Spidi Poison 2 Piece Suit

I wanted to share this fabulous pic of my friend India, sporting a brand new Spidi Poison 2 Piece Leather Suit. It's the perfect 2 piece suit for your next track day, or day ride along your favorite twisties.  Everyone should have a 2 piece textile, and a 2 piece leather in their closet.

I would say that Spidi for the most part runs a little leaner, similar to Dainese in fit. I haven't tried this one on in person, but am very hopeful that we will have some Spidi gear in the near future as well.

She's sized in a Euro 46. If you're interested in this suit, send me an email through the contact link on the left and I'll help you get sized. :)

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.

Klim Ladies Offroad Savanna Pants

If you're a dual sport or offroad rider, you know how hard it is to find women's gear.

Klim offers a woman's offroad pant that is on par with their men's Dakar pants. They're even offering these in size US 2-16 and tall sizes!  The fit is great for anything upright, and there is plenty of room in the knees for knee guards and external body armor. There are also pockets to add armor inserts but since they're designed mainly as an offroad pant, armor isn't included. They're very hip friendly and generous across the thighs/butt.

Unfortunately they're not waterproof but that's where the Altitude would come in handy.

What Kind of Petite Riding Jacket, Boots and Pants?

My name is Melissa and I live in London. I found your site on Google. I' m looking for some motorcycle gear as my boyfriend has a motorbike and I will be riding as a passenger pretty soon. We're planning a trip at Easter to ride from Portland to LA, which is super exciting, only thing is, I'm tiny. It's proving really difficult to find stuff that's actually "small". I guess I'm just under 5ft tall and about a US size 0-2 (UK size 4-6). I'm looking for some pants (possibly armoured jeans?) that are as skinny a fit as possible (partly for vain reasons, partly for fit!). Or do you know if it's possible to buy leg armour ie. wear my own jeans underneath (as I can imagine that trousers that are possibly a bit too big would be slightly uncomfortable)? As we're going to be travelling really light- one pannier each for 3 weeks (!) I'd like my gear to look as much like regular clothes as possible so I don't have to pack too much else..

I'm sure finding a jacket won't be as difficult. but would any leather jacket suffice or does it have to be armoured.

I already own some steel toe cap Doctor Marten boots- I imagine these would be ok.. correct me if I'm wrong!

I'm completely clueless basically!! Help!

Melissa

Hi Melissa,

For pants, the only ones I can think of that will fit you are the Vikas in 38. However, depending on your measurements and how small you are, even those may be slightly loose. I have a review of them here.

The smallest riding jeans I know of are the Dainese D19s in 25. I would recommend buying one of these knee guards to wear over the jeans:

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dainese-knee-v-guard

or

http://www.revzilla.com/product/alpinestars-bionic-mx-knee-protectors

As far as jackets, I'm afraid it's going to be difficult as well. And yes, you definitely want something armored. Casual leather has absolutely nothing designed in the event of a crash, things like seam strength and abrasion resistance are non existent. And if you plan on riding up when the weather is chilly, you may want to think about an insulated textile instead of leather. Especially if it's going to be wet or rainy.

I'm also guessing that you have a very narrow torso and bust. If your measurements are small as I think they are, your best off the rack options are the Vika in 38, Indigo in 34, Sand in 34 and Tornado in 34. If your bust measurement is under 34" (over the bust), I haven't found anything that will fit below that size. :-(

As far as boots, Dr Martens are ok, since they are leather and pretty durable. I actually started out wearing those the first year I rode my motorcycle but quickly realized that real riding boots were far more beneficial for me as a rider. Ideally, you also more ankle protection, from a boot like these:

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dainese-womens-svelta-gore-tex-boots 

They're extremely comfortable, 100% waterproof, and very slender up the calf/leg.

The soles, toes, ankles and heels are reinforced in the event of a crash. Everything is designed to keep your feet from getting crushed and absorbing a tremendous impact.

Riding a motorcycle requires a lot of functional riding gear. Anything that looks more fashionable more often than not, lacks either protection or features that are going to make your ride a less comfortable and safe one.

A side note for any women reading this who are tall, slender and/or very petite. Generally speaking, these brands are going to take the best care of you when it comes to gear:

   

The reason is that these brands are European. As such, they offer the smallest off the rack sizes and everything about them is a better fit for leaner body types; narrower torso, shoulders, arms, elbows, legs, etc. 

There is one exception with American brands and that is the Klim Altitude for Dual Sport / Adventure riders. This suit has a very long / lean fit.