Reader Question: Gear for a New Rider

Hi,

I found your site on Google. I know you usually do motorcycle gear for women but I was wondering if you had any strong suggestions for great for first time riders.

I was very much against my son getting a motorcycle but his father decided to gift him one for graduation. He's graduating from usf this semester. With that, he is signed up to take the motorcycle courses in two weeks. The bike his dad got him is a kawasaki ninja zx6r? I think which is a 600 engine which people don't usually recommend for a first time bike. My son likes to go fast but he's a safe driver if that even makes sense.

I am much more concerned for his safety as San Francisco drivers, Bay Area drivers all together are very dangerous.

So I only agreed if he got all the gear and classes necessary. I also had him sign up for maintenance and motorcycle knowledge classes at motosf and he wasn't very happy but he agreed just to make me feel better.

He lives in San Francisco but from time to time he will be commuting to South Bay for his new job. I've been doing my research and do you recommend him get a one piece suit? Two piece?

He gets hot very easily so he's not a fan of very heavy clothing. What would do the job? His dad bought him an arai rxq helmet as well as dainese gloves. Not sure which. But I wanted to know more about the protection and clothing he would be able to wear in commute vs shorter rides. Is there something he can wear over his work clothes of snacks and a button up shirt without getting sweaty and smelly?

What brands do you recommend. What protection? Also sizing... He likes to wear baggy things. Not super baggy but he likes to have room. Is that not recommended when buying motorcycle jackets? Also what do you recommend in leather vs textile jackets?

Thank you so much for your opinion and time.

Kirsten

Hi Kristen,

I totally understand your hesitation and anxieties concerning your son. I would have to agree that a sportbike such as the Ninja ZX6R is not exactly the perfect first bike for everyone. However, if he's a fairly levelheaded person, he'll probably be okay. I think you've done everything you can by pushing him to get training and educate himself on how to ride and take care of his motorcycle. It's definitely a good idea to know exactly what he's getting into. I'm not sure where he's signed up for classes, but if he hasn't checked out  Bay Area Moto Shop in San Francisco, I highly highly recommend it. It's a fantastic community of riders for him to get comfortable and excited about riding!

As far as gear, he could definitely do a 1 or 2 piece, depending on his lifestyle. It will also depend on his body type and overall fit profile. If he hasn't already, I recommend going to the Dainese Store SF. They are extremely knowledgable and have an incredible selection of 1 piece suits. I also recommend going to Scuderia in SF as well, and ask for big Dan. :D It also sounds like he has

Personally, I'm a fan of 2-piece suits because it allows flexibility when you go places. You can take your jacket off if you need to, or wear your jacket with different pants. If you wear a 1 piece, you always wear the 1 piece. He can definitely find overpants and jackets to wear over work clothes. He can also find vented gear that allows air to flow through the jacket so it's not too warm. There are many options, especially for men!

Everyone has different preferences in how they want to dress, but the one thing that is definitely important about motorcycle gear is Fit. Gear must fit close to the body so the body armor sits on top of the shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and back so it doesn't move upon impact. Unfortunately the baggy fit doesn't translate with gear. There's almost no point in wearing any if it isn't fitting you properly, as motorcycle gear's #1 purpose should be to protect the body. Anything can be labeled as motorcycle gear, but if you read my Basics then you know how to tell if it's real motorcycle gear.

As far as leather v. textile, it's definitely a personal choice. Basically you choose leather if you want more durability and a little more protection. However, not all leather is the same. There's everything from lightweight, 0.9mm casual style leather to 1.3-1.4mm high quality, heavy leather. So you definitely have to look at each one individually and see what that jacket offers in terms of protection.

Generally, textile offers a little more functionality like the Revit Tornado Jacket on the left;  it has one removable liner that is waterproof and warm. The outside has mesh panels so he'll stay cool, but when he has to get back up to the City he has a warm liner.  Most people prefer textile at first because it's immediately comfortable, doesn't feel as restrictive as leather and just feels good from the get go.

Leather requires break in time, because it starts out stiffer and less comfortable. Many new riders (including myself when I was new) aren't willing to make this investment until it feels more comfortable. It certainly can offer more protection, but it's all about what feels good to the rider. If it doesn't feel good or comfortable, a rider won't wear it.

These are definitely options that each rider has to explore on his/her own and possibly make the wrong decision(s) to make the right one. It sucks but sadly that's how most people realize they need better gear, or gear in general.

I hope this helps, good luck to your son in making great riding choices!

Back Protector Issue

Reader Emily wrote me recently about a back protector issue she's having while riding 2-up. Check out what she had to say along with my reply:

Hi there, I live in Berkeley (I know you've decamped to Philly) and my b/f and I ride a BMW 1200GS Adventure with me on the back. We recently upsized from an 800GS. Because I found it hard on my lower back to not have no backrest, when he got the new bike he had a box put on the back with the backrest cushioning installed.

