Motorbikes and Riding

[Laurieheels]

Okay, so I decided that I would like to be one of those rare women who are into motorcycles. But before the image of a Harley riding biker babe emerges, that is not me. My personal preference is for super sport bikes. This is what I will aspire to ride, and indeed I will work towards owning one. So I thought I would start this topic so people could discuss things about motorcycles if they so desired. Talk about your preferences, if you ride, don't ride, if you have an interest, what type of bikes you like... and if you think a girl could wear heels with riding a bike, and I don't mean as a passenger. For me, I like super sports, they suit me. Sleek, powerful, zipping along without that awful rumbling sound... this is what I would love to do. How about you?

[Calv]

Hi Laurie (I'm just conjuring up the picture of you poured into a set of leathers..... and liking what I'm thinking!) I used to ride a 50cc bike when I was younger but soon traded up to 4 wheels. I feel safer in a car than on a bike, but a bike does give the freedom. My mums neighbour owns a garage full of them, both vintage and modern, and regularly rides a bike to Portugal (about 1000 miles away). Not sure if they reach Canada but the modern Triumph bikes are built about 2 miles away from my home. High heels and bikes... I think I would feel safer in a pair of boots, wonder if you can get high heeled motor bike boots?

[Highluc]

Just look at Prince's movie Purple Rain and see how well he rides his bike throughout the movie on different soils, all in 4inch heeled boots with a tapering heel.

[Dexter23]

Just look at Prince's movie Purple Rain and see how well he rides his bike throughout the movie on different soils, all in 4inch heeled boots with a tapering heel.

Sorry Highluc, in this one I totally disagree with you.

Prince did wear heels in that movie, but he also was riding a completely different kind of bike at the moment. He was riding a chopper, and yes on such a bike I would also wear heels, but if you ride a bike like me build for speed, wearing heels can’t bother you.

If I am driving my car I will wear heels up to 4" with no problems at all, but at those moments I will take extra notice on every thing and keep extra distance to al the other traffic. On a bike, specially a sports bike, you can’t have those inconveniences and you need all your attention on the road.

And besides that would you believe every thing that happens in the movies?

This is a picture of a bike similar like mine. It’s a Honda CBR-600 build in 1999, I think about 110 Horsepower. A few weeks a go I tested it running about 260 Kph on the counter. (+-162miles/h). When riding those speeds I don’t want to wear heels.

[Laurieheels]

I don't think I am going to push whatever bike I end up getting to such high Kph, not for years, anyway. As for the protective gear, we'll have to see how it goes. Can a pair of high heeled boots be worn to ride? I don't know. Certainly I have seen it recommended that a pair of boots with a blockier two inch heel be used by anyone riding a bike, and I have seen it when watching people ride while I've been crusing about in my cage. The bikes are usually cruisers, some choppers. Sport pilots usually get the full gear going. Calv, I am sure we have Triumph bikes in Canada. As for me being poured into leathers, right now I still feel like I'll have to be stuffed into them. Highluc - Prince is some short guy who likes Purple. I'm a tall blonde. But if it can be done, I think I'll find out. Dexter - Wow, sweet looking ride, I am a bit envious. I know that once I take a rider course I won't be up to anything 600 to start (everything I read says try a 250, at most something 500, no more until the skill is perfected). My goal is something like a Suzuki GSX R1000, which a friend of mine has and I just think looks great. And he rides it well. I am upset with him for getting married soon. Heels and bikes might not be wise. I will find out as I learn, I guess. I will not be taking any risks to find out, mind you. A quick trip to the store on the bike, say a two block ride there and back, would be a way to try it out and see how it goes. But all of this will have to wait for two things. One - I need a new Cage, er, car first. Two - Spring time in Canada. Learning to ride and then not riding for the winter would be bad for a beginner.

[Yamyam]

I'd quite like a motorcycle, especially as I spend much time sat in traffic, watching people on bikes blazing through. Sadly, most places I have to go, I have to haul about fifteen kilos of crud or my little boy, and I don't think either would work well on a bike. Now, one of those 'half-car, half bike' motor-trike things would work for me! One of these days...

