Engines and exhaust pipes create a cacophony that duels against the breeze rolling in from the Mississippi River. The rumble is punctuated by the sharp clack of stilettos and women’s laughter. Sequins glisten in the sun as candy-painted motorcycles glide by. 

What’s left behind is more than the smell of burnt rubber and exhaust. It is the Caramel Curves, an all-Black, all-women motorcycle club redefining visibility, sisterhood and empowerment.

The Caramel Curves were formed in the months following Hurricane Katrina, born from a desire for freedom, visibility and community. Co-founder Nakosha Smith, known as CoCo, said she wanted “an all-female club where women could ride bikes, wear heels, look sexy … and be all together.” 

From the start, the club prioritized attitude over experience; any woman bold enough to ride — and bold enough to do it in heels — belonged.

“Our look is not wearing the normal jeans and T-shirts. We wear skirts. We wear dresses,” co-founder Shanika Beatty, known as Tru, said. “The men fall all the time [biking] in regular shoes, so I guess the heels ain’t so bad.” 

The Curves’ influence extends beyond their own rides. Tru described a steady stream of messages from women inspired by the group. 

“A lot of women are intimidated by motorcycles at first … and the men don’t make it any better … but when they see us do it, I think it definitely makes them wanna go and do it themselves,” she said. 

Ask the women why they ride, and most will tell you it’s the easiest way to quiet a crowded mind. 

“It frees my mind and clears my head,” Tru said. “If I’m angry, mad, sad, upset, I can get on my motorcycle and by the time I spun the bend and came back, I’m fine … It’s true wind therapy.” 

Long rides test the women’s physical and mental limits. What makes that challenge meaningful is who they ride with. Tru said the club gets the women out of their shells, empowering them to be whoever they truly want to be. 

“When you become a Curve, you have a voice,” Tru said. 

Despite growing recognition — from media features to major campaigns — the women said the world tends to underestimate them. Men may mistake glamour for weakness, questioning whether the Curves belong in a space dominated by men. 

Their response is simple: “We do everything they [men] do, we just look cuter,” CoCo said.