You Go Girl!

Whether you’re content to sit on a back of a bike or enjoy taking command of the road yourself, there are more and more women who are experiencing the joys of motorcycling every year.  You may be like one of the many women I’ve talked to who aren’t quite sure if they would want their own bike or not.  I’ve got three words for you, motorcycle education class.  They are taught all over the country, normally take two days of your time, are relatively inexpensive (a whole lot cheaper than buying a bike and reselling it if it’s not for you) and use small bikes usually around 250 cc’s.  Right now one out of every three students are women, so you’ll be in good company. 

My own theory on why so many more women are driving their own bikes these days is the fact that the classes have saved women from being at the mercy of well-intentioned husbands and boyfriends trying to teach their women to drive on over-sized bikes while being scared to death that their prized possession will be dropped and mess up their custom paint-job.  Needless to say the tension involved here could not only take away from a woman’s first driving experience, but it also could lead to divorce and break-ups.  So to save the relationship, many women have simply opted to stay on the back of the bike.  But with classes available, many women are making the shift to their own bikes with relatively little relationships damage. 

As I was writing this article, I thought back to some of my earlier experiences.  I had ridden smaller bikes as a young girl, but at 5’ tall (and no I didn’t forget the inches) when I got on my ex-husband’s first Sportster, the only way I could drive it was to have him on the back so he could put his feet down when I needed to stop.  Needless to say, I was young and foolish and this is not the recommended way to go.  This worked pretty well, except on a major cross country trip, where he would fall asleep and I would have to wake him up as we pulled off an interstate ramp in order to stop at the stop sign.  It was like flying an airplane and not quite sure if your landing gear was going to come down or not.  Now remember, I said I was young and foolish, now I would never recommend any one to ride a bike that both their feet couldn’t be firmly planted when they came to a stop.

So just remember those three words, “motorcycle education class”.  You don’t have to make a decision to drive for the rest of your life.  You don’t have to decide what kind of bike to buy.  Those decisions can come later.  Right now, your only decision is to take the class.  So what are you waiting, find a class near you, and get signed up! 

Kathleen Steele Tolleson, CEO

ROAR Motorcycles, Inc.

Bike Fitting

Let’s face it, because motorcycles predominately have been built for men, a lot of the bikes don’t fit women the way they should.  Most women ride perched on the nose of the seat rather than sitting comfortably down in the seat.   That’s a starting indicator, can you sit comfortable in the seat or do you feel like you’re nearly sitting on the gas tank?

I’m going to give you a couple of rules of thumb on how to determine if a bike fits you or not.

First and foremost, when you come to a stop, can you plant both feet firmly on the pavement with your knees slightly bent?  That is of up most importance in maintaining control of your bike.  There are lowering kits and other things you can do to drop your bike a couple of inches, if necessary.

Secondly, are your arms fully extended when you’re simply sitting on the bike?  If so, you’ll need to either get extenders on the handlebars, a different set of bars, or a different bike.   Now be careful here, because a different set of bars can totally change the handling of the bike.  The reason you don’t want to be fully extended just sitting on the bike is because then you have no turning radius.  You will get into situations where you have more turn than you have arm which can be dangerous.  Being over-extended, also causes upper back, neck and shoulder strain.  Your arms should have a slight bend at the elbows and be relaxed from the shoulders.

Thirdly, can you sit on the bike with legs comfortably bent and your feet on the pegs or footboards.  (I switched to footboards several years ago and would never go back, especially if you’re going to do any distance riding.}  You should be able to shift and brake without having your legs totally extended.

One last thing, the width of the bike is especially important for women.  The bike can look low, but if it’s too wide, it won’t be comfortably.  It will feel like the frame and seat cut you in the upper thigh.  Trying a bike on for size is like trying on shoes.  They may look great but if they are the least bit uncomfortable when you just try them on, what about after a day of walking?  Ouch!!!  You may sit on a bike and think you can live with it, but what about a couple of hundred miles later?

I remember the first time I rode a bike that actually fit me.  It was a whole new experience!  I remember thinking to myself, that’s the way most guys feel when they ride.  It was awesome to ride hundreds of miles and at the end of the day not have any sore muscles.  And I am in my fifties, so whether you’re young or old, I encourage you girls, ride a bike that fits you, it makes all the difference in the world!

Kathy Tolleson, CEO

ROAR Motorcycles, Inc.