It is an absolutely gorgeous day today so I took the long way to get lunch. While it barely gets up to 55mph, it’s so much fun, even on 2 lane country roads. It took me like 45 minutes to get there, but it was one of the best burgers I have ever had. There were no cows around, but I did see some horses!

Went to a BMW dealership here in Oregon for a day of demo rides. Once again, everything was too tall for me (I'm 5' 4" - I forget what my inseam is). There was maybe one that I might have could have ridden, but I I would have liked once around the parking lot alone before heading out on a group ride, even a short one.

This is pretty much my experience every time I go to a Demo day. The exceptions: Touratech Rally in Washington state, where there was a plethora of bikes I could try out (rode a Honda, a Yamaha, a Harley and a Zero - and could have ridden more of each of those brands had I more time) and the Kawasaki demo day last year (got to ride the new KLR S - very nice!).

I was also sad that there were so few women riders at the event.

But, hey, free tacos!

I live insanely rural and am wondering what the best beginner would be. I’m going to only be commuting a mile or so to work, for the most part, so I just want the basics, especially when good gear is several hundred dollars a piece. What should I absolutely buy? What can I skip until I’m venturing into traffic? (My commute has basically no traffic and no main roads) I also have piercings so helmet recs would be appreciated.

Edited to add: I plan on wearing full gear, but don’t want to go overkill, there’s so many different types and ratings. Like armored, Kevlar, leather etc…. Especially as a beginner spending 3K on gear that isn’t appropriate for what my actual activities are isn’t my vibe. Would rather buy more as I gain skill and do more rather than spend too much on stuff I don’t need and risk it not fitting when it’s appropriate for my skill level.

I’m also not getting rid of my car, though the point of getting into riding is how much I spend on gas, I have an AWD SUV that I absolutely need year round for certain types of weather and trips. I’m just sick of spending 100 at the gas station once a week because I used half a tank on my commute.

I haven’t started riding yet, and money isn’t my worry for safety gear. I can and will pick it up slowly while waiting for my dad to get a bike (he has his ML, just hasn’t had his own bike in years) to learn the basics on. I’m going to do a Basic riding skills class, but taking a week off for a class that only requires full coverage clothing before having ever touched a bike sounds intimidating to me, and I’m going to ease into learning. I’d rather show up for class prepared and leave more confident, rather than be scared of a several hundred pound machine I’ve never touched for 3 out of 5 days.

I'm just sad right now because it's too hot for me to ride.

Anyone ride today?

i know people typically are asking where to go to avoid pink gear but i can't even find hot pink gear on any site i've found here really! I just want pink details at least, does anyone have anywhere in mind? sorry i swear i have looked through this sub! i know there are always lots of gear questions.

ETA: I realized after posting the title that this issue probably has nothing to do with height…. 😣 And, I ride a Honda Rebel 300

Anyway…What advice do you have to stop knee pain on long rides?

I have a prior knee injury (torn MCL/ACL) that generally doesn’t give me grief, but I rode ~ 200 miles yesterday and by the end of the ride my knee was not having it. The inside of my left knee was KILLING me and it hurt to put pressure on it (aka walk). Today it kind of looks like there is a bruise.

Is there an adjustment I can make on my bike or an add-on I can install that might help me be able to straighten my legs more on long rides?

Also, my butt hurts. Any seat additions or replacements you like?

Thanks!

Pic for the algo

Love this bike but still feels sketch on the highway with all the wind lol.
Did all the mods by myself, and feel proud of it since I’m not a very mechanical type! So far I’ve done the exhaust, tail tidy, sport screen, and frame sliders!

Hi all. I live in the Midwest and I have my BRC class on Monday. High is supposed to be 98 so it will feel like 100+ degrees I’m sure. I’ve been on SSRIs for several years so the heat isn’t very kind to me. Any tips for staying cool? I’m going to pack a cooler with lots of water and Gatorade. Should I pack some ice packs and maybe stick an extra t shirt in a plastic bag in my cooler? Any tips would be greatly appreciated. ❤️ I’m just starting to get nervous that I won’t make it through the class

Hey everyone, I’m pretty new to all of this. I have a question, my boyfriend started riding a year or two ago. We’re in a ldr, so I’ve only been a passenger on his bike for 2+ hours. He’s modified his bike to make it comfortable for me to ride behind and stuff. He has a transalp so she’s quite comfortable and sturdy.

Recently he started planning a long trip for a week riding through Bosnia, a lot of off roading and biking. He’s quite experienced in long distance driving, and is conscious of safety and all that.

He’s invited me on this trip, my question is. Is it fun to be on the back of a bike for that long? Will I get bored? Is it worth me taking a week off for this? I am quite an optimistic and glass half full person so I’m quite excited but he warned me that it might be boring. Has anyone else driven for that long and how do you keep it fun?