[Laurieheels]

Owning a bike and nothing else is a privlidge for the young. At older ages, we all need a cage for the mundane tasks. it is the bike that sets us free every now and then. That is what I am looking for, those few hurs of freedom, a few times every week, to set me free from the cage, from the boring, slow paced life. Driving a car takes skill, yes, but it is even more exciting to have some HPs under you for a fun ride. Yamyam, a bike for you wuold be a great escape, for those times when you have just yourself to please, those rare hours where you can find the pleasure and freedom of being alone in the wind.

[azraelle]

When I was in the army, as a married, 30-yr old Lieutenant, I lived 32 miles from Ft. Polk, Louisiana, and I bought a 400cc single cylinder "thumper" made by Suzuki to commute to work so my wife could use our only "cage", a Datsun (Nissan) KIng Cab pickup. I definitely didn't fit the image of what an officer should be, but what the hey, the Post second-in-command, a one star General, rode a Vespa motor scooter to work every day without a helmet (and sent the MP packing back to Germany that gave him a ticket for it)! R.H.I.P.! B4 that I owned a Kawasaki 100cc trail bike for several years until I blew up the rotary valve with my wife on the back. While in the army, I took part in a pilot program by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation to become a trainer. We had to train some volunteer novices, one of whom was my wife, on Suzuki 125's, and then have enough confidence in our training effectiveness to be chaufferred on the back by said novice trainees. So I got to be my wife's passenger. I just closed my eyes...because I knew I couldn't be silent if I could see what she was doing or where she was going. And it WAS a lot of fun. She was wearing some leather boots with rather chunky 2-1/2" heels.

[Yamyam]

Yamyam, a bike for you wuold be a great escape, for those times when you have just yourself to please, those rare hours where you can find the pleasure and freedom of being alone in the wind.

True !

When I can get a more sensible job (i.e. not travelling all over the country) I might buy a convertible for that wind in the hair feeling. I don't know why, but I don't quite trust myself on a bike. I suppose it's because I don't have that much confidence of my driving. But my main excuse is the godawful drivers where I live. I spend my life wondering how the locals miss my bright red Pug 406 with the lights on... I don't think I'd risk a motorbike.

But I may move soon, and if I do, I'll see how it works out down there.

And I plan to take up pedal cycling again. In fact, earlier tonight, I realised how much exercise you can get from a bike. I had my pulse up in the low hundreds, sweat pouring off me, and almost seeing stars. And that was just putting the damn bike carrier on the car

[Firefox]

I've ridden pillion on bikes and it is scary. I like the look of them though. So sleek, graceful and powerful. I don't see why more women aren't into bikes. They're like some women in that they pack a lot of power in a small space with flowing looks. As for wearing heels on them, I think it's a good idea. Most of the controls are on the handlebars and they'll look grat with leathers!

[Laurieheels]

Gee, Fox, I like your attitude towards the heels on the bike, and you are right about the controls... hey, if it can be done, we all know I'll be the one to find out. My sister whom I live with thinks that I shuold not be getting into bikes, because it's more of a guy thing and the image that comes with it could be bad. But then, if guys here are looking to be guys and wear heels, why can't this high heeled goddess get herself a nice silver GSX-R1000 one day when she's good at it?

[Francis]

Nothing wrong with girls on bikes, Laurie! Ask the wife! She loves powerful motorbikes, whilst I hate motorbikes (reason will not be discussed, needless to say it hurt) Just because something is predominantly male or female, does not mean that it's taboo for the other side to want to do it as well. After all, we're breaking one of them already. Men in heels! So girls on bikes is OK. Why shouldn't it be? When you do achieve your goal, you can grace us with a picture of you and your Silver Dream Machine

[stellah]

Many cycle owners say they have to wear a leather suit to stay healthy and intact from the wind's influence. Do you all wear such costumes as well or are lighter dressed? And can you properly ride with stiletto boots on?

