Women’s motorcycle travel: at 70, Martine travels the world on a Royal Enfield

Like Anne-France Dautheville, author of “La vieille qui conduisait des motos” (The Old Lady Who Rode Motorcycles), Martine Manya, in her early sixties, listened to her desire to hit the road and got on a Royal Enfield.

Freedom and discovery of the world

Martine will soon be 70, but she didn’t wait until retirement to live life on her own terms. She started riding at 18, on a 125cc bike, to get to medical school in Montpellier. In the 1970s, she and one other woman in her circle rode motorcycles. Of course, people looked at them, perhaps judging them. But she didn’t care and continued on her way. For her, motorcycling is not a statement, it’s a natural extension of her personality. Since she was a little girl, Martine has loved movement, she needs to be on the go!

Then came family life: marriage, three children, a full-time job. Motorcycles took a back seat, but they never completely disappeared from her mind. Years later, having moved to the Caribbean for the last ten years of her career, she rode a three-wheeled scooter. A compromise.

One day, she went to a dealership to have her scooter repaired. In the showroom, it was love at first sight with… a Royal Enfield Classic! The famous Indian motorcycle: timeless. “I want that one.” The salesman replied, “You need a license.” She answered without hesitation, “I’ll get one.”

Within a few months, everything was settled. She had to retake the written test, though. She already knew how to drive, but more importantly, she knew what she wanted. She bought that famous Royal Enfield in Martinique. Then an Interceptor 650. Then a Triumph 900. Now, back in the Pyrénées-Orientales, she’s moving away from Enfields a little and towards a Bonneville 1200, perfect for long distances in Europe. But her Royal Enfield remains her favorite motorcycle for traveling.

Ride on, girl!

Martine has always loved to travel, whether skiing, trekking, or hiking. She knows what it means to push herself, and she loves it. So motorcycling became an obvious choice. Why not consider motorcycle tours, if it’s in her nature?

In 2019, with her motorcycle license barely in her pocket, she set off for India, heading for Ladakh. Her first trip with Vintage Rides. On the agenda: high altitudes, trails, famous mountain passes, and two weeks of riding every day. Many would have hesitated, but not her. It was amazing, incredible, she says. Without trying to be a hero, just the pleasure of discovering and riding in the Himalayas. It’s easy to ride a motorcycle, anyone can do it, she adds.

Since then, she has taken turkey motorcycle tours, Morocco, Peru, and most recently, Madagascar. Each trip confirms that motorcycles, far from complicating things, make traveling even more enjoyable. On the contrary, they help you talk to people, she explains. Locals approach you, and conversations begin. It must be said that Martine intrigues people. With her helmet on her head and well equipped, she blends into the landscape. But in the evening, when she takes off her helmet, people’s attitudes change. The young people in the group notice this: “They say to me, ‘But my mother is your age!’” She is no longer just another biker; she shows that you can be daring at any age.

The zest for life

Contrary to easy clichés, Martine did not “liberate” herself late in life by taking up motorcycling. For her, motorcycling is not a form of revenge. It is the continuation of the journey of a free woman who has always had a thirst for discovery. The advantage of her age is above all that she is free from the constraints of working life and has time. What changes with age is also the way others see her. At 20, people found her unusual. Today, they find her impressive. She, however, still rides with the same simplicity.

In Vintage groups, she enjoys the team spirit. She likes small groups, the organization, and the bonds that are quickly formed. In Madagascar, she shares the road with other women. They are lucky; there are four of them in the group. She becomes friends with Isabelle. From there, ideas begin to form: why not take a big south America motorcycle tour next year? Or a month between India and Sri Lanka? She looks at different places in South America, Asia, and Africa. She dreams of getting away during the winter.

And then there’s this anecdote. During the screening of the film about her Madagascar motorcycle tour, her son was in the audience. She had asked him to come. At the end, she turned to him. He had tears in his eyes. “Mom, what you did is amazing.” In his eyes, you could see the pride of a son, but also admiration for a mother and a free woman.

You mustn’t set limits for yourself, she says. To those who think that certain things are age-restricted or not for them, Martine simply replies: boldness is something you maintain. And like all habits, it needs to be cultivated.

When she starts her bike in the Pyrénées-Orientales, between the sea and the mountains, another woman may watch her go by. And think to herself that it’s possible. Quite simply.