Check out this fantastic blog post from my friend Leslie over at ADVGrrls.com about riding taller motorcycles. I love the cool drawings she puts together to show the different experiences she's had over the years.
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!
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 :)
Riding a Motorcycle in Dublin, Ireland with Alpinestars
For 1 week I was the lucky recipient of a free trip to Ireland! Luckily, I had a day to ride two wheels and here's my brief story. It all starts with a surprise trip to Ireland on behalf of my husband, but without my husband. Let's just pretend it was a secret mission where I was preoccupied for 6 days and was able to rest on the 7th. So I decided to rent a BMW F650Gs, from Celtic Rider.
celtic rider bmw f650gs motorcycle rental dublin ireland
It was sooooo nice out! Maybe mid 60s and a few clouds but mostly blue sky. I rented a Garmin just in case and ended up heading south into Wicklow Mountains National Park. I had to stop and take this pic.
First road, the only dry part. Killakee Road towards Wicklow Mountains Nat'l Park
I felt like the clouds were moving away from me so I kept going, pretty slow ~45mph. The road was windy but no blind corners and hardly any traffic! This was probably the most cars I'd passed at once. Eventually I found some sheep and a couple of postcard perfect scenes that I had no choice but to photograph. I had to stop, pinch and remind myself exactly where I was. IRELAND!
Eventually I made it to this small junction, where a small parking lot looked good to stop and plan my next route. I met this lovely man named Eddie who was fascinated by my fancy Garmin.
Eventually I made it to the junction of Wicklow Way and Military Rd known as Sally Gap. Stopped and chatted with Eddie (wearing helmet).
View of the parking lot.
And this is where it gets rainy. After leaving this cute parking lot, it started pouring about a half hour later as I wandered further West. I rode for awhile in the rain and eventually I got sick of it so I decided to find a spot to dry off and get comfortable. I found an underground parking garage, had lunch and waited until it dried out. I then tried to get lost and wander some local towns since my Garmin wasn't cooperating.
Sadly I didn't get as far as I wanted to go. I stayed within 30-40 miles of downtown Dublin instead of heading west where all the good roads seem to be. :(
I relied on the 2 short suggestions that I was given and ended up not riding very far. Even with these minor disappointments I still had a GREAT time riding around Dublin. The people were so nice, the scenery was breathtaking and the BMW was awesome! I think they had a stock 2008 F650GS, and it was perfect. It only took me a short while to get used to the other side of the road too.
I definitely plan on making Ireland a riding vacation destination so I can explore the rest of this beautiful country. I know there is lots to see and I can envision renting a bike for a week to see and experience far more than I was able to.
I also managed to take a tour of the Guinness Factory! Freshest Guinness you'll ever drink, tapped straight from the newer factory across the street.
The Gear
I was also able to wear this fantastic GORE-TEX outfit from Alpinestars, which made my wet ride perfectly comfortable. I stayed warm and dry the entire time.
alpinestars_new_land_gtx_jacket_black_front
alpinestars_new_land_goretex_pants
For a longer ride report and full gear review, please tune into Episode 25 of my podcast at Moterrific.com.
