The lure of the open road has drawn people to travel probably since the wheel was invented.

With the advent of the gasoline engine and the ability to get from Point A to Point B in much less time, the desire to hit the pavement and see where it goes grew exponentially. For many, there’s no better way to do that than on two wheels.

Though a German engineer is credited with the invention of the first gas-driven two-wheeler in the late 19th century, the motorcycle is generally considered an American icon. When William Harley and Arthur Davidson built their first bike in a crude wooden shed in Milwaukee, the company that grew out of their efforts would remain the only U.S. manufacturer of motorcycles until the mid-1950s, and the vehicle of choice for motorcycle enthusiasts all over the country.

Robert Clifton, service manager at Mike Bruno’s Northshore Harley-Davidson, left, watches as one of the women tries out a bike on the Dyno-Tune machine. While generally used to measure torque and rotational speed, the machine also allows riders to familiarize themselves with the speed of an engine and how the bike reacts. (Staff Photo by Anne Lautzenheiser)

Once considered the province of leather-jacketed guys with bad attitudes and poor hygiene, the motorcycle has steadily grown in acceptance by everyone from accountants to talk show hosts to judges. What’s more, the number of female riders has grown substantially.

Women have primarily ridden as passengers for years, although they are no strangers to riding solo. According to We Ride, Harley-Davidson’s publication aimed at women, the mother-daughter team of Avis and Effie Hotchkiss rode from their home in Brooklyn, N.Y., all the way to California and back again in 1915.

The first women’s motorcycling organization, Motor Maids, was founded in 1940 with 51 members, and the numbers have been steadily growing ever since.

Here in St. Tammany, Mike Bruno’s Northshore Harley-Davidson recently hosted a “Ladies Only Garage Party,” an event designed to encourage women to move to the front of the bike.

“Our ultimate goal is more women riders,” said Marketing Manager Heather Dougherty. “Women can get intimidated easily when it comes to bikes, and we want to remove those barriers that keep them from enjoying themselves on a motorcycle.”

About two-dozen women attended the event, and roughly half admitted they were new to motorcycling. In her introduction, Administrative Assistant and Title Clerk Rhonda Gordon said that before coming to work for the retailer, she had never envisioned operating a bike by herself.

“I was one of the clumsiest people ever,” she said with a laugh. “If I can do it, anyone can.”

Divided into groups of four, the ladies rotated among different interactive learning stations: Sales, Gear, Parts and Service.

At the Sales station, women learned about the different sizes and styles of motorcycles. According to Sales Associate Jay Grant, the smallest or the lightest bike is not always the best choice for those just starting out.

“There’s no such thing as the perfect ‘beginner’ bike,” said Grant. “The most important thing is comfort, and that goes for men or women, because if you’re not comfortable, you’re not going to ride it.”

Gordon drilled the ladies on terminology, taking them through terms like “twisties,” a road with lots of curves, and “fairing,” a molded piece of the body that protects the rider from road debris.

Participants also got a quick lesson in how to lift a bike after laying it down, which happens when the bike gets out from under its rider.

While men can generally hoist the bike up by the handlebars, women have to take a different approach, due to having less overall upper body strength.

Gordon said the best technique involves squatting low to the ground, as close to the bike as possible on the side where the seat is closest to the ground. The individual must then use the legs and buttocks, pushing against the seat while doing so. Concentrating the effort in the lower body will help avoid injury.

To get the full experience, the women were also able to ride a bike using the Dyno-Tune machine. While generally used to measure torque and rotational speed, the machine also allows riders to familiarize themselves with the engine’s power and how the bike reacts.

One of the first to try it out was Pearl River resident Sandi Hermann, who has often ridden with her husband, but has never made a solo attempt.

“It was scary, but it made you feel confident at the same time,” said Hermann. “I really liked it.”

Gordon said once she started riding on her own, it became her mission to start a ladies club. She currently serves as the secretary for the Dixie Angels, the regional chapter of Women in the Wind, another national organization devoted to women riders. Members are from Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, but Gordon is hoping to someday start a separate club on the Northshore.

To find out how to get started, learn more about rider safety or to network with other riders, check out the following Web sites:

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation, www.msf-usa. org; Rider’s Edge, www.ridersedge.com; Women Riders Now, www.womenridersnow.com; American Motorcyclist Association, www.amadirectlink.com; and Women in the Wind, www.womeninthewind.org.

Mike Bruno’s Northshore Harley Davidson is located at 791 West I-10 Service Road in Slidell. For more information call 641-5100.