Women’s Motorcycle Conference: November 6-7, 2020

What?

Women’s Motorcycle Conference - Connection (Online)

When?

November 6-7, 2020

How?

womensmotorcycletours.com/conference/

Tickets $40-$55 ea

In addition to dozens of other presenters, I’ll be sharing my recommendations and tips on winter riding including but not limited to:

Oxford Heated Grips #gamechanger

• How to get yourself geared up to stay warm, safe and comfortable while on two wheels:

  • How to layer up like a pro

  • The differences in various type of “Winter Riding Gear”

  • How the type of helmet, jackets, pants, gloves and boots you choose can improve or decrease comfort

  • Heated gear options for women

• Suggestions for adding accessories to your bike that will extend your riding season

And 10 minutes of QnA at the end for any questions you may have about riding gear, especially if you need personalized recommendations. Just bring your measurements (height, bust, real waist (beltline), hips, inseam) and I’m happy to give you some ideas.

Looking forward to “seeing” you soon!

New Women's Gear from Rev'it Spring 2020

Revit is pulling out all the heavy hitters for Spring this season. I’ve always appreciated the completely different fit style and shape that Revit offers women and that’s why they maintain such a high favorites status in my book.

Aside from a few revisions and improvements on what I call staples in the collection (3rd versions of their popular outfits) as well as a few entirely new options, like a 1 PIECE TRACK SUIT!

Since these are brand new I haven’t seen any of these in person, so I’m giving my opinions and observations simply based on what I see in the photos. As well as what I do know about the men’s versions and/or the previous models. 

For those of you that do love pink, you’re going to love the options this season because almost every new piece is offered with a pink colorway for you! 

There’s a little something for everyone this time around, so keep scrolling if sportbike gear isn’t your thing.

Revit Xena 3 1 Piece Race Suit

One Piece Race Suit, WHAT?!  Up until now, the brands making women’s 1 Piece Track Suits were Alpinestars, Dainese, Spidi. Done. Now we have (4)!

Women who ride track days are few and far between, and the fact that Revit continues to make us incredible gear, no matter how many of us ride is truly wonderful.

If this suit follows the fit profile of the popular Xena 3 separates option, it’s going to be a great addition to its competitors.  

Let’s look at some of these features: 

• Dual knee sliders

• Shoulder sliders

• Elbow sliders

• Stretch panels along the underbust (YES!)

• Stretch panels along the inner thighs, up to the hips

Underbust stretch is so important! Women have busts. We need stretch. It’s awesome to see the brands understand this and incorporate it into their designs. Only 2 other suits have an accordion style stretch panel along the outside of the bust: 

• https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dainese-killalane-perforated-womens-race-suit

• https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dainese-misano-2-d-air-perforated-womens-race-suit

Any features that a brand can build into its gear to accommodate multiple body types are gold. Because then you can sell that jacket or pant or suit to more than just 1 kind of woman. MSRP $999.99

Revit Xena 3 Jacket and Pants 

I loooooove white leather. Especially perforated white leather in the summer. I don’t wear mesh, even in 90F weather so relying on my white mesh leather has been my goto for the past 6 years or so.

Aside from the color change, the main feature update that I like is the localized perforation on the front and back of the jacket and front of the pants. For the pants, they took away the flashy white stripe and made them completely black. If you’re all about the black/black/black then you’ll love the two pieces together. I think I’m going to have to clean out my gear closet for Spring to justify buying another jacket. (sorry honey). 

With the Xena suit, they’ve always been a little bustier in the chest than the Italian options so I hope they kept that fit profile with the updated styling. MSRP $439.99-$479.99

Revit Xena 3 Gloves

These are a tremendous improvement from the 2s, with improved wrist protection (more track level), and a double closure around the wrist.

The 2s were definitely more street-oriented with lighter protection than comparable track gloves. I’m excited to see these improvements. 

With the extra stretch along each finger, you can also count on a slightly longer finger length as with all track level gloves. Because the fingers are precurved out as much as possible.

If you struggle with finding gloves that are long enough, always look for Euro brands like Rev’it, as well as many stretch points along the fingers. This will give you a little bit more room as you squeeze your hands around your handgrips. MSRP $159.99

REVIT FLY 3 GLOVES

Don’t worry, there’s a black version too.

But having non black versions for those of you who do want lighter colors and more casual colors is awesome, right?

The Flys have been a great summer glove for awhile now and adding a light brown/tan colorway is fantastic. Boatloads of perforation and wrist protection (which most casual style gloves seem to forget).

These are great no matter what you ride, although they certainly have touring / cruising / cafe bobber lifestyles in mind.