Now I am getting a bruise mid-spine from the top of the box (even though it is cushioned as well). I have a FirstGear Kilimanjaro Air jacket that I've liked but the back armor goes down just to the place where the top of the box hits. I went into the BMW dealer in SF yesterday to try their jackets and found they have the same problem. I am 5'8" and long waisted and BMW jackets for women don't come in long sizes, though their men's apparel does. Kent in the BMW store suggested I try Rev'it because they make better apparel for women then BMW (actually he suggested I start my own company making women's motorcycling appa rel).

However, I note in looking at the Rev'it website that the women's gear also does not come in long sizes. Do you know how long the back armor is in the women's jacket (I wear an 8 in the BMW GS Dry) or do you have any other suggestions? We're taking a two week trip in Montana in September and I've got to have this figured out by then or I will be be super uncomfortable.

-April

I have a couple ideas for you:

1) Rev'it Levante Jacket + Seesoft Back Protector

This combination gives you two things including a longer cut in the torso and sleeves as well as a back protector that's fairly long. It shouldn't be taller than your shoulder blades but I think it'll alleviate the issues you're having with the top box. This jacket is one of the only ones that work well for women who are looking for a jacket that's multi season (removable thermal layer with a mesh shell) and have a longer torso fit as well a sleeve length. Unfortunately you have to use Seesoft with the Levante because the pocket is specifically cut out for Seesoft. Alternatively, you could also use D3O instead, you'll just have to trim the sides to fit. To find out more about this jacket, check out my tall co-host's review here.

Keep in mind that all back protector inserts will never be higher than the shoulder blades because it's just too uncomfortable in riding position and the jacket just won't fit right. It would really restrict the driver's ability to fully turn their head from side to side.

 

2) External Back Protector

If the previous combination doesn't work, try wearing an external back protector underneath like this one by Spidi. I like this one because it's pretty long but really thin. You can also adjust the waist belt to your height via velcro. I think this would fit perfectly underneath the Levante as well.

Thinking about getting into Motorcycles

"So I have been thinking a lot about riding, i don't know many that ride so it would primarily just be me by myself. But this leaves me with no one to get answers from.. I read all about the gear things, I just ordered these riding sneakers but the more I read the more I think i need actual boots... anyway what about bikes themselves, i'm pretty short, what happens when i go buy a bike new/used what if i feel like I'm too high off the ground? is there anyway to fix that or am I kind of left with being uncomfortable."

-Lisa

First, I want you to know that you are Not alone! There are so many resources online, women's motorcycle groups and more to help you get started. A few resources:

• Clubs: Motor Maids, Women on Wheels. Both of these groups are national, and have chapters all over the country. I'm sure there is a chapter in your area.
• Meetup.com: Depending where you live, you may be able to find riding groups in your area. It's free to join, it only costs money to create a group.
• Try googling for "women's motorcycle groups <yourcity>"  There are lots of women's motorcycle clubs/groups all over the country, many of them welcome new riders with open arms. If you're anywhere near Philly, please join my Facebook Group.
• Moterrific.com: I have to recommend my podcast show since we talk a lot about new riders and things that every rider wants to know about including gear, used bike shopping and more. There are lots of other podcasts that you can learn from as well including The Pace and Wheel Nerds.

If you can tell me where you live, I'm sure we can find a group / club near you.

To answer your first question, yes, I would definitely recommend riding boots. Not just sneakers. Especially one of these to give you the most traction, stability and protection that you can get as you start out. Starting with a really good pair of boots helps you gain better control over your braking, shifting and stopping so you have lots of stability when you come to a stop. I like to tell people that when you put your feet down when you're seated on a motorcycle, it sends a very strong message to your brain. Either "This is Great! I feel fantastic." or "Oh Shit, what have I gotten myself into?" Of course, this will only feel good if you're on a lighter bike that's a good match for you (think under 300lbs).

I also recommend taking the motorcycle safety class (if you haven't already), so that you get proper instruction and you'll get to ride a few small beginner bikes to get a feel for the whole experience. You may Love or Hate it after that. I think that will ease a lot of your anxieties right there. You'll also meet lots of fellow new riders in your class, and will probably make friends with some of them as well. If you've already taken your class, you've taken the first step.

Here are a few beginner bikes that I recommend looking at:

• Ninja 250R (old or new, I had a 2003 and it was fantastic)
• Yamaha TW200
• Honda CBR250R
• Honda Rebel 250
• Suzuki DR200 (although it's a bit taller than the others, it's SO light it doesn't matter)
• Suzuki Tu250
• Older standards like a Honda CB350

Since you're a new rider, everything will feel uncomfortable if it isn't short enough to let you flat foot with both feet. That's why I recommend the safety class because almost all the bikes will be short! But you will also learn lots of good techniques like smooth braking and stopping which helps you manage taller motorcycles. I know it's not easy to be patient, but if you start on the right bike for your experience level, I know you'll find it to be much easier than you expected. I think you run into trouble when you start on bikes that are way too heavy, tall or powerful to learn on.

