What Not To Wear While Riding Motorcycles

3/14/16 UPDATE It seems that writing about "motorcycle gear" is a common theme for Vogue as I've found another article about going on a date on motorcycles... *sigh*

Yes, going out on a date on your motorcycle is really really fun. But *not* when you're only wearing a tank top and high heels. It's no wonder the public's perception of riding motorcycles is what it is. And why you see so many women wearing nothing while they jump on the back of their friend's bike, or in the front.

My Original Post on 10/25/2014: 

Recently Vogue Magazine interviewed a few "Biker Babes" who shared their tips for wearing the most fashionable denim, because you know, that's what all bikers wear.

"I usually wear head-to-toe denim on the bike. In the summer months, it’s always denim shorts with stockings for protection. You have to have something between you and the asphalt—“dress for the slide not for the ride." -Interviewee #1 pictured above

I get it. Denim is casual and it doesn't make you look like you ride a motorcycle, and many people ride with it instead of riding pants. There are also actual riding jeans with more protection than your average Levis 501s. But, let's be honest here. Unless you spend $500 on a premium jean like Rokker Denim Jeans (which aren't available for women here yet) you're probably risking a lot by trading leather for casual denim.

To be fair, 4 out of 5 of the people interviewed didn't mention wearing denim on the bike so much as their favorite denims to wear in general.  But after reading the first interview, I cringed as I read through the rest. Although none of the other gals remark that they wear denim on the bike, it sort of implies that it's all they wear while riding.... a la the way of the biker babe.

It doesn't bother me so much that this particular person is wearing only old, worn denims while riding. Ok, it bothers me a lot but everyone gets to pick whatever they want to wear when they ride, period. You or I may not agree with their decision but too bad so sad. What really kills me is the fact that she obviously did ZERO research when it came to "What should I wear while riding my motorcycle?" I understand the people that know what can happen to them and take the risks anyway, they're nuts in my opinion but I think they have real guts to do that. I'm always astounded at the ones that don't bother to google for a minute and figure out what's really out there? What's the true story?

Although I think it's lame that Vogue published these stories, it's what they were after, fashion and something that's cool and sexy, blah blah blah. Nothing hotter than half naked women riding motorcycles, right? The bigger issue I see is the lack of education and information that's available to non motorcyclists who are trying to get into riding motorcycles. I strongly urge you to watch this video, of my friend Brittany Morrow. She's the famous girl you see on all the forums with a full length photo of all her road rash injuries because at the time she wasn't really geared up:

http://vimeo.com/22897515

Mainstream media shows you pictures and articles like this of people riding with only the most fashionable looking apparel while riding. If we could just get tv, movies, etc. to portray is in a more realistic way, that would be great. How is that actually going to happen? I have no idea. All I can do is voice my opinion and hope that a couple people read it and pass the word to their friends.

But I do know that women like these featured in Vogue have no idea what they're getting into and what the consequences of these actions are. As an adult, if you are going to jump into something risky like motorcycles, you might want to try and prepare for what could happen to you.

PS, many of us don't subscribe to the whole "RIDE OR DIE" bullshit, either.

Reader Question: Gear for a New Rider

Hi,

I found your site on Google. I know you usually do motorcycle gear for women but I was wondering if you had any strong suggestions for great for first time riders.

I was very much against my son getting a motorcycle but his father decided to gift him one for graduation. He's graduating from usf this semester. With that, he is signed up to take the motorcycle courses in two weeks. The bike his dad got him is a kawasaki ninja zx6r? I think which is a 600 engine which people don't usually recommend for a first time bike. My son likes to go fast but he's a safe driver if that even makes sense.

I am much more concerned for his safety as San Francisco drivers, Bay Area drivers all together are very dangerous.

So I only agreed if he got all the gear and classes necessary. I also had him sign up for maintenance and motorcycle knowledge classes at motosf and he wasn't very happy but he agreed just to make me feel better.

He lives in San Francisco but from time to time he will be commuting to South Bay for his new job. I've been doing my research and do you recommend him get a one piece suit? Two piece?