All the perforation you could want/need and of course a smart finger to navigate on your smartphone on the fly.  The only thing I’d like to see in the future (even for $5more) is a hard palm slider. #glovegoals #LoveIt. 

REVIT MERIDIAN JACKET

I’m conflicted about this colorway. (There’s a black/white version too). But given how funky it is, I thought it was worth sharing.

Being that it’s buffalo leather I think it would make a decent highway jacket, it also features a 6 inch connection zipper so it would work really with the Luna leather pants. MSRP $449.99

REVIT VICTORIA JEANS

Riding jeans are SO hard. For so many reasons. Because we’re all particular about how we like them to fit, because they never feel like our normal jeans. You must accept that going in.

But, as far as riding jeans go, Rev’it delivers a straight fit that usually has a little more room in the waist than other brands. So if you typically buy a 29 at Lucky Brands Jeans, you can probably size down to a 28. Unless you’re a powerlifting queen and need more room in the thighs. But as far as waist sizes go, Revit seems to run a size roomy. 

I am definitely adding some Revit jeans to my closet this Spring because I like the fit for my weird small body type (larger calves and thighs for someone 5’2”). These are constructed of Cordura Denim (https://www.cordura.com/Fabrics/denim-fabric) backed up by Revit’s own PWRShield fabric as an alternative to Kevlar or Aramid fabrics. MSRP $249.99

REVIT TORQUE JACKET

The Torque is a sporty mesh jacket with a removable waterproof jacket liner. What I think is pretty awesome is this camo colorway. I’m not a huge camo person but I’m drawn to the subtle camo design. I think some women riders who are also in the military will appreciate this design as well. (Women in the Military, please chime in below!)

If it follows the men’s version as far as fitment, I imagine this will be a slightly looser version of the sporty Arc Air which I bought last Summer. I had to size up in that one because it ran so tight. Generally, if something has a removable long sleeve liner it’ll have a slightly looser fit to fit the liner. 

The mesh differences between this and the Arc Air is none along the side of the torso from the armpit down to the waist. Given that this is probably supposed to work between Spring and Summer it makes sense.  Unfortunately, the only lighter colorway is white and light pink camo. 

Fortunately, the lighter colorway is white and light pink camo.

Just depends on how you look at it :-) 

If you’re a fan of pink, then you’ll love the camo. If not, then you’ll want to stick with black, the Arc Air or Airwave. I’d still categorize this jacket as more of a sport / sport touring fit since the mesh moves all the way to the neckline. When you ride an aggressive sportbike, mesh that reaches the neckline means you’ll feel more of it while hunched forward.  MSRP $239.99

Revit Airwave 3 Jacket and Pants

The popular Airwave summer suit is getting another facelift. For those of you who want the lightest colors you can get during the summer (knowing how dirty they will also get) then here you go. But don’t worry, there is almost always a black version hiding behind the corner! 

Silver jacket and pants, for toasty hot weather riding. Keep in mind the Airwave does have more of a touring / sport touring fitment. So bootcut pant legs, and tighter shoulders when leaning forward on your super sporty bike. Not impossible, just something to think about when you’re trying things on. That’s why it’s vital to follow my Shopping Rules! MSRP $199.99-$229.99

Revit Tornado 3 Jacket and Pants

The popular Tornado suit also gets some badly needed improvements as well. My main gripe about the 1st 2 versions of the jacket were the lack of adjustment around the forearms.

Don’t worry, there’s always black in the Tornado 3 suit.

It was so loose there without the liner that it wouldn’t fit right after taking the liner out. Now you can tighten that part down! I think almost every jacket should have adjustments in these two spots to increase the range of fitment for every size. 

The pants also got a nice little update with the calf adjustment to tighten things down again, after taking the liner out.

The one feature I miss from the first Tornados is the inner leg zipper! That made it an incredibly versatile pant as both pant and overpant. I wonder if it would’ve been a significant cost increase because these pants are already over $300.

The liner in both pieces are still the same, 2-in-1; waterproof and warm at the same time.

This means for those of us in the NorthEast/ East/ South, it won’t work to wear the liner in the summer time.

So if you like to ride in the summer when it’s raining you’ll need to buy a light rainjacket that you can throw on top in a pinch. 

But for those of you in the West/Northwest, it’s the perfect outfit. It’s never humid and wet, so you’ll need a warm liner when it’s raining anyhow. 

With a mesh outer though, keep in mind that it still won’t serve your 40-50F (before windchill) riding conditions in winter temps that low. 

MSRP $319.99-$349.99

That’s all the new stuff from Rev’it this season, happy shopping!

