Category: riding tips

The world of motorcycles is always growing and evolving to meet the needs and desires of consumers. But some of that growth might surprise a lot of riders. As a female rider, I honestly would not have estimated that nearly 20% of all bike owners in the United States are ladies. But that is exactly what the Motorcycle Industry Council discovered during its latest poll.

The 2018 MIC Motorcycle/ATV Owners Survey found that 19% of all owners are female, which is a 5% increase in just four years, and a substantial 9% increase over the 2009 results. And though the actual numbers could be considered surprising, this is nothing but great news for all of the ladies out there who are dedicated riders.

Strength In Numbers

One of the greatest benefits to female riders as a result of their increase in numbers is definitely the increase in ladies gear. Its simple supply and demand, but in this case, the increased supply is driven by the greater demand for quality riding gear made specifically for the body types, shapes and sizes of female riders.

For many years, women tolerated the guy’s gear which tended to be too big in the shoulders and length of the sleeves and legs, but too tight in the seat and waist areas. But for the most part, ladies were not investing much in true riding gear, because they were often just a part-time passenger on a bike.

However, as more and more ladies discovered the thrill and enjoyment of actually operating a motorcycle, the need for comfortable, and more importantly, safe gear became apparent.

Ladies on The Job

Bike ownership is not the only place that the gender barrier has been broken. There have also been huge strides made in the motorcycle industry and the gear industry as more ladies are working in the design and development of gear specific to female riders. The result has been a huge improvement in the fit and comfort of riding gear for ladies. And with better fitting gear female riders are safer operators and are enjoying the benefits of better protection and safety from the gear that they are wearing.

Gear for All Sizes

I am very fortunate to have been able to adapt and wear some of the guy’s gear fairly comfortably. At 5’10” tall I never had to worry that even a men’s small was going to be too big. But petite ladies have always had a difficult time finding gear for sports and other activities. In the past, I know it was common for ladies to turn to boys athletic equipment and gear to get a size that was more realistic than a men’s small.

However, motorcycle riding, being an adult activity, meant that even that poor substitute for correctly sized gear was not an option. But with the growing number of ladies riding and spending their hard earned money on ladies gear, the manufacturers have expanded the options to cover not only a ladies line of gear but a line of gear that has a huge range of sizes and shapes available.

Ladies can now shop for gear in much the same way they shop for other clothing. And I know we all appreciate that not only are there assorted sizes and shapes but also colors and patterns that appeal to us. Let’s be honest, guys will wear all black, all the time, but ladies really do care about having other choices.

I will admit that I have even bought some gear specifically because it matched my bike, so color choices do appeal to me. Just to get an idea of what’s out there now for the ladies, I looked at Revzilla’s search criteria which include a sizing qualification. I found options ranging in size from 2XS to 5XL. In addition, there are plus sizes and standard ladies sizes from 4 to 20.

Ladies Jackets

I went to Revzilla and clicked on the tab for the women’s gear. I must admit I was a little surprised, but also very happy to see a full dozen categories to choose from including jackets, race suits, and boots. My first selection was the jackets and vests category, which yielded an impressive 291 options to choose from. Names such as Alpinestars, Cortech, Dainese, Fly, Icon, Joe Rocket and Kilm were among the more notables from a list of over 45 manufacturers.

I checked out a few brands that I am familiar with and found that currently, Revzilla offers 30 different women’s Alpinestars jackets, as well as 30 choices from Dianese. Joe Rocket and Klim offer a dozen ladies coats each and Icon offers 24. Granted, there are over 400 choices for men when it comes to just sportbike jackets, but 291 ladies jackets are a great many more choices now than there were offered just a few years ago.

A Tougher Choice

Jackets are a critical piece of gear for every rider and the wide number of selections for ladies is awesome, but I wanted to check out a piece of gear that might not have a great demand, to see if there really are any more choices than there had been in the past. I clicked on race suits expecting to find one or two selections but was excited to see a dozen choices offered by three great manufacturers.

Alpinestars, Dainese, and Spidi combine to offer nine one piece race suit options and three two-piece choices for the ladies who are looking to get out on a track and really push their bikes and their riding skills to the limit. The suits are very comparable to what is available in men’s suits with the price range of just over $700 to a top of the line model for $2,499.95.

In the case of racing suits, even with less demand, the motorcycle gear industry has recognized that ladies need quality gear that fits and more than just one or two pieces to choose from. This is a major breakthrough for female riders on the track, on the road and on trials everywhere.

Not only was I happy to see that most of the major manufacturers are offering a great variety for ladies but also that retailers are equally as interested in winning the dollars of the female riding community. Not too many years ago, only a very few retailers were willing to stock the ladies gear, but that has all changed as more ladies are owning bikes and buying quality gear.

