at Parker Brothers Choppers has come up with just the bike to, shall we say, kick it up a notch. Ah, yes... a Lightcycle should do the trick just fine. After clicking the the eBay Motors Buy It Now button and placing a "nominal" $500 deposit, all you have do is come up with the other $34,500 and let the fun begin.

According to the listing, Parker Brothers allows for further Lightcycle individuality by adding a neon accent color of red, blue, yellow, green or orange to the black bike. The colored LEDs will shine through clear panels, adding to the whole deadly streak motif of the Lightcycle. But if you really love orange, you better hurry, as only one color will be available for each of the five Lightcycles built. Seem a little frivolous? Not to worry, the ad assures us that "the Lightcycle is being built for everyday use" and will be complete with a certificate of origin and a unique VIN number ending in one through five.

Now, once you've chosen your powerplant, you're almost ready for battle. The two available choices include a high-powered gasoline engine or, for all you cutting edge conservationists out there, a high performance electric motor. No official power figures are available in the listing, just the promise of "high performance." Wow... just bring your personalized TRON plates, and as long as you don't have to make any turns.... ever... this thing promises to be more fun that a barrel of monkeys.

We have a feeling the 22x12-inch wheels will make catching the inside line of your favorite long sweeper a bit of a challenge, but don't worry: the included non-DOT-approved Tron helmet should keep you out of harm's way when shooting off the road! We were almost temped to hit the button and get our own, but the staff simply could not decide between the green or blue accents, so we scrapped it. That means there is still one available for you... and we'll be sure to make way if we see you coming towards us! Thanks to everyone for the tips.



[Source: eBay Motors]

When it comes to proving a point on a motorcycle, there are two good ways to get it done. The first thing to do is keep your mouth shut and let your results speak for themselves. The second is to repeat the process as often as possible! If Ducati was out to prove the point that their all-new Multistrada was capable of taking on the biggest, baddest bikes on the planet, in one of the most respected and feared formats on or off the pavement, than we must say... mission accomplished.

Ducati's freshman effort racing the Multistrada 1200S at "The Peak" in the 1205-or as we like to call it, the Big Boy-class was a great success as not one, but two Multistradas took the high and low position on the podium, locking up fist and third. Of interest was winning pilot Greg Tracy's comments about his victorious factory Ducati: "This is my first year on a factory motorcycle and I'll tell you that bike was box-stock. It had some carbon, and few tweaks and that was it." From what we can see, other than a few bolt-on items, suspension tweaks and special paint, it appears that Mr Tracey is telling the truth.

Although all of this leaves us very impressed, wanting nothing more than to get our hands on a shiny new Muti and head for the nearest fourteener, it must be mentioned that the win comes in a class lacking some of the major competitors who traditionally show up to send a beast up the hill (including BMW). But hey, maybe Ducati will have so much confidence leaving Colorado they can challenge BMW to a head-to-head Mini versus Porsche type shootout? For now, we'll just say congratulations to Ducati, Greg Tracey and Alexander Smith for some fine work. Hit the break to read the full press release straight from the horse's mouth.



[Source:Ducati]