Movin' on Uppp err, Over

Last week my husband and I flew out to Philly to check out the various neighborhoods and figure out where we want to live. We had no idea it would be so hard to find parking! How am I supposed to start a collection if I don't have anywhere to put them? Oh well. I guess my plan to hoard a fleet of motorcycles is going to have to wait until we get there, settle in and maybe move again in a year or so when we buy a house or find a garage to rent.

I'm contemplating selling my beloved SV instead of hauling it out East. Monsters are on my mind as a next motorcycle but certainly not ready to buy anything yet. Since we're driving across right in the middle of winter (mid-late January) we won't be able to ride very much anyway.

Fingers crossed we find something cool with parking. Two Wheels Rule!

How Quiet Can A Motorcycle Helmet Be?

When you're considering a new helmet, one of the things on your mind is probably noise. When you're going down the highway at 55+mph, you have a lot of wind noise to deal with. And it's hard to tell what helmet is going to work better especially when everyone's ears, bikes and accessories are different. The bottom line is, you aren't going to find a magical helmet with so much wind reduction as to silence the world around you. You may have to take a couple extra steps to reduce the wind noise around you.

As a sportbike rider, I'm fighting not only wind, but a minimally faired bike and a lower windscreen. If you expect any helmet to completely silence your ride, prepare to be disappointed. After zipping around today on the back of my friend's Goldwing I discovered just how amazing a large windscreen and fairing could be!

I will say that I was pleasantly surprised by the added noise reduction my Schuberth provided on this kind of touring bike. My friend Mike and I were able to chit chat along the way to brunch (which was delicious, btw).  I didn't wear my earplugs, and didn't even notice that I didn't have them in until we started across the bridge.

If someone tells you how quiet/loud their helmet is, make sure you ask all the questions and don't assume everyone is going to have the same experience.

And don't forget to make sure you're wearing the right size/fit, because there's nothing worse than a helmet that's too big letting in even more noise.

'Last Chance to Shop with Me Before Philly' Party!

Mark your calendars for Thursday, December 5th. Click here for full details!

New Rider Advice, Should I Wear Taller Motorcycle Boots?

A new rider from Kuala Lumpur wrote me awhile back about whether or not she should wear tall, 3" boots. She rides a brand that we don't really get here, a Benelli Keeway RKV 200. It weighs less than 300lbs and has a ~30" seat height. A little taller than other beginner bikes, but certainly not impossible. She's 5'2" and my guess is she has a ~26-27" inseam. She says:

"I'm okay with riding really slowly, until gear 2, but my shortness is really killing it for me. Especially when i have to backup. Plus, i'm awful at even maneuvering the bike even when i'm off it.. lol! I guess i'm not that good at faking it when it comes to how heavy the bike is. Well, just wanted a word of advise from you and do you think wearing 3 inch high boots will help?"

First off, I have to ask if you've had any basic rider training? If not, I hope that you have some local resources to take a basic class. Being a shorter person, I have learned that your skills and riding techniques compensate very well for lack of height. Otherwise, I'd never would've been able to ride any of these bikes.

As far as taller boots, they definitely help. I'm not a fan of wearing non protective boots for riding, so ideally I'd suggest buying any of the models in this previous blog post. They will all offer extra traction and the protection you need. But if you don't have access to these or can't afford to order them and have them shipped, then work with what you can get but AVOID high heels/fashion heeled boots. If a chunky heeled boot works, then great. Given where you live, I imagine women's gear choices are really limited.

The other thing I'd highly recommend is learning how to push your bike around while standing next to it. I also wrote a blog post about this here. Sometimes our bikes weigh A LOT. There is nothing wrong with getting off the bike to park. Sometimes it's easier and faster. I always park my bike like this if it's there's any kind of incline/slope. Why fight gravity? I've learned to back up with one foot and it works quite well for me :)