New Jackets from Roland Sands Design

If you've been looking for a real women's leather motorcycle jacket with a true vintage look and feel (and armor pockets) look no more. RSD has not one, but two jackets for women coming out soon. 

The Maven

We've been carrying the men's version of this jacket (the Ronin) at Scuderia for awhile now and they're absolutely gorgeous. I think it's one of the best casual style leather jackets I've seen. The details are beautiful and they have such a clean, sexy vintage look.  (Pictured above from their Instagram account)

The initial color offerings will be black and tobacco, and possibly a deep red or deep cream (Oooohhh). They're still figuring things out, but the color options sound fantastic. If the Maven is anything like the men's Ronin, it'll feel light and super comfortable. The leather on the Ronin is only 1.1mm so I'd highly recommend this as an option for local riding only, not long distance commuting or touring. 

There are no removable liners and it's definitely not waterproof. They also feature armor pockets, ready to accept armor in the shoulders, elbows and back. (Thank you RSD!) I cannot wait to see this one in person! 

One really nice touch that you can't see is the rich silk lining. It's a pretty gold color. 

The Maven is due out in October / early November. 

The Vada

The Vada is a wax cotton version of the Maven. The men's version is the Tracker. The Vada will also offer pockets for armor in the shoulders, elbows and back. There are no removable liners and it's definitely not waterproof.

If the Vada is at all like the Tracker, it's also going to have a beautiful silk lining to give it that really rich, luxurious look and feel. I love wax cotton jackets. Something about the feel is so classic, motorcycle sexy. 

I'd also recommend this only as an option for local riding only, not long distance commuting or touring, due to the nature of the wax cotton. Although I certainly haven't crashed in one, nor have I seen anyone but if you have, please let me know how it holds up. I'd be curious to see...

This one is going to be made available later this winter in December / January. Will post pics as soon as I see this one as well. 

Macna Women's Motorcycle Gear

   

Macna is a new line of gear coming out of the Netherlands, distributed through Twisted Throttle. I was able to try on a couple of their women's motorcycle jackets and pants when I visited their store in Rhode Island last weekend.

  

I don't know what I was doing when that 2nd picture was taken of me in these pants. Probably something like "these fit soooo well". 

This outfit is priced nicely under $300 each. The Lily jacket is $269 and the Onyx pants are $249. Both have a very Dainese/REVIT/Alpinestars esque fit to them. They also offer 2 removable liners, one waterproof and one thermal. I'm wearing an XS in both (smallest size offered).  The pants felt a lot like Dainese or Alpinestars fit, tapered at the knee and fitted down the leg. But the knees didn't feel nearly as tight as Dainese pants do on me.  What's difficult to see in this photo is that the calf has an adjustable velcro panel allowing you to pull it back all the way like I did for a more tapered leg, or let it out a little for more of a 'bootcut' jean fit/look to adjust for varying boot and calf sizes. I'm also wearing them over my skinny jeans without the liners but would definitely be comfortable with thermal baselayers instead. 

The Lily has several vents but no mesh panels like it's sister, the Lunar ($379.99)

  

What's really cool about the Lily is the removable collar system to reveal a meshed/ventilated panel for hot weather riding. I think that makes this jacket a great all around textile. The fit is a little more generous in the arms/elbows and waist/torso. I would recommend this fit for more curvy figures. It does have a 3/4 length cut so on me, this one falls almost on top of my hip bones. With a shorter torso, I would try the Lily above instead. 

Another cool feature on the Lunar is an exterior zipper along the cuff to attach the inner liner to the shell. Imagine  not having to figure out what snaps go where to put your jacket back together because you can see the zipper on the outside!

Macna offers more women's options including a killer 3/4 length leather touring jacket and pants, but we likely won't see the rest of the line come into the US until they figure out what women riders want/need. If you live in New England near Exeter, Rhode Island, you can visit the Twisted Throttle shop in person and check them out for yourself. They also have a couple of gloves that I didn't have time to check out. 

I'm hoping to review the Lily / Onyx combo soon so stay tuned!

Basic Safety Course - Safety and Survival Skills for the Civilian Rider

The Scotts Valley Peace Officer's Association wants you to be well trained and ready to ride on the street. I can't imagine how many moto accidents they've seen over the years on Highway 9 :(

Photo Courtesy of: John Hohmann, Scotts Valley PD

They've put together a great 1 day course to help you improve your defensive riding skills, controlled braking and much more. This class is coming up on Sunday, September 30th. 

It doesn't matter how long you've been riding, or how long you've gone without an accident. It's always good to keep your street riding skills top notch. 

Download a copy of the flyer with all the details here.

More women riding motorcycles

Well duh! A reporter from the San Jose Mercury News asked me about my website and my riding career. Yep, we're definitely out there, growing slowly but surely... 

http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-living/ci_21467397/female-motorcycle-riders-rise