Meet Maral Yazarloo: The woman who owns four superbikes including a Harley & a Ducati!

When Dr. Maral Yazarloo is not drawing marketing strategies for the retail division of the Panchshil Group, she is creating designs for her own fashion line and cruising around Indian cities.

So, what's the big deal?

Nothing much, except for the fact that she is an Iranian who loves to live life in the fast lane on her Harley-Davidson.

Yazarloo moved to India in 2004 to pursue her MBA from Pune. Later, she also completed a PhD in Marketing from the University of Pune. She is a member of the Harley Owners Group (HOG) Pune.

In a freewheeling chat, she talks about her upcoming world tour, life as a woman biker & how she strikes work-life balance.
Q. You are the head of a retail chain and you also have your own fashion brand. How do you manage to balance your work and life?

Maral Yazarloo: Frankly, I compromise with my sleeping time. I don't have Saturdays or Sundays. I have been working with the Panchshil Group for the past 10 years. I have some projects which I have to submit before I leave.

Q. Why did you choose to stay back in India?

Maral Yazarloo: I came to India around 13 years ago to study MBA. After I finished my B-school, I didn't go back as I felt connected with India. Also, I had started working with the Panchsil Group right after college. So, to go back to another country and start from scratch seemed a daunting prospect.




Q: You have also set up your brand 'MAYA'.

Maral Yazarloo: When I was a kid, I would mix and match dresses, and would laugh looking at the results that came out of those exercises. But once the international market began responding well, I decided to start my own brand with two people, and now we have 50 employees


Q: You also have a passion for motorcycles.

Maral Yazarloo: That's right. I have completed six years of riding motorcycles in September.

Q: What mean machines do you possess?

Maral Yazarloo: (Laughs) I want to show off a bit here! I have a Ducati Diavel, Harley Davidson Night Rod, Harley Davidson Fat Boy Special and a BMW GS.

Q: Whoa! That is an enviable collection. And your favourite?

Maral Yazarloo: For off-roading I take the BMW, while I use my Harley for long rides. For speedy, short rides I prefer the Ducati.



Q: What kind of motorcycle gear do you use?

Maral Yazarloo: I have a pair of sturdy riding boots as the ankles need to be protected. I also use different brands for different bikes. For Harley Davidson bikes, I wear cruiser gear provided by the brand as it's more comfortable. Other than that, I also use BMW and Ducati gears.

Q: Any special gear that you would recommend for women riders?

Maral Yazarloo: I used to buy riding gear for men when I couldn't find my size! Men's gear was really uncomfortable so I started sourcing mine from abroad.

Q: You have travelled a lot and been backpacking to 67 countries . Which was your best ride?

Maral Yazarloo: I have enjoyed all my rides from Qatar, Egypt to those across India. However, I really liked my solo ride from Italy to the Alps.

Q: What do you think about Indian roads?

Maral Yazarloo: In India, drivers, truck-drivers and rickshaw-drivers are among my favourite people. Each one of them thinks that he is an ironman and nothing can beat them.

Q: Which is a tough city to navigate in India?

Maral Yazarloo: In my opinion it would be Kolkata as it's very difficult to handle.

Q: What is your idea of a vacation since you keep riding most of the time?

Maral Yazarloo: When I was in college, the backpacking vacations were thrilling and adventurous. Now I have lost that concept as I am on the road most of the time.

Q: What advice would you give to new women riders?

Maral Yazarloo: All the women riders should accept the fact that we are women. This may not sound feminist but something which is not dangerous for the men, may be dangerous for us.

Q: You are heading out on a world tour soon. Tell us more.

Maral Yazarloo: Come March, and I am going to ride along with Pankaj Trivedi who is an excellent rider and a Guinness record-holder.
We will be going across the globe to see how the tribes are coping in the face of technological advancement and urbanisation. We are going to meet them and hear their stories. We are hoping to publish a book about the lost tribes once we are back.

Q: Good luck with that!

Maral Yazarloo: Thank you very much!