And there are things you can do to alter your motorcycle if it's a bit too tall. I'm not a fan of lowering motorcycles but if you need to always consult a shop that specializes in motorcycle suspension, because they will know *exactly* how to lower it properly. Most dealerships don't have suspension mechanics on site. Before you do that, look into lowered seats! You can get an aftermarket low seat, depending on your bike, or you can have one custom made too.

Generally speaking, being shorter means having to struggle a bit to ride bigger bikes. There's no way around it. So it helps if we start out small and just get used to riding to work our way up. I spent more time doing this than most folks, and I know not everyone has the patience to do so but I highly recommend it. As a result I've been able to ride a lot of bikes that I never, ever thought I'd be able to ride because my inseam is so much shorter than these bikes.

As you ride more, you get better. The better you get at perfecting your riding techniques, the easier it gets to ride bigger bikes. There are so many people out there who ride tall motorcycles, it's not impossible!

As far as buying a used bike, here are a couple resources for you to read with regards to used motorcycles:

1. AMA Used Bike Checklist
2. Article about Shopping for Used Motorcycles
3. Moterrific Podcast Episode about Used Motorcycles

What Kind of Petite Riding Jacket, Boots and Pants?

My name is Melissa and I live in London. I found your site on Google. I' m looking for some motorcycle gear as my boyfriend has a motorbike and I will be riding as a passenger pretty soon. We're planning a trip at Easter to ride from Portland to LA, which is super exciting, only thing is, I'm tiny. It's proving really difficult to find stuff that's actually "small". I guess I'm just under 5ft tall and about a US size 0-2 (UK size 4-6). I'm looking for some pants (possibly armoured jeans?) that are as skinny a fit as possible (partly for vain reasons, partly for fit!). Or do you know if it's possible to buy leg armour ie. wear my own jeans underneath (as I can imagine that trousers that are possibly a bit too big would be slightly uncomfortable)? As we're going to be travelling really light- one pannier each for 3 weeks (!) I'd like my gear to look as much like regular clothes as possible so I don't have to pack too much else..

I'm sure finding a jacket won't be as difficult. but would any leather jacket suffice or does it have to be armoured.

I already own some steel toe cap Doctor Marten boots- I imagine these would be ok.. correct me if I'm wrong!

I'm completely clueless basically!! Help!

Melissa

Hi Melissa,

For pants, the only ones I can think of that will fit you are the Vikas in 38. However, depending on your measurements and how small you are, even those may be slightly loose. I have a review of them here.

The smallest riding jeans I know of are the Dainese D19s in 25. I would recommend buying one of these knee guards to wear over the jeans:

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dainese-knee-v-guard

or

http://www.revzilla.com/product/alpinestars-bionic-mx-knee-protectors

As far as jackets, I'm afraid it's going to be difficult as well. And yes, you definitely want something armored. Casual leather has absolutely nothing designed in the event of a crash, things like seam strength and abrasion resistance are non existent. And if you plan on riding up when the weather is chilly, you may want to think about an insulated textile instead of leather. Especially if it's going to be wet or rainy.

I'm also guessing that you have a very narrow torso and bust. If your measurements are small as I think they are, your best off the rack options are the Vika in 38, Indigo in 34, Sand in 34 and Tornado in 34. If your bust measurement is under 34" (over the bust), I haven't found anything that will fit below that size. :-(

As far as boots, Dr Martens are ok, since they are leather and pretty durable. I actually started out wearing those the first year I rode my motorcycle but quickly realized that real riding boots were far more beneficial for me as a rider. Ideally, you also more ankle protection, from a boot like these:

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dainese-womens-svelta-gore-tex-boots 

They're extremely comfortable, 100% waterproof, and very slender up the calf/leg.

The soles, toes, ankles and heels are reinforced in the event of a crash. Everything is designed to keep your feet from getting crushed and absorbing a tremendous impact.

Riding a motorcycle requires a lot of functional riding gear. Anything that looks more fashionable more often than not, lacks either protection or features that are going to make your ride a less comfortable and safe one.

A side note for any women reading this who are tall, slender and/or very petite. Generally speaking, these brands are going to take the best care of you when it comes to gear:

   

The reason is that these brands are European. As such, they offer the smallest off the rack sizes and everything about them is a better fit for leaner body types; narrower torso, shoulders, arms, elbows, legs, etc. 

There is one exception with American brands and that is the Klim Altitude for Dual Sport / Adventure riders. This suit has a very long / lean fit.