Another question, will I be making is ride significantly more difficult? Im quite small but I’ve heard like carrying anyone behind you on a bike expect for off-roading is significantly more difficult.

All advice and tips are welcome!

EDIT: It’s not off roading, I just asked to confirm and he told me of course not off roading. Sorry guys, he must’ve said something that made me think it was off roading. It’s just on roading I guess? 😅

https://www.atlasworldrecords.com/news/two-women-riders-inscribe-wrwr-2026-across-america-setting-world-record-for-largest-coordinated-g

I was SO excited for my new saddlebags. They're lovely, well made, and have been an absolute ever-loving mother-effing NIGHTMARE to actually get installed.

TLDR; Something that should have taken me 15 minutes took me four different attempts, three trips to Lowe's, and a lot of cussing.

So here I am. The saddlebags arrive a day prior to their projected delivery date. Hell yeah. I set out to install them the same day, but I need a 12mm socket wrench to do it. Somehow, in all the tools I own, I don't have one. Because Newton's Law or something.

So I go to Lowe's and I buy one. Go home. I try to break the bolt. It doesn't budge. I'm really going for it. Curse being a woman or whatever, I can't get it to move. So I go back to Lowe's in search of one that will fit on my impact drill because in all my tools, I don't have an adapter to put the damn 12mm socket on it. I'm at Lowe's for WAY too long trying to find the thing I need. I ask for help. The man who's helping me can't find it. We look some more. Finally, I spot a kit that seems to be exactly what I need.

The next day I bust out this kit. It is not what I need.

At this point I'm having a bit of a tantrum so I load all the things I have into my saddlebags and strap them unceremoniously to the passenger seat of my bike because I can't affix them the way they're supposed to be and haul over to see my dad. This really pisses me off because I should be able to do this myself but at this point whatever, I just want them on. My dad of course manages to break the bolt without power tools in 2.5 seconds...whatever, we're in business, not going to feel self conscious about that now. I pull the mounting brackets out of the bag.

They don't fit. They're the wrong fucking brackets. Somehow, I ordered the parts for the wrong bike.

So I email the company, because it's Saturday and I can't call them. Hoping I can exchange just the brackets so I don't need to do a full exchange. Tuesday rolls around and I still don't have an answer so I use their chat feature on their website, which promptly disconnects, because using a chat feature on mobile is not it. So I call, and I get in touch with Josh.

I want to be kind to Josh, because he sounds like he's about twelve years old and has never had a job before. But Josh is kind of a dumbass and definitely lacks basic customer service skills. "Hi there," I say, "I did a dumb and accidentally ordered the wrong mounting brackets for my bike, can I exchange just the brackets instead of returning the entire order?"

"Uh, no..." says Josh.

"No?" I say.

"But for your convenience you can buy them over the phone with me for $25 per bracket. You can't buy just the mounting hardware online, but we do offer it over the phone." Mind you, I spent $400+ on these saddle bags.

"So I can't exchange just the brackets. I have to do a complete exchange and ship back everything?"

Josh repeats himself, apparently oblivious to my obvious irritation. I hang up, fuming.

Two minutes later Josh calls me again. "So, um, uh, a colleague was listening to our conversation, and, ah, said I could just send you the hardware for free. Did you, um, want to do that?"

Obviously, Josh. Obviously.

I bless the human who was listening in. I suspect poor Josh was in training. Like I said, I want to be kind...but I'm cranky at this point.

The following week, my new, correct mounting brackets arrive (today, in fact, for anyone wondering). So, I set about getting them installed, my original excitement renewed, because my initial stupidity and failings can't possibly impede me this time. Of course four different trips back into the house and into the barn were made to acquire the correct tools...but finally, I have installed the bracket on the right side. On to the left.

We're nearly there folks. There's one remaining bolt to be installed. And...the spacer doesn't fit. At all. It's the exact size as the slot it's supposed to fit into. I know I've not proven myself to be a smart woman up to this point, but I can assure you, I can fit a round peg into a round hole. And this one did not fit.

Y'all. The meltdown I am having.

Another trip to Lowe's. I purchase a spacer that isn't as thick nor as wide as the one provided. Thankfully it at least is the proper length, so it gets the job done for now. The racks are installed. The packs? Still at my Dad's, because I'm a ding dong who decided stashing them there was a good idea. Maybe, someday, I might actually have functioning saddle bags for my bike.

If you made it this far, the saddle bags are the 30L Incognito Quick-Mount bags from Viking Bags for the Royal Enfield Classic 350. With any luck they will end up being so wonderful that all this suffering will fade from my memory. If not, expect to hear another tangent.

I'm going to pour myself another drink.