Post your comments/questions/feedback below and let me know what you think.

Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring! New Womens Gear for 2020.

A few of these things launched last Fall but I haven’t had a chance to share them until now. Enjoy!

This season is full of sporty new styles, ultimate mesh, curvy / plus size jeans and some casual, perforated leather. Lots of new gear to explore this season. Post your thoughts, opinions, questions, at the end!

Alpinestars SMX Plus v2 Boots 

Riding boots with substantial protection (in the forms of impact and lateral support) are few and far between when it comes to women’s motorcycle gear. 

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Only black for now…

Track / sport style riding boots have always been less popular and minimally designed as far as protection goes. I think pants and riding boots are the last two things that most riders think about, especially women. And that’s unfortunate because your hands and feet are vital to having precise, solid control of your motorcycle.

In my experience, most women buy casual, relaxed riding footwear like sneakers and cruiser style boots. Unless you ride a sportbike, you’ll likely never look at boots like these, although everyone needs this type of protection regardless of what they ride.  

There has been a mens version of the SMX Plus for a while now. What makes these a step up from the popular SMX-6’s is the extra ankle protection that they offer. Also a much more secure calf adjustment with no velcro. If you have a track style pant or track suit, you’ll have a solid fit with no chance of the calf opening while riding. 

The huge stretchy/accordion style panel over the ankles should also allow for more range of motion as you increase your body positioning work from dropping your knee to dragging your knee. Woo hoo! 

Although Alpinestars has always offered Euro 36-37-38 in the men’s track boots, the women’s specific model should be a tighter fit around the heels/ankles and instep. If you do need more room in those areas but still have a foot at the length of a Euro 36-38, then I’d probably still recommend trying the men’s versions.  $399 MSRP.

Alpinestars Stella GP-R Tech Air Jacket

(just FYI, Stella just means womens, so whenever you see that it’s not a style name, it’s just acting as a pronoun)

When Tech Air was announced from Alpinestars, it was mainly focused on the men’s segment but now it’s our turn. Just like the men’s jackets, it has the ability to take in the Tech Air Race Vests which are sold separately. 

In addition to this jacket, there’s also a Missile Tech-Air 1Pc Suit for women. $599 MSRP.

Alpinestars Stella GP-R Tech Air

Dainese Torque 3 Out Boots

I have the older womens Torques which I was SO excited about when they came out. What makes Dainese boots stand out is that they offer lateral ankle protection and, a lower profile overall. 

I don’t see any substantial changes from the previous model other than this eye catching white / fluo red! If you’re wondering why, it’s because it matches perfectly with a couple of their suits.

As Dainese is always Dainese, it’ll likely be a very narrow fit in the toes, instep and heels. So for comparable protection and a wider fit you’ll want to try a different brand.

Dainese Killalane PERFORATED Suit 

Holy colorway Batman. Colorway is retailspeak for colors. :D

If you’re looking for a completely different color option that is unique on the track, I think this is it.

I’m thinking Captain Marvel? :) And check out that Black/Teal combo. Woooo. Also, absolutely no pink. I know how controversial the pink theme can be, but Teal is still a very beautiful color, in my opinion. And something that hasn’t been beaten to death with marketing over the past 20 years the way that pink has. MSRP $999.95

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Dainese Carbon 3 Gloves

Let’s not forget matching teal gloves. I am really drawn to these colors for some reason.

Maybe it’s the asymmetric pattern? I don’t know. But I like it!

A little hard to wear unless you already wear all black or black/white. Of course there’s also black if that’s your color. MSRP $179.95

RUKKA STRETCH AIR JACKET AND PANTS

Rukka is one of those brands you’ve probably never heard of. But it’s a brand that you want to know because their mesh jackets are magical. That’s really the best word I can use to describe them.

This jacket is particularly wonderful at keeping you comfortable in ungodly hot weather. What really makes this brand unique is the application of Cordura AFT fabrics.

It’s a very unique application of mesh that you can only find with Rukka. As you can see, it can be cost-prohibitive and not very many people can spend $500 on a mesh jacket. Fitment for women’s Rukka can be challenging (fairly straight except for roomier shoulders and bust space, so slightly inverted triangle shaped) as well. The pants tend to run a bit slimmer in the hips with some extra room in the waist and then slimmer legs/calves. I’ve never ridden in one of these, but I hope to try one out this Summer to see if I like the fitment.

I’ll be honest, the only real reason I haven’t flipped a switch to Rukka for summer is simply styling and aesthetics. I much prefer how my Revit mesh looks. Vain, I know! 

