Comments on: Women and motorcycles, what do women want?

By: Kristine

Kristine — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 13:45:05 +0000

Well Ladies – I commend all of you for taking the step and learning to ride your own. I am a lady apparently just finding herself in the last few years. With three brothers, I was a tomboy growing up and I am a girly girl.

I survived breast cancer at age 35 and have not looked back! I became a teacher at 38 and just earned my doctorate degree at age 43! The same year I learned to ride a motorcycle through a safety class and got my license.

Last month (August 2009), I purchased 2 motorcycles (one for me, and the other for my husband) and neither one of us have ever owned motorcycles. I looked at the Harley Softails, but couldn’t justify paying that much money for my first bike. I tried to pick it up and I struggled. I am now driving a 2006 Yamaha V-Star 650 (his is an 07 V-Star 1100) and I have put about 1200 miles on since. I teach 6th grade and my students think it’s cool seeing their teacher drive HER bike into school.

As for my bike, it is two tone of charcoal and silver. I have added PINK LED lights to the tires and engine. I also found black and pink fringe for my grips and levers. I added silver beads and pink crystals on the fringe – looks AWESOME! and you can tell that I am a woman driver.

My riding gear is a pink helmet and a pink leather shirt jacket (Jamin Leather). I have a white fringed leather jacket for riding at night. I haven’t purchased chaps yet, but I have found black fringed with bone details that I will be buying. I decided on black because they will go with whatever jacket or shirt I am wearing. I don’t have to worry about the pink matching each other (yes they have to match!). I am of average height and weight (5′6″ and 170 lbs) so the items fitting have not been any problems.

The one difficulty that I had was gloves because of my fingernails. I finally ended up with golf gloves because of the fit. They are LadyClassic golf gloves with the tips cut out for my long fingernails and the left glove has a cut out for my diamond wedding rings. They have shaped to my hands and warm enough for riding in the early morning. I purchased two sets, black pair and a pink pair.

I would like to have my bike painted but have yet to decide on a paint scheme….any suggestions?

Thanks so much for reading………keep riding!
Kristine

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:06:29 +0000

I would like the clothing to be more rider friendly, like….snap, or button down collars! I’m not out there to make a fashion statement, just ride my bike. Oh, and not ALL hoodies have to have STRINGS in them to make them a hoodie, which I love, but always have to remove the strings so I’m not tortured going down the road. I like to look like a girl of course, but can’t someone come up with a “feminine” workshirt? I love to wear my tank tops and such in the summer, but won’t risk wearing only that on the road. Just a light workshirt to wear over on those hot days would be nice, and then you could just take off the outer shirt when you get where you’re going. They make sooo many for MEN! lol
That’s my beef. All you women out there ride safe!!!

By: Terri Brown

Terri Brown — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 04:36:31 +0000

Well, I got out of motorcycle safety class last sat. and have done nothing—I mean nothing but look for a bike since.. I did type in pink bike just to see what i got and here I am.. I am 5′4 and 140 and turned 40 this year and so were most of the women in my class.. I liked the yamaha vstar but in the smaller engine it is air cooled so my hubby said no!! so i went to honda 750, 1100(only the saber the spirit is too tall), or 1300 which is weird cause it is shorter than 1100) and I am on an extreme budget but now I am researching Harley’s which is what I really really want- just because I like Harley- the look-the sound- and the whole idea… but funny thing is they are air cooled too but apparently if its a Harley hubby doesn’t mind working on it. lol… he rides a Harley but wants a big dog.. which looks just like a harley to me.. who knew? Anyway to say the least I still can’t decide and if I don’t soon my children are gonna starve and the bugs are gonna move in my house and the dog is never gonna get to go outside again… so please someone tell me which bike is the best ride for the best price.. and I don’t want a sport bike.. I’m too old school..
By the way I have black harley jacket with turquoise ribbing which fits great altho I’m sure when I’m riding my own instead of 2 up its gonna creep some so may have to rethink that…

By: Sue

Sue — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 22:05:39 +0000

I’m on the taller side for a female rider – 5″8″ – so I guess I was little better off than most when looking for a bike. I definitely don’t fit in with the “longer legs” group of women though, my legs are so short that capris look like pants that just happen to have been cut 2 inches too short! I’m just not a cruiser kind of girl, so I had a lot of trouble back in ‘07 finding a bike with a short enough seat height (I really like the confidence that comes from being able to flat-foot at stops). I also had trouble getting the salesguys in the local bike shops to stop taking one look at me and insisting that anything more powerful than a Ninja 250 was too much for me to handle. I ended up with my ‘06 R6, in raven black, which I absolutely love. I dropped the back suspension as far as possible and can get the balls of my feet to the ground, which has proven to be enough, although I would still prefer to be able to flat-foot (especially with all of the potholes and uneven ground where I ride).