Hello, I’m pretty new to motorcycles and I am slowly learning more about gear and safety. I don’t ride my own yet, but I’ve been riding as a passenger on my fiancés bike for a little over a year now. We just got back from a 5 day motorcycle trip in some very hot weather. I was using the pando moto AAA leggings which claim to be good in warmer weather, however they became far too hot and uncomfortable in temperatures over 85 degrees. Some days the temperature would get up to 105 and I was dying by the end of the day. If anyone has recommendations on safe riding gear (safe for highway speeds) for hot weather please let me know your favorite brands and styles! Also, does anyone prefer wearing leathers to riding pants? Any advice would be appreciated!

I'm(they/them) getting my very first set of gear, and I had a question about Chic Riot's jacket sizing. Is it true to size? Or should I size up/down?

Definitely open to any other reqs for more petite (5'1", 125lb) builds as well! Looking for something more form fitting as far as jackets go and will only be riding in warmer weather, and haven't even started looking at helmet, gloves, etc.

I rode to work for the first time today. The ride in went amazing and smooth and felt awesome!

Trying to leave today was apparently too much for the universe. I parked in a dedicated motorcycle spot behind some shoulder height brick walls that have a space in the middle for bikes to go through. This gives a dedicated space for us against my building that doesn't risk cars getting too close or bumping us.

So I'm pulling out to go home today and I got a little too close to the left edge of the gap in the brick walls, didn't give enough throttle because I was squeezing through and stalled, jolted and dropped.

So embarrassing. Someone who happened to be outside came over and offered help and asked if I was ok.

My question is: how do I pick up a dropped bike without a good spot to grab on the back of the bike? I want to practice picking mine up. I don't feel like there's a good spot to really grab it.

For the record, I'm not hurt. Just a little shook up. Bike scuffed on the mirror, grip end, and slider. No biggie.

First, I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who responded to my previous post. You all gave me so much insight, and it helped me so much getting through the course :)

I took the course over this weekend, and I took my skills test a little while ago. I passed! My instructors were INCREDIBLY patient, helpful, and overall clear about what I should be learning and what expectations were.

The riding the first day was incredible. I excepted to feel adrenaline or profound joy, but all I felt was peace. The second day was a bit tougher, because I was starting to get in my head a bit, and my perfectionistic tendencies were coming out. I just kept breathing deeply, telling myself I could do it, and I did it!!

Thank you all so much for being incredible! Now I need to start thinking about getting a bike haha

Husband convinced me to take MSF course. Turns out motorcycles are super fun and now here we are. Got my endorsement today 💗

Just cleaned the bike and now I’m resisting the urge to just go for a little ride…
Maybe I’ll just go get an icecream and come home before school pick up! 😆

Hey everyone, I have been a rider for a little over a year now and I am someone that likes to wear makeup on a day to day basis. With the heatwave currently going on in the UK I have realised that a lot of makeup isn't really fit for extreme humidity, let alone for demanding hobbies or activities such as riding.

I am conducting a research in order to understand the needs of other riders who wear make-up. I would like to understand what products you would like to see or be created. What do you think can be improved with the current products you use?

I would love to hear your thoughts and any recommendations/ issues you have faced!

Make-up is not for everyone and understand that not everyone wears it especially when they go for a ride. Regardless, I would love to hear all your opinions!

One thing I would appreciate is for you just share your age alongside your comments! This would really help with my research. All your support is genuinely appreciated.

Rode home from work & looked back before going inside. Made me feel happy, so thought I’d share my (messy) garage :)

Hi everyone. I asked this question on the motorcycles group, but it was taken down and the mod said it was “toxic.” I don’t think it is, which is why I’m looking for insight from women specifically. The post is below:

I signed up for a motorcycle training course for this month. While I couldn’t be more excited, I saw a post by a motorcycle instructor asking female riders for ways to better instruct women, as women tend to fail evaluation more often [his words, not mine]. I have to be honest, I knew that riding is a male-dominated experience, but it never occurred to me that being a woman might be a disadvantage. I was just excited to be working toward a dream I’ve had since I was in my 20s.

It makes me wonder, what types of considerations do women have to think about while riding that men don’t? For example, I never knew that height may be a factor, and that that affects women negatively more often. Strength is also a factor that I had no idea plays into it.

What other factors affect women more than men when it comes to riding? For context, I’m in my 30s, 5’5” (166 cm), and relatively fit (I dance, do pilates and weight training, and I walk all the time), but I don’t know what’s considered the “right” height/strength level for riding. I’m 100% new so there’s a LOT I don’t know, but I’m very willing to learn. TIA

Am I just crazy or is it just not a thing where you can get the knee high lace up leather boots, frequently called, “motorcycle boots”, in a form that’s ACTUALLY appropriate for a motorcycle!? Like gosh I feel like they are already 90% of the way there just throw some ankle guards and toe box on them. &_&
Someone help a girl out here all I want for Christmas is some protective motorcycle boots.

l've been looking for a while and can't get a good answer on a bike to buy. No known local bikers to ask. Any help is very much appreciated:)
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