Kathleen Tolleson said she wouldn't open her store unless her longtime friend and mechanic Gary Lyons would come on board. He did, and he's her chief motorcycle builder.

Kathleen Steele Tolleson believes there's no better time than the present to open a motorcycle shop specifically for women. "Women riders are definitely on the rise," says the CEO of Roar Motorcycles. "And I see a lot of women riding bikes that don't fit them well."

This longtime motorcyclist and one-time stone mason, counselor and minister decided to give women more options when shopping for a motorcycle by opening up a full-fledged dealership in Daytona Beach. Other than the female reference intrinsic in the name Roar Motorcycles, Tolleson loves lions, so the name seemed perfect.

The branding possibilities are endless, and on opening day the Roar logo was already splashed on T-shirts, jackets and motorcycles. That's right, motorcycles. An impressive showroom full of Roar-modified bikes is divided up by size category: petite, medium and tall. Tolleson believes size is the main feature driving a woman's purchase of a particular motorcycle.

Roar Motorcycles is located in a small strip plaza on Bellevue Avenue in Daytona Beach.

Customers can choose from an existing Roar-designed motorcycle using models like a V Star 650 or Suzuki LV800 that's been lowered and custom-painted, or bring in their own motorcycle and go through the design process themselves. Customers sit down in a conference room dubbed the "design room" with a team consisting of a professional painter, seat makers, a pin striper and a technician — all of whom are part of the Roar team — who set about creating the customer's dream bike. From the paint job, to the seat pattern to the accessories and ergonomics, the bike is designed to fit the size and personality of the customer perfectly. Tolleson and her team are working on a ground-up proprietary Roar motorcycle she says will range from $18,000 to $25,000.

Surrounding the motorcycles in the showroom are racks of riding leathers, clothing, accessories and jewelry, and everything is blinged-out with glittery rhinestones in case a walk-in customer wasn't sure the shop was aimed at women. Tolleson has also developed her own line of skin care and makeup, called Wind Blown, that is for sale in the store. It takes into account a woman rider's needs like lipsticks that won't melt in the heat and small packaging to fit in fanny packs.

Tolleson has a lot riding on this venture. She has 10 enthusiastic employees, many of whom are friends and family, but more importantly, she's leveraged some assets and took out a loan to finance the start-up. "I have everything on the line. I have to prove it can be done." For more information visit http://www.roarmotorcycles.com/, or call 386-255-7527.