If you are a woman and ready to venture into the world of motorcycling, then you’ve come to the right place. In recent times, women have been taking up motorcycle riding in large numbers— A recent survey revealed that one in every four motorcyclists is a woman, and that’s exactly why we have prepared a woman rider’s comprehensive guide for motorcycling for you to make a jump start.
But as far as women are concerned, their questions and apprehensions about riding are different from men. So, we’ve come up with a comprehensive guide for all the women folks out there who plan to take up motorcycle riding. We believe this guide will be sufficient to address all the queries a woman might have and the scenarios she may encounter when she takes up motorcycle riding.
We have addressed below the most essential aspects of getting into motorcycling. No matter where you are as far as the learning process is concerned, you’ll find this article incredibly useful.
Overcoming Some Common Obstacles
As a woman, jumping right into motorcycling isn’t that simple. Maybe your heart wants you to pursue your dream of becoming a motorcycle rider, but your mind thinks otherwise. Thousands of women wish to ride a motorcycle but are held back by barriers such as fear of the unknown or financial worries. Below we have mentioned a list of common obstacles a woman faces when riding a motorcycle and also provided a few methods of how to cope up with them:
Lack of Confidence
Lack of confidence is a major contributing factor to women not taking up motorcycling. They are intimidated by the thought of handling large machinery such as a motorbike. It’s natural for women to think of questions such as “What if I can’t handle the motorcycle?” or “What if I drop the motorbike?”. After all, motorcycling is an activity dominated by men, and despite changes in the industry, people still think it takes a strong man to maneuver a bike. Lucky for women, that isn’t true anymore. A person’s size should not be a limitation.
Over the past 10 years, motorcycle manufacturers have incorporated many machines of different sizes to suit everyone. Furthermore, the aftermarket industry has also come up with different parts that can modify a motorcycle according to the rider’s needs. Therefore, women need to worry not and take a leap of faith that they’ll be fine riding a bike.
One can easily handle all bike-related confidence issues by preparing for it in advance. You should start by anticipating the problems which you feel you would face when riding a motorcycle. Afterward, you can address those issues by seeking help from professional motorcycle coaches and learning programs.
Once you start riding a bike, you will realize that this activity will instantly boost your confidence. There is a certain level of liberation that women experience when they take the bold step of riding a bike which is why it is gaining so much popularity amongst women of all ages.
Where to begin?
Here is the first must-have thing to deal with in a woman rider’s comprehensive guide. For a few women, the biggest obstacle they face when riding a bike is not knowing where to begin. If this is your dilemma, then a piece of advice: simply start from the beginning. Enroll in a training class as they are available everywhere. Training classes are pretty popular among women, and in the USA, one-third of all graduates are female.
Women should also be encouraged to learn motorcycle maintenance skills. These critical skills empower women as they come in handy in various situations.
Fears About Safety
A common reason people avoid riding a motorbike is that the activity is deemed inherently unsafe, which is untrue. In fact, it’s entirely possible for a motorcyclist to never be in an accident. As with anything else, motorcycle riding requires experience and practice. Taking a certified motorcycle course is the first step towards gaining that experience. It is always also a must to wear proper gear.
You can solve half of your motorbike safety concerns just by wearing the correct and suitable motorbike gear. As you develop your riding skills, it’s advisable to educate yourself on riding techniques that can come in handy while you are on the road. Even though sport-bike riding seems appealing to every rider, still it is better to avoid adopting these advanced techniques and moves during the initial time period of bike riding.
Women feel insecure and uncertain about riding bikes because there are stereotypes about female motorcyclists. Additionally, the risk of on-road harassment and catcalling culture doesn’t make things easier especially if you are a female rider. Although these stereotypes still prevail amongst many cultures and countries, luckily over time the US has become the most bike rider-friendly country for women.
Steps to getting started
Set goals
For years now, you have been dreaming as to how you’d look on a motorbike. Well, you can make this dream of yours into reality. But you’re not exactly sure how you should initiate the process. Well, for starters, there are a couple of measures you can take.
Firstly, make a commitment that you are getting into the motorbike game for good. Set goals and ensure that you achieve them on time. Ensure that your goals are achievable and realistic. For example, decide on a date you’ll start your motorcycle training course and stick to it.
As a beginner rider, you should keep in mind that learning to ride a motorcycle will take a lot of time and effort. You will have good days and you will certainly have many bad bike days. Initially, you will notice that the progress of the riding learning curve is slow but, that should not make you lose hope. The key to excelling the art of bike riding is consistency and determination.
Take a motorcycle training course
Motorcycle training classes are pretty essential if you wish to learn how to drive a motorbike. Motorcycle training courses are offered everywhere in the world. The majority of training schools follow a standardized curriculum drafted by Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF).
MSF provides a range of motorcycle lessons for all drivers’ levels, from complete novices to those experienced individuals looking to expand their motorbiking skillset. The MSF’s classes for beginners are held over several days and include face-to-face classroom lessons on how to ride a motorbike. If you are a novice, it is strongly suggested that you enroll in an MSF class.
Purchasing a motorcycle
Perhaps the most critical advice we can give you is: Don’t purchase a motorcycle you think you cannot handle. People may try to convince you to choose a bigger model for your first motorbike, but that certainly isn’t true. This is based on the belief that it is cheaper to buy your dream bike first-hand, rather than buying a motorcycle you can practice on and then buying your dream bike.
When you are fresh out of motorcycling school, you’ll be needing a lot of practice, and you’ll likely drop your motorcycle under different riding conditions. So, it will end up costing you the same amount in repairs as it would have if you would have bought a beginner’s motorcycle first.
The best vehicle to choose for practicing your motorcycle skills is a dirt bike. Dirt bikes are safe to ride for beginner-level riders. Once you have polished your riding skills through dirt bikes, you should then move on to investing in a proper motorcycle. Although heavy bikes are the dream bikes for every rider, still I would recommend that you purchase a heavy bike after you have mastered motorcycle riding. Here is a more detailed post about this topic.
Get geared up
Shopping for all your gear can be incredibly fun. Do your homework as to what riding gear you’ll be needing initially and how much it will cost you. Go through the market and visit several dealerships and salespeople until you find one whom you can trust. Many advances have been made in gear over the past several years; therefore, it is essential to find equipment that will suit you.
Many riders are tempted to start their riding journey with regular dressing. As much as fun and convenient this might sound, at the end of the day it is nothing but a grave mistake. There is a specific purpose that you are supposed to get once you start wearing the right motorcycle gear.
You might be wondering what makes motorcycle gear so important? Firstly, the right gear works as protective armor for riders and saves them from serious injuries. Secondly, unlike regular clothes, motorcycle gear ensures that you ride with comfort and style. Regular dressing hardly proves to be comfortable during bike rides.
Many people avoid buying motorcycle gear because they assume it to be super-pricey. Luckily, the recent progress and development seen in the motorbike clothing industry have led to the production of high-quality and affordable products. In short, if you want good, reliable, and affordable motorcycle gear then you will not be short of options.
Conclusion
You can call yourself a motorcycle rider if you go through all the essentials we have mentioned in our woman rider’s comprehensive guide to riding a motorcycle. Once you become a motorcycle rider, you have created a new identity for yourself. Since now you are a motorcycle expert, go out there, share your experience and empower other inspire women who wish to take up motorcycle riding.