Andria Yu, MIC director of communications at the Motorcycle Industry Council stated in a recent interview that as the number of boomers on bikes decreases, the percentage of female riders is expected to hit 25% very quickly. That is great news for all of the ladies who ride or are thinking about learning to ride as they will certainly be able to find quality gear that is both comfortable and safe.

Be sure to check back with WBW in the coming weeks to read about Ladies Jackets Worth Wearing. This will offer a more in-depth look at several ladies jackets and the features and benefits that they offer in addition to proper fit and comfort.

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When you picture your golden years, you might never have imagined that some of your best days would be spent cruising around on a motorcycle, but that is exactly what more and more people are doing later in life.

California Department of Motor Vehicles data shows that baby boomers make up 56 percent of the almost 1.4 million Californians licensed to operate motorcycles, while only 30 percent of Class M licenses are held by people ages 16 through 40. There are many factors that might contribute to the larger number of older riders.

Why Start Riding

After 40 is the time when most parents become empty nesters, which affords not only more time to enjoy hobbies like motorcycle riding but also the disposable income that can make owning a recreational vehicle like a bike or a trike possible.

After a decade or two of cruising around in family-friendly minivans and SUV’s from soccer practice to dance class and every other extra-curricular activity, motorcycles are a great way for a couple to reconnect and begin to explore the sites, scenery, and activities that they didn’t have time to enjoy when raising a family.

A Great Way to Unplug

For most people, a motorcycle represents freedom and even that little bit of rebellion that we all hope is still alive somewhere inside the responsible adults that we have become. Just taking a few hours for an afternoon ride can leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.

Riding offers you time to unplug from email, text messages and the rest of the world to focus just on what is around the next curve. And taking a long weekend just to explore and unwind can feel as good as any week of vacation that you can recall. There are actually some very simple reasons why bike enthusiasts experience this clarity after a ride.

Mental Benefits

Dr. Michael Russell has been riding motorcycles for over four decades and has witnessed many of the mental health benefits of riding over his career. He refers to riding as a meditative activity as he explained in an interview earlier this year.

“The attention needed to ride safely but with ‘energy’ requires near complete concentration,” he explains. “The mental demands of riding can help keep your mind clear and sharp, while the brotherhood that exists among bikers is very genuine. Riding with brothers (and sisters) provides significant psychological relief from excessive worry.”

Physical Benefits

In addition to mental health benefits, riding also offers some very important physical health benefits. Riders need to maintain at least a minimal level of physical fitness to enjoy riding. There is some walking involved, as well as the fitness level needed to get on and off the bike, don riding gear and to have the stamina for the ride itself.

Riding also requires a certain degree of strength and balance, which is used and practices with each adventure. And possibly the biggest physical health benefit is that motorcycle riders need to have quick reflexes to avoid possible dangers.

As mature adults, we all know and understand that staying in good shape will help to keep our reflexes faster which will also help to keep us alive in the event of a car suddenly stopping or swerving into our lane.

Making Smart Choices

And that same mature thought process is also what we all rely on to tell us when we have reached the time to make some changes in our riding or to close that chapter of our lives. It is critical that each rider be honest with himself or herself about both physical and mental capabilities needed to ride safely.

This can mean electing not to join the group for a ride on a cool day when a trick hip is giving you problems or when you are experiencing some vision issues. Or it could mean that it’s time to trade in two wheels for three.

Three-Wheeled Options

Trikes are the large three-wheeled motorcycles that many older riders are turning to for the added stability and comfort that they offer. In addition to the added comfort for riders, these larger yet still sporty vehicles offer a multitude of storage and cargo capacity as compared to a two-wheeler. This makes them a great option for an overnight trip or a long weekend.

The Can-Am Spyder and the Polaris Slingshot have also entered the three-wheeled arena as rivals to the trike industry leading Tri Glide and Freewheeler models from Harley Davidson.

Check Out the Market

What might surprise some riders who are considering the addition of a third wheel, is the cost of these bikes. The cruiser touring models of the Spyder line start at just over $26,000 while the Slingshots come in at about $20,000 for a base model. And as always, the Harley holds an impressive price tag at over $34,000 for a new Tri Glide Ultra.

To put this into perspective, the average sport touring two-wheel bike will run you between $10,000 and $15,000 in the states, while the superbikes are going to come in at anywhere from $15,000 to north of $30,000 depending on the brand and your need for speed.

Live the Dream

Regardless of the type of bike that you choose, the point is that just because you are a little bit older does not mean that you can’t become a motorcycle rider or continue to ride. Older riders simply need to be honest about both physical and mental capabilities and make smart choices about when to ride and even what to ride.

There are many options that can offer more comfort, easier maneuvering and require far less balance and strength sport bikes or large cruises. Riders just need to find the perfect bike to fit their needs later in life so that they can begin to continue to enjoy all of the benefits of motorcycle riding.

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