Ducati Dragons
The first Ducati Dragons weekend brought together over 30 women from across the UK, all with a shared passion for delicious Ducatis. The Dragons filled the car park of Eastwood Hall in Nottingham from Friday 11th to Sunday 13th of June 201 with the rip roaring noise of Ducati twins; the Monster and SuperSport certainly the most popular choice. Sunshine and smiles all round.
Women came from all over the UK to be part of this unique event, instigated by Gillian Riddell, an avid Ducati enthusiast. Gillian is part of the Ducati Owners Club (DOC GB). Gillian regularly attends the DOC outings and despite having several women members, she often ends up being the only one attending the events. She is keen to encourage more women to attend mixed events and by creating an event where women can meet face to face will help make new connections and get more women out together to other events too.
Upon arrival, the Dragons came together for the first time and made new connections, making time for each other before checking in. We chatted to the UpRight Motorcycle Road Safety Campaign team who came to support. Some were able to try different bikes, provided by Martin of Ducati Manchester who had kindly brought some Scramblers and Supersports for test rides. We were even interviewed for BIKE Magazine with lots of posing for photos, it made us feel like celebrities to mark the occasion!
Grabbing a quiet bite to eat before the pre-ride briefing, we set off at 1300 on Saturday on a very unique ride out. We were escorted by Tom from @UpRightDerbys (Insta) on his Police Bike which was very useful for clearing junctions! It was immensely awe inspiring to be out on the road with so many women who have a passion for Italian machines. After the first hour, we split off into different routes to enjoy the Peak District and ensure the well deserved ice cream and cake breaks where we could.
The Dragons returned back to the hotel late afternoon for some quick refreshments and a turnaround for the delicious 3 course dinner. The raffle prizes kept us applauding, especially to the winner of the exclusive Ducati jacket provided by Ducati Manchester and the gift voucher for Maja’s Motorcycle Adventures. The disco endured well into the night, topped off with fantastic goody bags provided by Verity. The Scottoiler discount and T-shirt was a superb donation, along with the Bike Sure 10% off discount offer and merch. The Muc Off Dry Lube and bike cleaner was an ideal addition to all of our garages, topped off with Ducati hats and pens, perfect!
Ready for a fresh morning in the sunshine, the Dragons left the hotel to do some more exploring in the Peaks before making their way home. Everyone who attended made a new connection with a friend in the biking world and a reinforcement that there are plenty of women out there who don’t need much of an excuse to just get out and ride!