He gets hot very easily so he's not a fan of very heavy clothing. What would do the job? His dad bought him an arai rxq helmet as well as dainese gloves. Not sure which. But I wanted to know more about the protection and clothing he would be able to wear in commute vs shorter rides. Is there something he can wear over his work clothes of snacks and a button up shirt without getting sweaty and smelly?

What brands do you recommend. What protection? Also sizing... He likes to wear baggy things. Not super baggy but he likes to have room. Is that not recommended when buying motorcycle jackets? Also what do you recommend in leather vs textile jackets?

Thank you so much for your opinion and time.

Kirsten

Hi Kristen,

I totally understand your hesitation and anxieties concerning your son. I would have to agree that a sportbike such as the Ninja ZX6R is not exactly the perfect first bike for everyone. However, if he's a fairly levelheaded person, he'll probably be okay. I think you've done everything you can by pushing him to get training and educate himself on how to ride and take care of his motorcycle. It's definitely a good idea to know exactly what he's getting into. I'm not sure where he's signed up for classes, but if he hasn't checked out  Bay Area Moto Shop in San Francisco, I highly highly recommend it. It's a fantastic community of riders for him to get comfortable and excited about riding!

As far as gear, he could definitely do a 1 or 2 piece, depending on his lifestyle. It will also depend on his body type and overall fit profile. If he hasn't already, I recommend going to the Dainese Store SF. They are extremely knowledgable and have an incredible selection of 1 piece suits. I also recommend going to Scuderia in SF as well, and ask for big Dan. :D It also sounds like he has

Personally, I'm a fan of 2-piece suits because it allows flexibility when you go places. You can take your jacket off if you need to, or wear your jacket with different pants. If you wear a 1 piece, you always wear the 1 piece. He can definitely find overpants and jackets to wear over work clothes. He can also find vented gear that allows air to flow through the jacket so it's not too warm. There are many options, especially for men!

Everyone has different preferences in how they want to dress, but the one thing that is definitely important about motorcycle gear is Fit. Gear must fit close to the body so the body armor sits on top of the shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and back so it doesn't move upon impact. Unfortunately the baggy fit doesn't translate with gear. There's almost no point in wearing any if it isn't fitting you properly, as motorcycle gear's #1 purpose should be to protect the body. Anything can be labeled as motorcycle gear, but if you read my Basics then you know how to tell if it's real motorcycle gear.

As far as leather v. textile, it's definitely a personal choice. Basically you choose leather if you want more durability and a little more protection. However, not all leather is the same. There's everything from lightweight, 0.9mm casual style leather to 1.3-1.4mm high quality, heavy leather. So you definitely have to look at each one individually and see what that jacket offers in terms of protection.

Generally, textile offers a little more functionality like the Revit Tornado Jacket on the left;  it has one removable liner that is waterproof and warm. The outside has mesh panels so he'll stay cool, but when he has to get back up to the City he has a warm liner.  Most people prefer textile at first because it's immediately comfortable, doesn't feel as restrictive as leather and just feels good from the get go.

Leather requires break in time, because it starts out stiffer and less comfortable. Many new riders (including myself when I was new) aren't willing to make this investment until it feels more comfortable. It certainly can offer more protection, but it's all about what feels good to the rider. If it doesn't feel good or comfortable, a rider won't wear it.

These are definitely options that each rider has to explore on his/her own and possibly make the wrong decision(s) to make the right one. It sucks but sadly that's how most people realize they need better gear, or gear in general.

I hope this helps, good luck to your son in making great riding choices!

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.

New Rider, Very Petite

Hi there, great website! I am just starting to learn to ride a motorbike so currently looking at some gear. I am also petite, 5'0 & 49kgs (108lbs). I was wondering if you'd ever tried Held motorcycle gear? Looking online, I have found that some of their jackets go down to size 34 but I am unable to find a women's size chart guide for their products! Keep up the good work.

Cheers, Elisa (Melbourne, Australia)

Hi Elisa,

I haven't tried Held recently, but from what I know, I'm guessing the 34 would work. Revit 34 is also a good bet.  If you can find older Revit gear (~5 years ago) the fitments on 34s were very narrow and smaller than current 34s. Longer arms though. I don't know if you're looking at the Xena in a 34, but that might fit you, it seems to run fairly small.