Added some more info to my Gear 101 page, with expanded definitions of my shopping rules. Check it out!
Motorcycle Racing Boots for Women
Alpinestars S-MX Plus (The Supertech R is the next step up)
MSRP $349.95
Sizes Euro 36-48
Colors: Black, Black Vented, White, Black/Red, White/Black/Red/Yellow
Unfortunately, no one is making a true motorcycle race boot for women. Although the Sidi Vertigo Leis are a strong street boot with great protection, they do not offer the one thing that stronger street/race boots offer: Torsion Control.
One of the worst injuries a rider can have is twisting of the ankle, which can result in breaking any of the bones in your ankle/leg. Boots like the S-MX Plus by Alpinestars offers an inner booty to keep the ankles protected on the inside (not removable) and reinforcement around the exterior of the ankles to ensure that they don't twist or bend from side to side in the case of an accident.
These start at a size Euro 36, which would approximately be a woman's US 6. With the inner booty and the European fit, these would work well for a woman's foot as well, especially at the smaller sizes.
Dainese TRQ Out (the Torque Pro Out line is the next step up)
MSRP $299.95
Sizes: Euro 39-47
If you wear a women's 8.5-9, Dainese's TRQ Race Out (above) boots start in Euro 39. Dainese boots tend to have a very narrow ankle and footbed. They are especially fitted above the arches and in the heel cups. I find that these two areas are the most important when fitting a woman's foot. Those two and the calves tend to be the hardest to fit. These do offer velcro adjusters at the calves.
Sidi Vortice Sidi ST (based on the former Vertigo Corsa)
MSRP $495 MSRP $395
Sizes: Euro 39-48 Sizes: Euro 39-48
The Sidi Vortice's and the Sidi ST's have large calf adjusters, (the ST offers the most calf space), but have more room in the heels. This can be resolved with a heel insert to allow for a more snug fit. The Vortices do offer additional adjustment above the arches, to make for a more snug fit too. These also both offer torsion control on the outside of the boot (no removable booty), as this is the way Sidi designs their torsion control systems to work. Both have shock absorbing heel cups, sliders, and venting. These also both start in a Euro 39. A Sidi 39 is also approximate to a women's 8.5-9.
Remember that you can always add insoles or heel cups to make your boots fit better, regardless of the manufacturer.
The above boots are all made for men, but I think given the fit adjusters and overall European fitment makes them great choices for women riders as well.
Most comfortable motorcycle helmet.
Is this the most comfortable motorcycle helmet? For me, YES!
For me, and my small, intermediate oval head (XS, 53-54cm), the Arai Vector-2 is a perfect fit. It cradles my head so perfectly and feels like it was made just for me. I chose Diamond White, which is a pearlescent white with little sparkly specs when it's in the light.
The Vector was designed for someone who's head is longer from front to back vs. side to side. If you aren't sure where to start, you should measure your head (see helmet fitment guide link below) and start from there. Figure out which way your head is longer, side to side or front to back.
When searching for a helmet, especially your first one ever, I know how difficult it can be to find something that fits well and falls within your budget. That's the #1 complaint I hear about helmets is how expensive they are. But isn't protecting your head/brain worth that investment?
Think about something you spent $400-$500 on recently. Was it a fancy kitchen appliance? Fancy speakers? A new chair or a computer? Why is it so easy for us to drop money on superficial items, but when it comes to our delicate heads, the idea of spending a few hundred dollars is simply ridiculous? You don't have to spend more on an Arai, but consider spending a little more than the bare minimum. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to helmets.
After sporting the Shoei Qwest for a year and a half now, I'm excited to wear an Arai again. When I first started riding, I remember trying on an Arai Quantum and knowing that it was the perfect helmet for me. But I just couldn't bring myself to spend the extra $ on my first helmet so I settled for something less expensive yet Snell certified. I knew that I was an Arai girl and I still am. Woop!
Useful Links:
Plus Size Jacket and Pants
My friend Chris needed some help finding gear. She met me at Scuderia the other day and we got her dressed! She's a ~US 10 on top and ~US 14 on bottom and has a 31" inseam. Her immediate needs were a pair of boots and riding pants. She's making the transition from a cruiser to a dual sport bike (woo hoo!), with an upright riding position. But she also likes to borrow her man's sportbike and wanted something that would be comfortable on that bike too.
Chris is a real woman with real curves and she needed real gear. She wanted protection in the knees and hips, no mesh/ventilation (since she's commuting on the freeway) and enough room in the hips and her inseam. Although we couldn't get her into the Ventura pants like I wanted, we did get the unisex Horizon Pants, XXL Standard (see photo gallery) on her and they fit perfectly.
What Fit?
The Horizon in XXL (standard length) were perfect (see photo gallery). As you can see, they fit her real curves nicely. The inseam is just right, the armor fell at the knees in the right place (although they are adjustable). They also come in standard, short and long. They don't have full length zippers, so they're supposed to be worn as pants. You could wear them as overpants without the thermal liner. You'd just have to take off your boots every time you needed to change in and out of them. Chris is wearing them over jeans in these photos.
Unfortunately the Ladies Tornado 46 was a little too tight (without the thermal liner, over jeans), so we tried the men's 48 (over jeans, without the thermal liner). The rise (bottom of the crotch to top of the waistband) was way too short so she couldn't even get them on comfortably.
We also figured out that the Horizon and Axis had the best female fit, meaning a slightly higher rise in the waist, room in the hips and thighs but a nice tapered fit at the knee. The problem with the Axis was that the legs didn't taper enough at the knees and just weren't as protective and fully featured as the Horizons.
The Jackets
Although she didn't leave with one of them, here are two jackets that she tried on. Unfortunately I didn't have other colors in her size so you can see the difference between the two. She's wearing size 42 in both which translate to a 14-16 or L/XL. They're very similar, but slightly different in terms of price point and features.
The one one the left is the Ventura. Read my review here. The one on the right is the Indigo (also available in hi viz). The Indigo doesn't have some of the features of the Ventura, and it's also a little bit longer in the torso and falls below the hips.
Both of these would be great options for commuting, touring or everyday riding.
