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See the TravelAdvisor map of where I've been (not just by motorcycle). Note that the green markers are where I want to go but haven't been yet.
jayne_a_broad, personal Twitter account
jcravens42, Professional Twitter account
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I put together this page about how I became a motorcycle rider to help other women who are thinking about riding a motorcycle, but aren't sure where to get started. It's the advice I would have wanted had I been learning to ride a motorcycle, or buying one, on my own, without an experienced, trustworthy motorcycle rider right there by my side, helping me. Once I decided I wanted to ride a motorcycle of my own, or was at least serious about really, really thinking about it, I started looking for things to do to further explore riding, to prepare me for riding, but without running out and buying a motorcycle right away. I know a lot of people run right out and buy a motorcycle as soon as they think they might want to be a motorcycle rider and begin riding almost immediately - good for them. I knew that wouldn't be me. I know far more who run out and buy a motorcycle and it's parked in their garage for months, even years, at a time and rarely ridden. I didn't want to be in that latter group. I started my journey as a motorcycle rider by taking a day-long "taster" course in Germany, in 2008. I didn't get anything in terms of a certificate or permit, but I did get a lot of great advice and a very basic understanding of motorcycle riding. If you are in Europe, visit a local Honda dealership and they will probably have brochures somewhere in the lobby of the motorcycle sales department about such taster courses. I don't speak German, but the instructor did speak English, and that will probably be the case for you too. If you are in the USA, various motorcycle dealerships probably host women-only intro-to-motorcycling events, such as the Women's Passport to Ride event at Beaverton Honda Yamaha Suzuki (Oregon) and the Harley-Davidson Garage Parties for women at dealerships all over the USA. You won't get to ride a motorcycle at the USA events, but they are terrific inspirational events (and I have a t-shirt from attending the Harley event in the USA that gets a LOT of attention whenever I wear it).
About this same time that I was taking this taster course in Germany, I read The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles I felt ready to take a course and get my license, but that wasn't possible while I was living in Germany; to get even a driver's license in Germany requires about 20 hours of classes, in German. You can take the written test in English -- and the written test is jaw-droppingly difficult in Germany -- but the classes and riding test are in German. And as I don't speak German... so I had to wait until we moved back to the USA. Had we not been about to, I would have gone back to Kentucky for a vacation, gotten my license, then got it transferred to a German license (and note that Germany does NOT accept all U.S. state's driver licenses for transfer; check the web for more info). My husband and I moved back to the USA in 2009 and I signed up for a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course in Louisville months before we had arrived, as these classes fill up very, very fast. I LOVED the MSF course; you do not have to have even touched a motorcycle in order to take this class, and the classes are available all over the USA (but not in Oregon). All you need is high-topped shoes (this can be tennis shoes), pants, long sleeves and any kind of gloves. If you don't have a helmet, they will provide such. If you study up and take your written motorcycle test and get your permit before this class, you will get your license immediately upon finishing the class and presenting your paperwork to the DMV in most states (otherwise, you have to wait 30 days). Half my class were women, and at 43, I was not the oldest woman in the class! I got my motorcycle license in July 2009. In the German course, I rode a Honda CB600. In my MSF classes in the USA, I road a Kawasaki Eliminator and a Honda Rebel, both 250s. That was helpful in being able to know what kind of first bike I wanted - something around 600 or less, and where I could be firmly on the balls of my feet, at least, on either side of the bike while stopped. Gear Before I bought a motorcycle, I bought my gear. But I could not afford to go out and buy a full set of motorcycle all at once. The first piece of "clothing" I bought was a motorcycle helmet. I am a strong believer in wearing a full-face motorcycle helmet, and was happy to pay the big bucks for a new, quality helmet. It was nice to have my own helmet once I finally took a motorcycle class, as well as always being able to say yes to being a passenger on a motorcycle before I started riding myself. I borrowed a motorcycle jacket from a friend (he ended up giving it to me, in fact), and used some light winter gloves I had. I always wore jeans and high-top boots while riding, even when on the back of a motorcycle. I suggest you find a used jacket to get started, rather than buying new - it will help you find out what you really want in a jacket once it's time to buy new. About six months after I bought the helmet, I bought a motorcycle jacket and summer riding gloves. About a year after that, I bought motorcycle pants. It's fine to buy everything used except the helmet, IMO -- the helmet needs to fit you perfectly, and with a new helmet, the likelihood of any hairline fractures are small (there's a good chance a used helmet has been dropped at least once). I'm an ATGATT girl: all the gear, all the time. I always ride with my helmet, jacket, gloves and hiking boots. I might wear just jeans on a short ride around town, but otherwise, I'm in my biking pants.
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You want an aluminum top box, but the huge alu boxes of most sellers for one or even two helmets are too big for you, and too expensive? My husband has designed an aluminium topcase just for you! (and for us, because it's what we wanted on our own bikes)
20 liter (5.3 gallon)
400 x 250 x 200 mm 1.6 mm (1⁄16") thick aluminium
And, yes, those side panniers are also available to order. |
I bought my own motorcycle in November 2009 - a 1982 Honda Nighthawk 650. Buying a motorcycle was definitely the hardest part of becoming a motorcycle rider. I had (and still have) a very limited budget, so I couldn't afford a just-one-owner bike, let alone a new bike. However, even if my budget hadn't been tight, I wanted a very used bike as my first motorcycle, so that, if I dropped it -- and I knew, in my first year, it would, at least, fall over at some point -- I wouldn't be absolutely devastated. I really had no idea what I was doing in buying a motorcycle. I certainly didn't feel comfortable test riding motorcycles, since I hadn't ridden a motorcycle in the four previous months and, even then, just ridden for two days. Luckily, I had (and still have) a very knowledgeable motorcycle-riding husband, who helped tremendously in picking out bikes to go look at on Craigslist and giving each a test ride.
