Forget the image of pit girls or the girlfriend riding pillion - Gwent women have a new role in the macho world of motorbiking. As GARETH PHILLIPS discovered, more and more women are living their lives at full throttle.

THE ego-dominated, testosterone-fuelled world of men and their superbikes isn't the most inviting for women.

From the basic design of most motorbikes, with their high seats and impossible to reach control levers, to the patronising, grease monkey mechanics, the motorcycle market is pitched almost exclusively at men.

But as most male-dominated domains, from the MCC to sniffy golf clubs, are fast discovering, girl power is after its piece of the action.

More and more wo-men are discovering the high octane thrills of motorcycle riding.

Keri Bates, from Newport, and her motorbiking friends are part of increasing number of women who are bucking the trend and fighting back against the clichd, shallow marketing of semi-nude models draped over the latest superbikes.

Four years ago 42-year-old Keri, a mother of two teenagers, decided she wanted to share husband Mark's motorcycle passion.

She said: "My husband is passionate about his bikes and I just got to a point where I thought instead of waiting around, why not join in."

Keri, who rides a Honda VFR 400, is now the local representative for the Women's Internation-al Motorcycle Association (WIMA), which has around 20 members in South Wales.

WIMA was founded in the USA in 1950 and now boasts branches in Great Britain, Holland, Ger-many, Sweden, Switz-erland, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, with a worldwide membership of 1,500 - 450 of whom are from the UK.

And she says that while husband Mark is happy that she now shares his passion for motorbikes, the WIMA gang still get some condescending looks at popular biker meeting points such as Aberga-venny on Sunday afternoons.

"Up at Abergavenny the men see us in our leathers and then look to see where our men are.

"They don't expect us to have our own bikes and just assume we are with the men on the backs of their bikes.

"It is funny to see them look at us as we get on our bikes and ride off."

Childminder Valda Brown, who lives on Foxgloves estate, Newport, took up motorcycling two years ago, inspired by her husband Anthony's passion for bikes.

"It is just a great feeling. It is something you can do on your own or with friends. "I just love it.

"You get some men who look down on you and think 'oh, look out woman driver' like they do with cars but as a rule most of them are fine."

The 42-year-old mother of two, said: "My husband worries when I am out but he is very good and does not mind me getting into bikes."

Keri added: "There are about 20 of us in South Wales.

"We get together and have been on trips to countries like France and Belgium. In fact one of the girls has just taken her test and headed off to Spain to ride around there.

"There are more and more women taking up motorbike riding and we meet up every weekend.

"I just love the freedom of it. It's like riding a soft top car, but a million times better."