New BMW Womens Motorcycle Boot

For those of you looking for a less expensive alternative to the Daytona Ladystars, BMW may have what you're looking for.

BMW Pro Touring 2 Unisex Motorcycle Boots for Women

Price:

$259.00 (some shops may be selling them at the higher price, when in fact they are supposed to be set at this price)

Sizes:

6.5 to 13, Unisex. My girlfriend tried these on (she's an 8/Euro 38) and they fit her perfectly.  

Where to Buy:

BMWMotorcycle.com or your local BMW Motorcycles Dealer

Features: 

• Full-grain hydrophobic soft approx. 1.8-2.0-mm-mm cowhide
• Highly breathable, wind and waterproof GORE-TEX® membrane
• Large shin protector, with additional stiffening and foam padding
• Reinforced in gear-shift area
• Soft velour lining around opening
• Washable, anatomically formed insole with antibacterial function
• Flex zones at heel and instep
• Abrasion-resistant heel protector
• 1.5-2" insole (heel height)

These offer a substantial increase in height, noticeably in the heel. At $349, I know they aren't cheap. Then again, when is really good motorcycle gear "cheap"?

Since these offer a GORE-TEX membrane, they definitely add to the pricepoint. But BMW makes high quality gear, mean to last and ride for thousands of miles.  

I'm sure if you go home with these, you won't be disappointed.   

Mesh Women's Motorcycle Gear for Hot Summer Riding

I love reader emails. The questions are always great and I know everyone can benefit from some free advice.  My latest email is about summer mesh/textile riding options.

Here's a recent email from Nataly in Chicago:

First off, I think your website is great. (Thanks!!)

I started riding about two years ago and the same summer I learned how to ride I purchased my baby, an '09 Yamaha V-Star 650. As of now, a helmet is pretty much all the gear I use but I think more safety gear is probably a good idea. I am 21, 5'4" and 125lbs. Most of the riding I do is commute which includes to work and school. I don't really want to be walking around campus in motorcycle boots and jacket.

I am looking for something more casual as well as light weight for Chicago's hot and humid summers. Being a college student I don't have a very big budget to work with so I thought I'd ask someone more knowledgeable. I'm hoping you can lead me in the right direction. 

Right back at you, Nataly. Your attitude is great and I'm so happy you've decided to make the investment. 

So Nataly, your biggest challenge is not only the hot, humid Chicago weather but lack of secure storage on your motorcycle. I'm not worried about you going to work since you have a place to change and you probably don't have to wear your gear all day while working. But I am worried about commuting to school without any kind of locker or place to stash gear.  

Since your commute is local, I'd recommend first getting knee guards to wear over your jeans if you aren't considering overpants or textile meshed riding pants:  

I would highly recommend going over to the D-Store Chicago.  They will have a large selection of women's gear, especially mesh/textiles for Chicago summer weather for you to try on in your size. I would go there first and if you can't find anything you like, then I would consider some of the options below. But since they have a lot to try on in person, that would be my first recommendation to consider.

Otherwise, you could do a lightweight overpant like these Airwaves: 

REV'IT Airwave Pants $189

What I also like about these are the zippers all the way from hip to toe so you can easily wear them over shorts or jeans and then take them off and roll them up in your softbag. 

Here are some other jacket ideas for you too, under $200. All of them offer elbow and shoulder armor (which you need at a minimum) and lots of ventilation / air flow. They certainly come in other colors too, and I'd order the smallest possible size in each.

Alpinestars Rebel Air Flow $179

Don't worry, it comes in black and red if you're not a camo girl! 

REV'IT Airwave $199

(click here to find a dealer in your zip code for Revit).

Taichi Sport Mesh $129.95 

Unfortunately you would have to mail order this one from TaichiMoto.com.  

As far as boots, I'm going to recommend boots with a GORE-TEX liner, because they will have the Most breathability. Something that will also help greatly with this are athletic socks that breathe and wick moisture away (running socks are fantastic).  

Check out my boot recommendations post from a couple weeks ago. These are all really comfortable (great for walking all day) and lightweight.  All of the ones before the "Need More Protection" section would be ideal. 

