The Cardo G9 is a fully featured intercom with bluetooth, A2DP and lots of other bells and whistles. Looking for a new headset that's easy to pair? Or maybe you're looking for a really weird way to meet new people by automatically connecting to strangers nearby who also have G9s.
http://gearchic.com/reviews/accessories/cardo-scala-rider-g9/
And another one bites the dust. Last year the most amazing riding gloves I've ever worn were discontinued for women, the High Ends by Racer. As soon as I found out, I went out and grabbed the last pair in my size. Now, they're discontinuing my Multitops. :-(
This time however, I'm going to pursue an alternative brand, Held.
My next "winter" glove purchase is going to be the Warm n Dry by Held from Germany. The quality is great and something pretty cool that's unique to is that they offer some of their gloves in Long for added finger length. They even offer one pair in short, the Steve IIs. These start at size XS, in size 6 and work really well for women too.
The Warm n Drys (pictured above) are not only lined with GORE-TEX but have goatskin palms and cowhide construction. They're not bulky because they don't have any kind of insulated, cushy layer. So as a result, they're not the best winter glove in terms of warmth. But they're perfect for heated grips, which is how I make it through the winter. And they should be perfect for SF Bay Area riding.
Typically you have to trade off tactile-ness and feel for warmth. But with these and heated grips you have the best of both worlds! They start at a size 7 (by measuring the circumference of your hand right below the knuckles) which is generally a small. I can't wait til we get another one in stock so I can try them out. The first day we started carrying them, almost all of them sold out.
The only downside is that these aren't specifically women's. But, they do start at a small size, so I'm very hopeful that they'll fit well enough after trying an 8. Fingers crossed.
Last summer, I was asked to consider applying for a Brammo Enertia Electric Motorcycle to ride in and around San Francisco. I'd never ridden one and I had no idea what I was in for. Let's just say, it's been one of the greatest two wheel loves of my life.
Don't get me wrong, I'm still wholly devoted to my Suzuki SV650S. When it comes to touring, hitting the twisties or long weekend rides she's still my girl.
But, there's something so easy, so fun and so carefree about taking Betty around the city. If you live in a big metropolitan, urban playground then taking a lightweight (324lbs) bike like Betty is a no brainer. Every 5 seconds is another stop sign or traffic light. Average speeds are 25-35mph, maybe 45 on major thoroughfares. 90 degree angles meet you at every turn and traffic backs up within seconds when you least expect it.
I've always ridden in a more forward riding position. My SV definitely has a pretty aggressive one. It's been 9 years since I rode a scooter almost every day, and a fully upright riding position. Between my hip / groin aches from my last accident and my worn out rotator cuff, it feels great to sit up straight with my pegs a little lower than what I'm used to. It's also convinced me that a small street legal dirtbike or supermoto are the best options for riding around the city. It's also fully convinced me that these style of motorcycles are the Best Beginner Bikes! They dramatically increase your self confidence level with their ease of maneuverability, lightweight-ness and familiar riding position. I strongly urge you to consider something with a fully upright riding position as your first bike. Your self confidence will skyrocket and your learning curve will diminish with every corner that you ride ever so perfectly.
In the beginning I was worried about the usual thoughts that run through one's mind when considering an electric motorcycle or scooter. What about the silence? Won't it be more dangerous? And one of the most difficult issues a motorcyclist may contend with when it comes to a scooter. Fully automatic?! No clutch? No shifting? Won't it be less fun? What about the hills? I live in San Francisco! Well, needless to say, I got over it in a day or two, and I simply don't give a sh*t about the rest because it's IT'S SO DAMN FUN.
You don't care that you don't need to pull in your clutch to stop (especially in traffic). I can't tell you how awesome it is to use one hand and barely touch the throttle as I creep through traffic one foot at a time. If you've ever ridden a scooter, you know there's a delay with the throttle and micro managing your speed without putting your feet down can be difficult and annoying through traffic.
And, with a motorcycle, your clutch hand gets tired pretty quickly trying to manage how far out you can let it go before you need to give it more gas and back and forth and back and forth. It's just one less thing to worry about. It's so freeing to just accelerate and brake, especially with so many stop signs, pedestrians, bicycles and more to think about going from point A to point B. I still think riding a fuel based motorcycle around SF is also the way to go (vs. cars/buses/bicycles) but it's really nice to ride something so light and easy.
And what about these hills anyway? Not a problem. Betty can run up the hills just as easily as my motorcycle. No, not every block in San Francisco is like this one (California @ Powell). Actually, most hills are fairly tame, but even with hills like these, it hasn't changed my ability to ride up and down them as quickly as I please. And if you live in SF, you rarely ride these routes anyway. It's just not my route of choice, even in a car when it comes to going downtown.
