WIMA – Womens International Motorcycle Association is an international organisation of women motorcyclists with over 4000 members worldwide.
In 1950, WIMA was founded in the USA by Louise Scherbyn. In 1958, three Dutch sisters founded WIMA-Europe by advertising in motorbike newspapers. Numerous German women responded to these advertisements. And from there the movement spread throughout Europe.
The goal of WIMA, to inspire women for motorbikes, is our main focus. In addition, we work on a voluntary basis to promote the safety and riding experience of women on motorbikes.
We go on joint rides and, at least once a year, have a date for a driving safety training course.
WIMA Austria currently has 34 member women. The trend is rising, spread over the provinces of Vienna, Lower Austria, Styria, Carinthia, Salzburg and Tyrol.
Supporting older and younger (re-)entrants is particularly important to us.
The national WIMA-Divisions have different organisational structures, from registered associations with an elected board to a loose network of a few women.
There is also a mixture: Loose women’s motorbike organisations, existing women’s motorbike clubs, or even Facebook groups have women who are parallel members of the national WIMA.
As women, we are not so bound to the motorbike club pattern in this respect. WIMA-Austria sees itself as an additional offer, as a connecting organisation that awakens and promotes common interests. The same also applies to WIMA International.
In Austria, there was already a national organisation in the 1960s, but unfortunately it dissolved again.
A photo from 1969,
it also shows participants from D, CZ, H and NL
The last 27 years:
One of our women, Uli, had already made contact with WIMA in 1995 and inspired everyone with her stories about the rally in Sweden in which she had participated. So it happened that Jane and Bettina went with her to the Czech Republic in 1996, where they re-founded WIMA Austria. Thus, WIMA Austria is now more than 25 years old!
WIMA Austria subsequently developed as a loose bunch of motorcycling women, with a regular regulars’ table. The idea was to offer a possibility to exchange experiences, talk about petrol and chat.
We meet once a month on Stammtisch every first Tuesday of the month at 7 pm .
Informal exchange on all topics.
Open to any woman interested in motorcycling
The regulars’ table is an open table, i.e. any woman interested in motorbikes and motorcycling is welcome to drop by, we would be delighted! WIMA membership is not a prerequisite for participation in the regulars’ table.
WIMA’s main event is the annual rally – a week-long motorbike meeting – which takes place in a different country each year and allows us to immerse ourselves in the beauty of the country’s landscape and roads and to make contacts in other countries.
You can find older rallies here
2003 Dorset, Great Britain
2004 Borculo, Netherlands
2005 Sjöröd, Sweden
2006 Oberiberg, Hoch-Ybrig, Switzerland
2007 Plothen, Thuringia, Germany
2008 Heimari, Finland
2009 America (Europe: Italy)
2010 Japan (Europe: Netherlands)
2011 Lancaster, Great Britain
2012 Reingers, Waldviertel, Austria
2013 Couvet, Val de Travers, Switzerland
2014 Poland
2015 Australia (Europe: Sweden)
2016 Esztergom, Hungary
2017 Janäda, Estonia
2018 Parainen, Finland
2019 Castleton, England
2022 Melchtal, Switzerland
2023 Ociers, France
Current photos of the individual rallies can be found at here