Had I not had an experienced motorcycle rider to help? Then I think I would have looked for a Kawasaki Eliminator 250 or a Honda Rebel, like what I road in my motorcycle class, and just ridden that around town for all my commute needs until I figured out what kind of motorcycle I wanted.
Which Motorcycle Should YOU Buy?
Don't go looking to buy a motorcycle until you can say what it is you want the motorcycle for: To commute to and from work? To take pleasure rides on weekends? To cruise? To go fast? To travel long distances? To ride mostly on tarmac? To sometimes ride on gravel or dirt? To carry a lot of things (groceries? luggage?)? Your answers to these questions will help you know what kind of motorcycle you want, and to be able to help a salesperson help you find what you need.
Here's my opinion regarding what motorcycle is right for different riders:
| Primary reason to ride a motorcycle |
Suggested motorcycle |
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A cruiser, a roadster or a standard is, IMO, the way to go. Anything under 500 would be enough for you - no need to get a 1000 cc bike, at least not to start. The most popular motorcycle for women in the USA is the Harley Davidson Sportster, for all the reasons in the column at the left. Personally, I'd love to have a Honda Rebel for this kind of thing (or, if a win the lottery, a Triumph Bonneville or a Honda Shadow). | |
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A racer or sport bike would be a great bike for you. Also known as a "crotch rocket". Like a Kawasaki Ninja. | |
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A dual sport may be right for you. These sit higher than other bikes, and that can be a problem if you're short (like me). They are also, usually, single cylinders, and that makes them "thumpers" - the ride isn't silky at all, like a cruiser or sportser. But they are what you need for traveling long distances that may include gravel and dirt, or for rides that are going to be a mix of on road and off-road. I have a KLR 650 and here's how I ride it. | |
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A cruiser or a touring bike, like a Honda GoldWing, may be the right bike for you. |
For more advice, see this Wikipedia page on types of motorcycles
As I had someone helping out (thanks, schatz!, we decided to buy a motorcycle big enough in terms of power for me to keep up (mostly) with my husband on his motorcycle when we ride together, powerful and reliable enough to take on a trip of several days, low enough already for me to ride (no need to lower it), and very comfortable to ride (I don't want to lean over at all, like on a sports motorcycle). The 1982 Honda Nighthawk 650 has been a great first bike
After You Have a Motorcycle to Ride
I decided to create a list of goals for my first year of owning and riding my own motorcycle. I thought this would help push me to actually ride and avoid the temptation of letting the bike sit in the garage, as I've seen so many people, particularly women, do. My goals for the first year of riding:
To reach these goals, I started by practicing at least once a week just on my street and in a nearby parking lot. I practiced breaking and cornering. Then two weeks later, I wrote about 40 minutes on what I consider my first real motorcycle ride. For about three months, before every ride, I would practice stopping. Yes, I was very cautious. Most people aren't this cautious. But, well, I needed to do what I needed to do.
I started looking for women's motorcycle clubs almost as soon as I arrived in Oregon. I was looking for both for people to ride with when I wasn't riding with my husband and announcements for events I might be interested in. Groups have been easy to find on Google and various keywords (like women motorcycles Oregon or women motorcycles Portland. In my first year, I haven't done any riding with any of the groups I've found, but I've joined their mailing lists and I ended up attending an event because of my membership.
Changing Motorcycles
After two years, I bought a KLR 650 (Kawasaki), a dual sport motorcycle. I loved loved loved the smooth ride of the Honda Nighthawk (four cylinders is so awesome), but my goal is to be able to do more adventure motorcycle riding - that means riding offroad sometimes, some times all day, to get to my destination. My Nighthawk can go on gravel, as most any cruiser can, but I needed something lighter, that was made for adventure travel.
Here's more on my transition from a cruiser to a dual sport motorcycle.
My first two years of owning and riding my own motorcycle in photos (Honda NightHawk), October 2009 - September 2011
My experience on my KLR 650, in photos, beginning in October 2011
So, that's my journey to becoming a motorcycle rider. Hope it helps someone out there to become a motorcycle rider herself!
Also see:
For Women Who Travel By Motorcycle (or want to)
Advice for Women Motorcycle Travelers: Packing
Advice for Women Motorcycle Travelers: Transportation and Accommodations Choices
Advice for Women Motorcycle Travelers: Suggested Books and Web Sites
Suggested short motorcycle routes in Oregon and Washington state (from an hour to all-day; many can be linked together to create longer trips).
Our Motorcycle Travel & Rally Plans for 2012
transire benefaciendo: "to travel along while doing good." Advice for those wanting to make their travel more than sight-seeing and shopping, whether in your own country or abroad.
Broad Abroad home page | Jayne in Germany | Jayne in Afghanistan | contact me
The personal opinions expressed on this page are solely those of Ms. Cravens, unless otherwise noted.
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, which was really helpful in helping me decide further about motorcycle riding. It told me a lot of things about motorcycle riding that I never learned in any class, and laid the foundation for my own approach to motorcycle riding.
