Each section will have a list of recommended manufacturers and online retailers where you can browse and/or purchase from as well!
- AlpineStars
- AlpineStars carries an extensive women's line that is both stylish and protective. Try Motostrano to see and purchase their entire collection.
- Bohn Body Armor
- They sell body kits and back protectors to add armor to your existing gear. They also have armor underpants and undershirts that you can wear under regular street clothes.
- British Motorcycle Gear
- Formerly known as Belstaff, they sold the Belstaff name to a fashion company to design regular clothes. They're textile jackets are excellent for touring, as they're extremely durable, have multiple layers and will keep you warm in extremely cold climates. I was told by one of their dealers that many Eastern European police forces use these jackets. Unfortunately, their women's sizing doesn't run smaller than a US 6. :-( Here are some reviews by our fellow male riders about Belstaff jackets:
http://www.motorcyclegearreview.com/reviews.php?prodID=705 - Cortech
- Cortech came out of Tourmaster. If you have more of a 'box' shape on top, (i.e. short torso, larger chest) check out the LRX Ladies Jacket. For less than $200, it's a great textile jacket.
- Dainese
- Dainese has an incredible line of fully protective, leather women's gear. Both for street and track riding. The quality of the leather is very high, and they've really designed their gear to properly fit a woman's body. They have a full line of textile and leather garments. Dealers may not carry every item in their stores, but the most popular items you'll find such as the Arizona Leather Jacket and the Firefly Leather Pants.
Dainese has also opened a store in San Francisco! Check out their listing on Yelp.
D-Store SF - ExtremeSupply.com
- This online retailer has a pretty big selection of manufacturers to choose from such as Joe Rocket, Spidi and Teknic. Upon comparing pricing to NewEnough.com, they are about $20-$40 higher, but they do carry some other brands that you might be interested in as well.
- FieldSheer
- Fieldsheer has textile/leather jackets and pants. Their Tracker leather pant even goes up to Size 18! The Adventure jacket looks like an excellent jacket for touring or cold climates. They've recently posted their size charts on their website as well.
- First Gear
- Unfortunately you can’t buy from them directly, but you can certainly browse the current catalog of products. If you’re looking for waterproof, insulated gear they have a solid line of jackets and pants for men and women at affordable prices (relative to other manufacturers). If you’re searching for waterproof pants, First Gear has an excellent women’s overpant that has full length zippers down both sides of the pant. It also has a removable liner for extra warmth. It comes with removable low grade armor at the hips and knees inside ‘pouches’ that hold the armor in place. There is a brand of armour called Hiprotec that fits perfectly into the pouches, made by Hein Gericke
- Frank Thomas
- Frank Thomas carries a line of women's gear that's more affordable than other retailers such as Vanson, Dainese and AlpineStar. They're UK site allows you to view the entire women's collection, but you'll have to go to a US dealer like Cycle Gear to purchase their gear. I have to say that their gear is both fashionable and well tailored to suit a woman's hourglass shape.
- GirlsBike2
- GirlsBike2 is a UK Based website that sells over a dozen different brands of US and International manufacturers. They do sell up to size 26 (UK) which I think is ~22-24 (US). It varies upon brand, but upon browsing I noticed that AlpineStars goes up to size 18(UK)/14-16 (US). The exchange rate is horrific, so you'd basically be paying twice in dollars what the prices are in pounds (200 dollars=400 pounds). Not a practical site to order from, but they may carry some hard to find sizes/styles that you can't find here. Definitely worth checking out if you can afford the exchange rate!
They also carry a line of italian gear called IXON (not Icon. Perhaps that's the reason why they don't distribute in the US. Well, that's my assumption, because I can't find any US dealers and English is not an option on their website). Check out these "trousers", which sell for 60 GBP/ $120 USD.Update 07/09/07: I had the pleasure of seeing these pants in Paris, and unfortunately they are more like a shell pant, nothing substantial to them.
- G-Line and Hein Gericke
- I know this is out of alphabetical order, but since Hein Gericke started G-Line and they're close together in the alphabet, so why not? Hein Gericke has come out with this fabulous line of women's gear, designed for women by women. I've had the chance to take a look at their gear in person and it's a high quality, well made product. I haven't tried them on, but they're stylish and offer all the protective features of a jacket you would want.
- GoMotoRiders
- See the link I posted on my Links page.
- Helimot
- I'm so glad we're at H, because Helimot is truly a unique store that was started by a wonderful lady by the name of Linda. Please read what she says about women's gear and why she started doing this here. Helimot will custom fit leathers for you in a multitude of colors/patterns to choose from. They also carry the largest selection of Daytona boots, including the beloved Lady Star GTX boots of which I am a very proud owner.
Update 07/09/07 I visited Helimot recently and posted a litlte something on my Blog and updated my Review as well.
