Thinking about getting into Motorcycles

"So I have been thinking a lot about riding, i don't know many that ride so it would primarily just be me by myself. But this leaves me with no one to get answers from.. I read all about the gear things, I just ordered these riding sneakers but the more I read the more I think i need actual boots... anyway what about bikes themselves, i'm pretty short, what happens when i go buy a bike new/used what if i feel like I'm too high off the ground? is there anyway to fix that or am I kind of left with being uncomfortable."

-Lisa

First, I want you to know that you are Not alone! There are so many resources online, women's motorcycle groups and more to help you get started. A few resources:

• Clubs: Motor Maids, Women on Wheels. Both of these groups are national, and have chapters all over the country. I'm sure there is a chapter in your area.
• Meetup.com: Depending where you live, you may be able to find riding groups in your area. It's free to join, it only costs money to create a group.
• Try googling for "women's motorcycle groups <yourcity>"  There are lots of women's motorcycle clubs/groups all over the country, many of them welcome new riders with open arms. If you're anywhere near Philly, please join my Facebook Group.
• Moterrific.com: I have to recommend my podcast show since we talk a lot about new riders and things that every rider wants to know about including gear, used bike shopping and more. There are lots of other podcasts that you can learn from as well including The Pace and Wheel Nerds.

If you can tell me where you live, I'm sure we can find a group / club near you.

To answer your first question, yes, I would definitely recommend riding boots. Not just sneakers. Especially one of these to give you the most traction, stability and protection that you can get as you start out. Starting with a really good pair of boots helps you gain better control over your braking, shifting and stopping so you have lots of stability when you come to a stop. I like to tell people that when you put your feet down when you're seated on a motorcycle, it sends a very strong message to your brain. Either "This is Great! I feel fantastic." or "Oh Shit, what have I gotten myself into?" Of course, this will only feel good if you're on a lighter bike that's a good match for you (think under 300lbs).

I also recommend taking the motorcycle safety class (if you haven't already), so that you get proper instruction and you'll get to ride a few small beginner bikes to get a feel for the whole experience. You may Love or Hate it after that. I think that will ease a lot of your anxieties right there. You'll also meet lots of fellow new riders in your class, and will probably make friends with some of them as well. If you've already taken your class, you've taken the first step.

Here are a few beginner bikes that I recommend looking at:

• Ninja 250R (old or new, I had a 2003 and it was fantastic)
• Yamaha TW200
• Honda CBR250R
• Honda Rebel 250
• Suzuki DR200 (although it's a bit taller than the others, it's SO light it doesn't matter)
• Suzuki Tu250
• Older standards like a Honda CB350

Since you're a new rider, everything will feel uncomfortable if it isn't short enough to let you flat foot with both feet. That's why I recommend the safety class because almost all the bikes will be short! But you will also learn lots of good techniques like smooth braking and stopping which helps you manage taller motorcycles. I know it's not easy to be patient, but if you start on the right bike for your experience level, I know you'll find it to be much easier than you expected. I think you run into trouble when you start on bikes that are way too heavy, tall or powerful to learn on.

And there are things you can do to alter your motorcycle if it's a bit too tall. I'm not a fan of lowering motorcycles but if you need to always consult a shop that specializes in motorcycle suspension, because they will know *exactly* how to lower it properly. Most dealerships don't have suspension mechanics on site. Before you do that, look into lowered seats! You can get an aftermarket low seat, depending on your bike, or you can have one custom made too.

Generally speaking, being shorter means having to struggle a bit to ride bigger bikes. There's no way around it. So it helps if we start out small and just get used to riding to work our way up. I spent more time doing this than most folks, and I know not everyone has the patience to do so but I highly recommend it. As a result I've been able to ride a lot of bikes that I never, ever thought I'd be able to ride because my inseam is so much shorter than these bikes.

As you ride more, you get better. The better you get at perfecting your riding techniques, the easier it gets to ride bigger bikes. There are so many people out there who ride tall motorcycles, it's not impossible!

As far as buying a used bike, here are a couple resources for you to read with regards to used motorcycles:

1. AMA Used Bike Checklist
2. Article about Shopping for Used Motorcycles
3. Moterrific Podcast Episode about Used Motorcycles

Riding a Suzuki SV650 v. the SV650S

After spending a few months on my new ride, I thought I would share my experiences riding almost the same bike.  This is my second SV and my fifth motorcycle since I started riding bikes in 2004. My previous S model was with me for 4 years before I sold it last Christmas before moving to Philadelphia. The main reason I bought that one was because I hated the Kawasaki z750s I had at that time. I made the mistake of buying it because it looked cute and I did very little research on it. As a result, I only rode it 6,000 miles in 3 years! Sad. Before I tell you some of these differences, I think it's important that you know where I was coming from before I bought my first SV.

Once I found the S model, I was in love. Definitely love at first sight, and first ride.

