Added some more info to my Gear 101 page, with expanded definitions of my shopping rules. Check it out!
42nd Annual San Francisco Pride Celebration and Parade
June 23-24, 2012
The Mission of the San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Pride Celebration Committee is to educate the world, commemorate our heritage, celebrate our culture, and liberate our people.
I'm so excited, I get to participate in the pride parade! This is one of the biggest events in my busy city. My friends and I are going to be parading down Market Street on our motorcycles. I've never participated in an event like this so I'm honored and thrilled to be a part of it. Equal Rights, dammit.
I will be bringing Betty for this one, she was So excited when I told her. :) Pictures to come, so stay tuned!
Beginner Motorcycles
I posted this on twitter and facebook recently but felt it was really important to state for the record.
There's no such thing as women's motorcycles, only beginner motorcycles.
Sorry, but there's no such thing! I don't care what anyone has told you (including other women riders), but they're wrong, absolutely wrong. And sorry but low cruisers aren't women's motorcycles, either. In fact, I think large, heavy cruisers (no matter how low) are the worst beginner bikes, ever. Not because I'm not a cruiser person, but because they're painful to balance and the center of gravity is totally screwed up! Having your feet forward changes the way you provide input and the way it responds. And if you drop your KLX or your DR, it only takes you a second to pick it up!
In riding the Brammo recently, I've come to discover how incredibly fun an upright, lightweight dual sport/supermoto style bike could be for a new rider. It's a completely different world of motorcycles, and a completely different experience from what I'm used to. I'm convinced that something like a Suzuki DR400SE (below left) or Kawasaki KLX250 (below right) is one of the best beginner options out there.
If I had to do it all over again, I would've gone this route (Thanks Betty!). I still love sportbike riding, but I think I'm falling in love with the dual sport way of life and will definitely be moving in that direction going forward. I still love and adore my SV and will be holding on or quite a while.
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.