If I weren’t so vain, I’d spend a little extra on this suit in a heartbeat. MSRP $499 Jacket, $449 Pants.

Cortech Lolo Jacket

The Lolo is one of the few leather jackets that I’ve found that fit really well for very curvy girls.

Not only does it (and all Cortech womens jackets) offer plus sizing, but also a roomy chest, shoulder, bust and waist with a slightly shorter sleeve length. The leather looks great in person, not too shiny and not too worn. Available in brown and black. MSRP $299.99.

Firstgear Bancroft Gloves

This is a brand new style for FirstGear and I think it offers a tremendous amount of protection for the price point. As the brand goes, you’ll find these great for shorter, wider hands and shorter fingers. 

Full wrist coverage and a palm slider. For $99, it makes for a great Spring/Fall/Mild Winter waterproof glove. 

But if you don’t like longer cuff gloves, try the shorter versions, the Electra. 

Bull-It Tactical Straight Fit Jeans

I haven’t found any pants (with the exception of Oxford Leggings) that fit as curvy as these do. I would call these a Plus Size Fit Jean because the rise is so high and because the waist fit is so generous. 

They aren’t the highest protection or performance, but they do offer a fitment that simply doesn’t exist in women’s riding pants.

And for that reason I highly recommend them.

You can amp up the protection with D3O level 2 armor from Klim or Icon if you want a little more. MSRP $129.95.

ROLAND SANDS MIA LEATHER JACKET

I like this jacket because it’s super stylish for riding, but also perfect off the bike. The hoody is a removable, stand alone softshell jacket. Per usual Roland Sands fit, it still has a slimmer profile. But with the huge stretch panel that runs vertically from the shoulder to the waist along with the small hip gussets, it works well for lean, pear shape and some curvier body types. Not quite as curvy as the Lolo but not super slim like the Italians (Dainese, Alpinestars, Spidi). It’s been hugely popular in the Showroom and looks beautiful in person. I think you could make it work on any riding style, even sporty bikes (without the hood because if you ride extremely forward, and wear your full face helmet, it will definitely be in your way when you try to move your head back or check your blind spot.)

If you don’t love black, don’t worry there’s also a lovely light grey and dark brown. MSRP $599.

ROLAND SANDS TRINITY PERFORATED LEATHER JACKET

A casual styled leather that’s also perforated is really, really hard to come by. In fact, I want to say the Trinity is the first one I’ve seen. This is essentially the perforated version of the Mia. So what does that mean? It means when it’s 80F out, you’ll get to wear this pretty leather jacket if you’d rather not wear textile mesh!

The biggest difference is that there’s no removable liners. The Trinity has the same stretchy panels along the back from the shoulder down the sides of the torso. This makes a huge difference for fit, allowing for a more versatile fit that can be worn by multiple body types. It won’t have the slimmest fit like a European brand but it comes pretty close. And when a woman who does need a little more room around the bust or shoulders needs the space, it’ll allow for that as well. Kudos to Roland Sands for the smart design on this and the Mia. MSRP $450.

Questions About Women's Motorcycle Gear

Join me in one week when my good friend Alisa Clickenger (Women’s Motorcycle Tours) joins me for a Live QnA about Riding Gear.

When: Monday, March 11th at 3:30pm Pacific / 6:30pm Eastern

Originally, we created this event for a Facebook Group called Motorcycle Mentoring, for women riders look for female mentors. If you’re new to riding and are looking for great advice and feedback from a wonderfully supportive group of women riders, this is the group for you. All riders, all riding lifestyles, all ages.

IMS 2011 at the Women Ride booth: Alisa (left), Me and one of our IMS volunteers

I consider Alisa to be one of my mentors and long time friends. When we first met at the IMS 8 years ago, I was inspired by her personal riding stories. She has always been a source of encouragement and motivation for me, and I am so proud to call her my friend.

I’m excited to participate in this QnA and give you all the answers you’ve been waiting for. Whether it’s how to find the right fitting jacket or how to find a pant that fits your body type. And any other gear questions you might have that you’ve been hoping to ask but aren’t sure who can help you find the answers.

How to Join

Register Here

Then wait for your confirmation email containing instructions to join the call Online Live Stream, OR via telephone.

You can also call in just like a conference call and listen in and participate that way if you don’t have access to the internet! If you have any questions, post a comment here or send me an email.

Note that everyone must register individually because you will receive a link that’s specific to your email. You do not have to use your webcam if you don’t want to, either. You can just watch!

Bring your questions or if you’re already a member of the group you can post your questions in the Facebook Event there, or post a comment here.

July 2016: Our friend Porsche (left), Alisa (center) and Me