Femmoto

If you ever attended Femmoto, or ever wanted to, you'll be happy to hear that it's coming back!!

I met the new organizers today and they're working as hard and as fast as they can to get dates set.

They know how important Femmoto was in previous years and are committed to making it even better than it was.

And, track days aren't *just* for sportbikes. If you ride a cruiser, you'll want to participate in Femmoto too. :)

I did Femmoto once, in 2006. I tried to go back in 2007 but I just couldn't go. I'm so glad I went back then, it was an amazing experience and gave me a glimpse of what was in store for the future. At the time I was riding my ninja 250, and I never thought that I could ride like that anywhere.

If you don't know what Femmoto was, it was basically a track day just for women. Several manufacturers came out and brought the demo trucks so we could use their brand new motorcycles on the track! Ducati, Moto Guzzi, Kymco (yes, scooters too!), Suzuki, Kawasaki, Buell, and probably a few more that I can't remember. I rode a Ducati Monster 695, Kawasaki Z1000, and a Kawasaki 600RR.

At the time I'd only been riding for 3 years (1st year on the scooter, 2nd and 3rd on the 250). I'd never ridden a fast sportbike before. The minute I sat on the 600RR, I knew it was going to be different. I could barely touch the ground (tip toes!) and I was scared that I would drop the bike as soon as I got back to the paddock. I had no idea it was going to change my life!

That bike made me realize that I could go faster in and out of the corners. I remember pushing it just a little further than the Kawi Z1000 or Ninja 650R I had ridden earlier that morning. I thought to myself "wow, this is SO much more fun to ride in the corners!". It was literally throwing itself into the corners without me doing anything, except leaning just a little bit, and pressing just a little bit, and speeding up just a little bit.

I pushed myself to go a little bit faster, to see what would happen and then I felt it. It was like the moment I saw my husband for the first time (awww). I knew when I saw him that he was the one I was going to marry. I felt completely sure of myself, sure of my capabilities, and fully trusted the bike. It felt solid, it felt grounded, almost like it was riding an invisible train track. I just knew that if I trusted the bike and my instincts, I could go even FASTER! The adrenaline rush was incredible. I was only going ~50-60? I'm not sure (never bothered to look at the speedometer, that's what's so great about the track), so not terribly fast. But for me, it felt like the fastest I'd ever gone in and out of a corner before.

I haven't done a track day since, because I just know that I'd want to do it more, every chance I'd get. I just can't afford any more expensive hobbies! Not right now, anyway.

I can't wait to see what happens. The website is still being redesigned, so you'll have to follow them on Facebook to stay tuned with updates. Or check back on my blog, or follow me on twitter and I'll be sure to post as soon as I hear anything!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Femmoto/164728523575198

My Wishlist

Someone that I recently met on Facebook asked me recently what 2 piece outfits I'm shopping for, as I mentioned to her that I'm trying to rebuild my gear closet. Here's what's swirling around in my brain. (Forgive the terrible cell phone pics! Future photos will be on my newest toy)
1. Leather Jacket For my Dainese Firefly pants (Love them!) I'm a weird one, I wear my 2 piece leathers even in the summer. I just can't stand the idea of my flesh hitting hot, hot pavement. I'm also sticking to Dainese since I can't zip anything else to my pants. Which, is fine by me. And unless someone is willing to replace my pants with something else, I'm going to stick with them for now.

Dainese SF Leather (since they'll zip to my pants, and it fits so well *swoon*).

2. Winter Textile Jacket, waterproof. I'm torn between what REV'IT and Dainese have to offer right now. I really want a textile that's waterproof without the need for an additional liner. These are both such great options, I don't even know if it's worth buying a winter jacket yet since I'm going to be traveling every weekend through Mid March. But these are the two that I'm looking at right now:

Dainese Xantum D-Dry Lady I'm wearing this jacket in the photos below with the Adina pants.

REV'IT! Ventura Unfortunately this isn't available until mid February, so it might be pointless at that point.. I'll have to try it on and take a look at it to know for sure.

3. Textile Winter Pant. Not an overpant, but a non ventilated pant with an insulated liner.

REV'IT! Ventura Pant Same thing, not available until sometime in February.

Dainese Adina GORE-TEX® I love the way these fit. They felt like regular pants to me. Here are some terrible phone pics:

Dainese probably offers the most variety that I've seen, of women's textile pants.

Final Newsletter of 2010

If you haven't signed up for it, use the link on the left.Click here to see the last GearChic newsletter of 2010.

Happy New Year!

How do you Park your Motorcycle?

Someone recently gave me a wonderful compliment about my ability to maneuver my motorcycle. Being a short stack (as my husband sometimes refers to me) I can't always maneuver my bike in the same way as others. Sometimes you have to work with what you got. And if I limited myself to just what I could maneuver while seated on a motorcycle, I'd probably still be riding a 200lb scooter right now. But why should you be limited to anything? As long as you have the right tools and techniques, it can be done. A 20 point turn to get it straightened up. It doesn't help that my SV has a very limited turning radius. It always feels like a 10 point turn, no matter how big the parking lot is. And then if there's gravel or sand or an uphill grade, that makes things a little more complicated. It's impossible for me to back my bike up any kind of incline. And if I have to back my bike downhill, it can be even harder, as is the case with my garage.

I could practically do this with my eyes closed!

If you've ever driven around San Francisco, you know how the houses are set back from the street a little bit. Although there is a very flat sidewalk right in front of my garage, the garage itself is sloped downwards right where you pull into the garage and then it's still sloped once you get inside. Unfortunately it's not totally flat and can make in and out a little difficult.

When I get home from work, I pull up to the garage and back it in by walking it in since both of my feet barely touch the ground. I can get away with this on a flat surface, but with a downward slope, I'm sure to tip over. So my strategy is to walk it in backwards. I use this technique every time I need to maneuver my bike in and out of a space that it simply too tight or difficult to turn around in.

First, I always try to wear my Daytonas or other riding boots while doing any manuevering. With the added traction beneath my feet, it actually makes it easier for me to push the bike around. It almost feels like I don't have to push as hard to get the bike to move in the direction I need it to. I have more leverage to push the bike where I need to. Oh and a bonus are my framesliders which are right where my knee can push against the bike as well, if need be. They've come in very handy when I have to push my bike up a slight grade a few feet.

Second, I also am very conscious of my front brake and use it oh so lightly. One hard grab and I'm done. I use 2 fingers to manage the front brake so that I don't grab it too hard. Generally I just drag the brakes a little bit as I walk backwards.

Knee is braced against the slider, or up against the bike

Look Ma, No Hands. The bike is resting solely on my hip, so as long as I stay upright, so will the bike!

As you can see we have a funky slope in our garage, it's not flat, but YAY for having a garage to keep the bikes dry and warm