I've never struggled going up a hill in my beautiful city. If anything, she's really punchy halfway up. The only hard part is starting off. There is a slight delay but not long enough to matter. Pretty soon I'm almost at the top of the next one to care. Staying ahead of traffic is easy, especially at 30-40 mph. And it's far easier to stop at the top of a really really steep hill like Gough Street between Jackson and Washington. 
Since there's no 4 gallon gas tank to balance when coming to a stop, you don't have to worry about braking to hard or leaning forward to counter gravity pulling you backwards.
I've also never had a bike with such great braking power. The Enertia is equipped with hydraulic front and rear brakes by Brembo. They stop on a dime and I barely have to squeeze the front to give me what I need. I feel like I can stop instantly and with very little effort.
So what's the downside then?
Well, the one question everyone asks most often is about the range. Is 42 miles enough? Is it really 42? The answers are Yes and No. If you don't live in San Francisco or another large urban city where everything you need is within 50 square miles, then you don't know how close everything is and how much range you really do need.
I live in a neighborhood where everything I need is within a 4-5 block radius. However, riding to another neighborhood, even across town is within 7 square miles. So realistically speaking, the range is more like 27-28. As we are a hilly city, even cars lose about 10mpg from their listed mileage. Too many hills and too much stopping and starting. It's also a little more fun to open the throttle a bit more than you need to, know what I mean? :) It also depends on the route I take. If I start my house in the Outer Sunset to the Mission, I could take the fun route with more hills and twisties. But that uses up about 30% of my juice one way. But if I take the commuter, less hilly route I only use 15% one way. So it totally depends on you.
As far as recharging, I plug in to recharge as soon as I get home from work for the most part. But I've been experimenting lately with range so I only plug in every couple of days. I still have plenty of juice for another round trip to and from work. But just to make sure I have all the power I need I plug in.
The one thing that does make things easier but does slow down the charge time (4 hours til full) is that you only need a standard 3 prong house outlet to recharge. The cord stashes easily under the seat and as long as you can find a 3 prong outlet (which exists pretty much everywhere), you can recharge if you run out.
I take Betty pretty much everywhere I can. I am lucky enough to have a car and motorcycle so if I do need to haul a lot of groceries or supplies I can use one of those if need be. I usually wear a Timbuk2 with me but it would be nice if I could add a top box or tailbag. Unfortunately since it's a one person vehicle there's no rear seat or option to add a tailbag.
Givi does offer hard side cases which are mounted low, beneath the seat. Certainly adding those would remove the need to wear a messenger bag for storage. The stock seat is pretty comfy but you can add a plush, suede seat for $200
As of 1/1/3013, all electric motorcycles and cars are subject to a 10% Federal Tax Credit, as well as a CA Tax Rebate (up to $2500). These two incentives make the Brammo a little easier to handle in terms of price. http://www.brammo.com/incentives/
As of 2/1/2013, the 2012 Enertia is on sale at Scuderia for $5400 before rebates.
As many of you may know, I've been a part of the Scuderia West family for almost 5 years now. Mostly part time, a Saturday or two here and there, and most recently Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
I'm thrilled to announce that as of last week, I've officially joined on full time and will be working in a social media / marketing capacity. Of course, I will keep dedicating time to apparel and helping women of the San Francisco Bay Area shop for motorcycle gear as well! I will definitely continue to run GearChic as is and expect nothing much to change from this new adventure.
I'll be setting up personal shopping appointments during the week so that you can get my full one on one attention and you can find exactly what you want/need for your motorcycle or scooter.
I have had many offers over the years to work at various dealerships / shops in the Bay Area. But Scuderia has always been my home. It's where me and my husband bought our first scooter before moving onto motorcycles.
By working full time, I can not only continue to help Scuderia increase their presence in the Bay Area, but make myself completely available for all the women riders searching for gear. Wouldn't it be great if someone could actually look at you, know what size you are and recommend at least 2 or 3 gear options for you to try on? I promise that if you shop with me, I'll do my best to make the experience as quick and painless as possible. You'll leave the store knowing exactly what size you are in what brand, what fits and what doesn't.
I won't work anywhere else because the women's gear we have helps me fit a variety of women from the smaller, petite gals to the fuller figured, curvier gals. Knowing that I can help 99% of women that walk in the door helps me do my job.
To make a shopping appointment, or if you have any questions and need help shopping, please drop me an email or call me anytime during business hours. Of course you can always reach me via my website if I'm not at the shop.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Contact Info:
www.scuderia.com
joanne@scuderia.com
415-621-7223 phone
10am-6pm, Tues-Sat