So that brings me to what made the S model so awesome. Here are a list of features that I noticed and right off the bat and learned to love:

• Falls easily into corners, with very little input
• Much lower center of gravity; the fuel tank felt like it was under me not in front of me
• Responsive to my lower body's input; when I used my legs and feet to lean into the corner the bike responded quickly and easily.
• Figured out how to use my body position to lean into the corners
• Almost 2" shorter seat height! I can barely remember how I rode that thing.
• 50lbs lighter

Toward the end of our relationship, I grew to hate the aggressive riding position because I enjoyed taking long rides (150+ miles) and long trips (1,000+ miles). This bike was killing me at the end, although I thought heavily about putting risers on it I simply never got around to it. In hindsight, I should've sold it for the other version.

Which brings me to the differences I've noticed about the non S model.

• Steering input; feels different but just as easy to fall into a corner with. I can't quite say if it's better or worse, it's just different.

• More comfortable; if I hadn't almost ruined my back on my last trip with the S version, I would've gotten another one. I'm really loving the almost upright riding position. Of course the seat is still stock, so still massively uncomfortable after 30-40 minutes but we'll (and hubby's speed triple) be refoaming our seats very soon.

• Stiffer front end; I think because there isn't a windscreen and large fairing up front that it's lighter, so the front doesn't feel as soft. I feel like the front isn't as 'bouncy' when I come to a stop. Whereas the rear is definitely stiffer and I need to drop the preload and then at some point, get a shock that's a bit softer. Even with the awesome Pilot Power tires I have, my weight doesn't compress the rear shock enough to give me stability in corners. If I throttle too hard then the rear end slides a bit.

• No windscreen; Oy. Riding into the wind at highway speeds is definitely more work. I definitely need a small windscreen of some kind, hoping that I can find a Puig that will work and not look too awkward.

• More seat space; since the toolkit is stored in a different spot so that means I can shove my rain liners and a pair of gloves under the seat. YES!

• Torque; I have a Delkevic shorty exhaust and it's Loud. It has a low rumble, which I appreciate so hopefully I'm not pissing off any of my neighbors. They say some aftermarket exhausts add a little power. I really can't tell if it's the noise that's creating the illusion of more power.

Everything else is the same; gas mileage (although the fuel light blinks now, instead of just staying on), seat height, weight, overall performance.

Overall, I would recommend the non S version, because it's a much more comfortable bike to ride vs. the S. You're more upright and almost in a supermoto-ish riding position. Feet are right beneath you and it feels natural and easy.

Riding Motorcycles in Pennsylvania with Mad Maps

I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier, but Mad Maps has riding maps all over the country! Of course, they have an extensive offering of maps for the Bay Area, but they have one for PA and NJ. Woo Hoo! Looking forward to checking out these routes as soon as they hit my mailbox.

Random Things I Miss from the Bay Area

When you leave your homestate, you miss a lot of things. I guess the most obvious thing for me is roads.....

Roads

Granted, I haven't ridden very many here near Philly. But the bottom line is that California has a very unique set of roads. The combination smooth twisties, goaty twisties, desert, dirt, gravel, etc roads are unlike any other. Living in the Bay Area, you people have a ginormous cluster of roads that are awesome. Don't take it for granted! Get Out and RIDE. NOW!

And I Know I've yet to travel south, which I'm DYING to do. Virginia, Tennessee, the Carolinas... it all looks heavenly!

Food

Yep, Burritos. I miss them. It's getting a lot easier but every now and then I crave a big, fat one. Gluttonous, delicious, carb filled goodness.

I also miss the snobby, elevated breakfast food. Specifically, the Plow. I know it looks just like regular bacon and eggs, but what you might miss is the fact that these potatoes are Fried! I know, such a small thing but so damn tasty. I've found some delicious breakfasts here, but everything is is just a little less refined so far.

I'll admit, there are lots of tasty food options in Philly. Tons. But not quite the same, almost but not quite.

Shopping

This is probably more of a San Francisco thing, but I miss having every possible kind of store in a 10 minute radius from my house. 3 Movieplexes within a 10 minute radius, 3 costcos within a 15 minute radius, and countless specialty stores like Sports Basement.

 

I know, when a city is made up of millionaires, you need every kind of possible retail establishment to feed the wealthy!

Motorcycles

I think one of the most difficult adjustments has been the motorcycle community itself. It feels strange not having motorcycle resources nearby such as MotoJava, MotoShop and more. There were so many, I devoted an entire page to these businesses that have been a part of the motorcycling community for a really long time. I know there are other resources available, but with a town that has such a large contingent of motorcyclists, it seems strange not having more dealerships and shops close by.

  

  

Parking

There's this awesome service called PayByPhone. Practically every single meter in San Francisco is equipped with mobile phone payments! So convenient when you didn't feed enough time into your meter, and instead of walking 2-3 blocks over to where your car is to print out another paper ticket, you can do it all from their handy little app. Hopefully the mayor of this city is looking at this option to help push Philly further into the 21st century.