- Icon
- Icon has a full line of women's gear. I've uploaded a copy of their 2007 catalog (women's gear is towards the back, of course. Why do they always expect us to ride bitch?) here (make sure you have a PDF reader like Acrobat. Or if you're on a mac, you rule and you already have that built in and don't have to download anything. But more about that later). I've taken the liberty of uploading only the women's section of the catalog, since the first 38 pages were for men's gear. As if you haven't seen enough of that already! Icon's gear is known to be very stylish and protective as well. Their gear tends to be best suited for a more petite body, although the XL is supposed to fit up to a 40" bust. If you have broad shoulders, Icon is not the brand for you.
- Joe Rocket
- Full women’s line of gear including jackets, pants, gloves and casual wear. They do have a couple of new jackets like the Golddigger and Heartbreaker that are both stylish and protective! What more could a girl ask for? My husband and I are pondering a move to Austin, TX early next year and I think the Heartbreaker in white is calling my name, heheh. Joe Rocket seems to have a more tailored fit for a woman’s curves. Although I don’t own any of their gear, I have tried on several of their jackets and was happy with the contour and tapered fit.
- KneeDraggers
- This link takes you directly to the list of women's gear. Great selection of women's gear, including reviews! They sell brands such as Fieldsheer, AXO, Shift, Spidi and Teknic.
- LadyRidersWear
- This site has quite a selection of gloves and boots, including a European brand called IXS. They're based in Springfield, VA. Their women's boots run down to a size 4 (US) / 35 (Euro). For those of you with small feet, some of the boots they carry might be the answer for you! If you're interested in Rukka Riding Wear, check out this page with reviews and information about this line of gear.
- Metric Bikes
- Metric Bikes carries women's gear in many different manufacturers, including lesser known brands such as Michael Jordan and MotoGP. You have to look within each manufacturer's link to see what they carry, however.
- MotoNation
- Motonation is the national Sidi, Spidi and Set-Up dealer if you're looking for any of these products.
- New Enough
- New Enough is a great site to find gear. They even feature extensive reviews of their products. I purchased a pair of Joe Rocket Trixie pants because of their site review. Sometimes they have some really great deals on closeouts as well. They even feature a 'hard to fit' page, where you can find xxx large sizes or pants with shorter inseams, etc.
- Olympia
- Olympia has a couple of great jackets and pants for women, specifically the Airglide jacket and matching pants. They're both waterproof and well ventilated if you remove the liners. The jacket is tapered at the waist and goes past the waist just enough to cover your tailbone. Their sizing is in US as well, so no having to translate 40's and 50's to 2-4-6-8, etc.
- Oxtar Boots
- Oxtar makes a pair of touring/street boots called the Sunray that are less than $200, totally waterproof, go past the ankle and will keep your feet toasty and dry. I've had 2 pairs of these and they were a great boot. Even rode from San Francisco to LA in them and never had any problems. They're extremely comfortable as well. I'd wear them everyday to work and wear them in the office for 6-8 hours with no discomfort.
- Racer Gloves
- There are actually 2 companies out there called Racer that make motorcycle apparel. One is French, but the one you want is Austrian. The Multitops are excellent SF year round gloves, since it's mostly 60s here. The High Ends are the summer version, no liner and perforated in key spots. The Starts are a great year round glove as well, not lined and not perforated.
- R'evit
- I love R'evit. Scuderia carries a few R'evit jackets for women. I'm in love with the R'evit Angel. It's a wonderful jacket for colder climates and going long distance. Check out my blog post about it here.Also check out the Allure jacket. It's a leather/textile hybrid. There's fabric along the sides, underneath the arms. Perfect for spring weather riding. It doesn't have a removable liner, so it'll be a bit chilly. Have a look at it on this UK motorcycle site: http://www.sondel.co.uk/shop/contents/media/Allure_front.jpg.
- She-Rides
- She-Rides probably has the largest selection of women's gear online. They have dedicated themselves to finding the best that is available for women in the motorcycling community. Be sure to check out their sizing charts, which shows you how to measure yourself properly to pick the right size.
- Sidi
- Motonation.com represents Sidi and Set Up motorcycle boots and Spidi gear. If you're looking for a great pair of riding boots, Sidi offers a great line of boots for street and track.
- Spidi
- To view the women's collection, select 'fit for lady' on the category drop down menu and select go.
- Teknic
- Teknic carries a line of textile and leather jackets, boots, textile and leather pants, and gloves.
- Tourmaster
- Tourmaster has a great line of textile and leather jackets for women. They also appear to carry a couple of leather pants and gloves as well. As their name implies, check them out if you're looking for a great touring jacket and/or luggage accessories.
- Vanson
- Vanson is a well known, highly respected gear manufacturer. You can get custom leathers or off the rack on their website or through one of their many retailers. My first jacket was a Vanson (which I can't bear to get rid of) and I love it. It's made of a dense textile material, almost like kevlar, with venting in the lower back, front chest pockets and forearms. It's an amazing spring/summer jacket. I also love the waist cinching and comfort fit.
- Vegan Motorcycle Gear
- If you're vegan and a motorcyclist, you know you've entered a pretty difficult world to find reasonable gear. Someone has taken the liberty of putting together a site with a lot of great information you need to find vegan gear.
- Zooni Leathers
- Looking for custom leathers? Another site that offers a custom fitted leather suit!
Stay Tuned, More to Come!