Women in Motorcycling: Gillian Riddell

Women riding Ducati. Stories at full throttle.

Gillian Riddell was the founder and initial driving force behind the Ducati Dragons, a growing community for female Ducati owners in the UK that now boasts over 450 current members. The club is a testament to Gillian's vision of creating a welcoming space in what has been a traditionally male-dominated scene.

From four legs to two wheels

Gillian’s journey to motorcycles came from seeking a new kind of thrill. "I used to One Day Event, but now I was looking for some more excitement, but with less commitment, and motorcycles proved to be the answer. My Ducati has perhaps only been patted once or twice since it was put away in the garage this winter, whereas the horse would have been fed, groomed, mucked out and exercised daily… The list goes on!”

After passing her test back in February 2012, Gillian initially bought a Japanese V-twin. But after watching the seminal biking documentary Long Way Round the call to go touring was too strong to ignore. And the search for a desirable touring machine led her straight to Ducati. "All the other touring bikes seemed fairly ugly, you wouldn't give them a second glance once you'd walked away from it."

She fell for the Ducati Multistrada, purchasing her a brand new 1200 model for her 50th birthday. Gillian’s Multistrada love affair has continued to this day, and she is now on her third, “a beautiful V4S, albeit with having a slight deviation along the way with a Hypermotard.

Ducati Dragons

The inspiration for the Ducati Dragons club stemmed from an observation Gillian made while running two Ducati Owners Club branches in Northumbria and North Yorkshire, noticing a significant absence of female members at the meetings.

"I didn't have many ladies coming to the meetings, and those women who did weren't as confident as the men. That was one of the things I wanted to overcome."

In January 2021, Gillian took to social media posting "Come on ladies, show me your ride!"

The response was both instantaneous and overwhelming. "I just got this plethora of photographs of ladies showing me their Ducati bikes, and I was like, 'Well, this is amazing.'"

Gillian recognized the need for a truly safe and supportive space. She noticed the difficulties women faced when seeking advice on general pages. She recounts one distressing example: "I'll never forget the poor girl who put up a post that she had started her Scrambler, which was air-cooled, and then gone in the house and, got distracted, when she returned, she found she’d cooked it, she got absolutely slated. As well as having a cooked motorbike, she also got a very cooked response online."

The idea to formalise the group came from fellow Ducati rider Debs Jordan, who Gillian had met previously. Leveraging her professional background in organising events, Gillian went on to create the Ducati Dragons group.

The philosophy behind the group is simple: confidence. "Women are amongst women, where they're more confident sharing, and more comfortable to turn up, knowing they're not going to be the only woman there."

Strength in numbers

From 45 ladies on the page initially, the group is now over 450 strong, a phenomenal achievement celebrated at the Ducati Dragon’s fifth-year anniversary in 2025. The friendships forged through the club are the greatest reward. Gillian is immensely proud of the welcoming atmosphere, exemplified by local events like their annual get together and Christmas dinner events. 

Gillian stresses that the Ducati Dragons is a collective effort, built with the dedication of several key individuals. "Andrea Marshall is key to the whole thing, we run the club together now. Verity Young co-founded the club and was instrumental in the early days. Tracy Carina does a brilliant job running all the club merchandise. But if it hadn’t of been for Debs, I don't know that the club would really have come together as well as it did."

Celebrating passion

The Ducati Dragons are gearing up for a huge 2026, with major events on the horizon including Ducati’s Centenary celebrations. "We're organising the group visit to World Ducati Week, and I think we should be about 20 strong there. Some of the Dragons will ride to Rimini with their partners, and others will be flying out.”

“Ducati Dragon club member Isabel Crump has also secured an exclusive garage tour with the Barni Spark Ducati World Superbike Racing team when they visit Donington Park in July. We've got a garage tour and talk organised with team principal Marco. The ladies are coming; we're going to do a photo shoot and different things like that. It’ll be fantastic!"

The road ahead

Gillian’s passion for touring and adventure will also continue this year. Just last August, she rode her Multistrada V4 to Bosnia. "I set off on my own, and then I bumped into a fellow Ducati rider." While she lost the kudos of riding completely solo, Gillian states she gained something far more valuable: "I found a partner for life who shares the passion of Ducati." The pair, Gillian and her new friend James from Southern Ireland, completed the journey to Bosnia together. And for this year, Gillian is planning an ambitious, three-week-long trip to Norway and Finland at the end of August. 

For Gillian, her Ducati is more than a machine; it's a vehicle for her life's great passions. "I'm really, really passionate about my Ducati and touring Europe, and I can't think of a better steed to tour Europe on than the new Multistrada."

Connect with the Ducati Dragons

The Ducati Dragons has become an invaluable force, proving that on two wheels, sisterhood and a shared love for the iconic Italian brand can conquer any challenge.

If you're a female Ducati owner interested in joining this thriving community, you can join the Ducati Dragons via their Facebook group.