I also hope you will consider Gloves. You can easily find some perforated, short leather gloves in time for summer.

Here's an idea of what to look for:

RS Taichi Armed Leather Mesh $69

(The size "Ladies" is an XS.) All mesh on top but sueded leather on the palms. It's not as strong as a standard leather palm like these,  but should hold up in any kind of slow speed accident.  They're well ventilated, so if your hands start to sweat, they will definitely let the air flow through. The last thing you want is your hands meeting hot pavement!

I'm sure the Dainese store will have shorty women's vented gloves for you to check out too.

I hope that helps for now, please let me know when you find something!

REV'IT Ignition 2 Jacket and Gear 2 Pants

This Ignition jacket has been so popular for REV'IT that it took them 3-4 years to update it.  Many manufacturers like to rehash their lines every 4-5 years (much like helmets) and they've definitely taken some liberties with both the Ignition and matching Gear 2 pants.

As mentioned in this previous post,  the Marryls have been discontinued and instead, REV'IT combined the fit and features of the first generation Gear pant to make the new Gear 2 pants.

I'll be picking these up TODAY and I can't wait! I've been dying to get my hands on this outfit since I saw it in October.  These two items are the perfect for year round riding and touring. I've put about 20,000 miles on my other Ignition and I love everything about that jacket except the length of the torso.  It sits right on top of my hips and I just wish it were either an inch shorter (for my super short torso) or a little bit flared at the waist. It had a really straight line from the armpit to the waist and for someone with narrower hips, it's perfect. But for me, it pushes up a little bit.

For those of you who are looking for a really great deal, now's the time to buy the current versions from your dealer since they should be marked down to get ready for the new versions.

The Ignition 1 is the longest, most fitted jacket for those of you with longer torsos, narrow shoulders and long arms. I can't say enough good things about it.

You can find them both online at Revzilla or in person at Scuderia West, or your local REV'IT dealer.

Modifying my motorcycle to fit me?

A listener from the Pace Podcast emailed me recently, asking me how I've modified my SV650 to fit me.  My answer is probably not what you'd expect from a shorty like me... "I've been listening to you on the Pace podcast and want to thank you for doing what you're doing! I love the fact that you break down in detail you review of products instead of the typical simplistic responses of "Great" or "Lame". Anyhow my question is not about gear, but about your SV. I love the look and V-twin sound of the SV. I'm not so crazy about the seat height, I'm only around 5'4" w/appox 28" inseam. I used to ride a 93VFR - which I could flat foot a single foot and was *OK* doing so. Do you have any mods on your SV to lower the seat height? If so, what do you find works best? Do you have bar risers? I'd like to use a bike like this to commute. The 2012 Ninja 650 is on my short list as well but it lacks the "coolness"/vibe of a V-twin - but the ergos are much closer to what works for me."

Answer:

I also have a 28" inseam.

I've never modified my bike, ever (or any of my previous bikes). My best friend has been my Daytona boots as well as my riding experiences since I started on a scooter back in 2003.  For me, spending time on a ninja 250 for a couple years after that, and then a ginormous z750s made me appreciate the nimble and lightweight abilities of the SV650s. I never even thought about modifying it.

Are you wearing protective footwear? If so, the traction on them will give you extra leverage and help compensate for the lack of height.   If you aren't, something like these will give you an extra inch, easy: http://motonation.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=7&idproduct=6326

I also wear Sidi Fusions, and they offer absolutely no additional height. Actually, they took away a good inch from me. I really had to modify my riding technique (focus on smoother breaking) to adapt to them and be comfortable with just relying on my left foot.

Even in my daytonas, I still can't flat foot both feet in those, even with the additional 2 inches. I'm flat on my left, and that's all I've ever needed on that bike (or any bike for that matter).  It has such a low center of gravity and is so light that I've gotten used to the weight distribution and just using one foot. Being a twin certainly makes things a lot skinnier between um, your legs. :P

I guess I'm a bad person to ask about this, because I've actually lost vertical height but haven't done anything to my bike to compensate for it.... I've just modified myself!

I can only recommend checking out www.SVrider.com to see what others may have done to modify/lower their bikes.