I would have loved it if there were a mid-class bike (600 or 750) with a lower seat height for me. I didn’t have troubles with the levers or handle bar reach on any of the sport bikes I tried (my ridiculously short legs mean I also have a ridiculously long torso). As for color, I would never ride a pink bike, not because there’s anything wrong with them, they’re just not for me. I’ve always been a tomboy and I’m just not a pink kind of person. I love my nasty-looking black bike with little red pinstripe details!

While I had a relatively easy time finding a bike, clothing has been a different story. When I first started riding (3 years ago) I indulged my inner tomboy and bought all black riding gear – an icon ladies Tuscadero leather jacket, black gloves, and an HJC black helmet with silver and red barbed wire graphics. I was living in Rochester, NY at the time so I bought the jacket a size larger than I needed so I could fit a sweatshirt under it. I looked like a linebacker with a tiny neck when I wearing it. I can’t even count the number of times I got “Hey dude, nice bike!” comments while riding. Now, I’m not a girly girl, but I don’t like being mistaken for a man!

After moving to Southern California, I really needed some warm weather riding gear. It seemed like EVERYONE thought I was guy with my gear on so I saw this as my chance to fix that. I searched websites for days looking for feminine hot-weather riding wear that still had some kind of actual protection to it. I finally decided on the Scorpion Nip/Tuck jacket in lavender. I walked into a brick and mortor store determined to get that purple jacket (that’ll show ‘em, call me a boy now!), but I just couldn’t bring myself to buy it. It was still too girly, I want people to be able to tell I’m female but I don’t want to broadcast it to everyone within a 3 mile radius. I ended up getting the Nip/Tuck in white and black, and even without the girly colors, the tighter fit lets most people know I’m female. I love my helmet too much to trade it in yet (plus it matches the bike), but I did get some pink and black Scorpion gloves as compromise to myself for not getting the lavender jacket. The gloves fit great and I was so happy with them I wore them around the apt for a week after getting them!

The biggest problem I have with the new jacket is that the length is way too short, as were all of the female specific sportbike jackets I tried on. I tried moving up in sizes but even going from a M to an XL didn’t buy enough length and made everything else baggy. When I’m riding my lower back sticks out, I’ve got a band of sun-burn even! I would like women’s jackets that are form-fitting, with proper armor, that actually fit when the wearer is in a riding position, and that come in several color choices so both the tomboys and girly girls have something they like. Also, I need pants that are sized for actual women, or even juniors, rather than pre-teens. I don’t consider myself to be all that big (size 9 in juniors pants), but I needed an XL in pants to fit over my butt and thighs (and they weren’t even comfortable enough to sit down in for long)! really?! How can I take a medium jacket and XL in the matching pants? I would love some riding pants but just can’t find any that are made to fit anyone besides the catalog models.

By: Too Much

Too Much — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 03:17:49 +0000

I am a tall woman with a very curvy figure, small waist, wide hips, big thighs and a big behind. I can not find gear made for woman my size at the bike shops….so what I wear for riding pants are military pants. THey are perfect and designed to take a beating! I was hit by a car while riding and while my legs were brusied, there was notning wrong with the pants! They come in every size and length and are comfortable in every kind of weather! I wear swat boots, very comfortable! I have searched every bike shop in my area for gear but have no luck. I can not find a riding jacket that I absolutely love in mens or womens. The mens are long enough but not roomy enough in the bust area, the womans are either too short in the arms or way too tight in the bust area, have tried the plus sizes and they are too big in the waist!
I wish the maufactures would take a hint from other clothing manufactures and realize that woman come in all shapes and sizes!