[Laurieheels]

Yes Francis, you can count on a picture of a blonde stiletto goddess standing in front of her sweet Gixxer. Stellah, as for "costumes" they are in a way, but they don't generally have a fetish look to them. Since am only starting out I don't know much abuot how one feels, and haven't tried a bike in stilettos. But I do know that the gear is important, wearing leather saves lives and skin.

[Firefox]

How about a picture of HD electra glide with pillion passenger in heeled boots?

http://www.california-law.com/Harley.jpg

[Dexter23]

Many cycle owners say they have to wear a leather suit to stay healthy and intact from the wind's influence.

Actually wind and bugs and stuff aren’t that much of a problem, usually there is some sort of a screen protecting you from things like that. THE most important reason to wear a good leather suit is protection from injury when falling.

Imagine this, put your thumb on the asphalt and put a little weight on it, than push it away, scraping the asphalt. You will probably get a really sore thumb. The speed with witch you can do that is maybe about 20 to 25 miles/hour and it already hurts a lot. No imagine me. I am driving at least 60 miles/hour not that fast. If I am wearing shorts, a t-shirt or no gloves and when I happen to fall, you can imagine what that would look like, it’s probably a very ugly site.

I have got a lot of friends who ride bikes and some of them have been in an accident. Probably because they all wore good protective leather clothes all of them are still my friends, I can remember some accidents where my friend probably would not have survived without the clothes she wore that day.

So please wear good protective clothes when riding a motorbike, any sort of motorbike. I witch I will never be the first one at an accident site where the rider or passenger didn’t wear proper clothes.

[Laurieheels]

I have heard a few very digusting terms about motorcycle accidents, a small band once took their name from the remembrance of a scene. To dramatically and equivocally define why protectice gear is important (you need your lid, your leathers, and anything else you can afford), here is the name of the band. 300 feet of face. Yes, it makes me cringe, but it explains why safety is so important. I have a friend who wears an armoured spine because there is no reason to take chances, no matter how good you are.

[Dr. Shoe]

Riding a sport bike in heels would be harder than a chopper type. The reason is in the fact that on a chopper, the pedals are quite like those in a car and also you have the feet pushed out in front whereas on a sport, your legs are pushed out behind so your body forms a letter 's' and the rear brake is a heel pedal. I have seen girls (presumably) riding sports in heels but not very fast.

[Firefox]

I had a friend who did despatch riding in London during the 1980's. He was a top class rider. However, he's ended up a near cripple due to several horrific accidents non of which were his fault. Leathers or not, you've very little protection on a bike. It's rather put me off owning one, but doesn't stop me from admiring them. If you do ride, the danger comes with the experience, which could be part of the attraction for some.

[DesertHeeler]

Yep, leather is good protection from asphalt, but no protection from steel.

A long time ago I was a dirt biker and every once in a while I think about

getting a street bike, but there are so many terrible drivers around here

it is not worth it. I would not even feel safe in a small cage.

Laurie, I have a hard time picturing you on a big sport bike, but it is easier than picturing you on a Harley. I think a midsize sporttuorer is

more your style. Something like this: http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/machine/models/model.jsp?model=f650cs

[Calv]

My brother was into 50cc mopeds when younger. He saved up for ages and got a secondhand bike. He only rode it on the road a few weeks before he got wiped up by somebody else on a bike. He was OK although the bike was a write-off. So he got a brand new Yamaha FS-1E and rode that for a few more weeks until a drunk driver turned right straight in front of him. He was catapaulted over the car and landed about 30 feet away in the road. Taken to hospital where they found he had fractured his pelvis so he spent 6 weeks on traction. The driver was prosecuted and we sucessfully sued him for damages, but my bro still walks with a slight limp and has a weak pelvis. He hasn't looked at a bike since I stiil prefer tin cans.

[Laurieheels]

Too much horror, not enough encouragement! The general rule as a rider is this - ride like you're invisible, because for most people, you are. Drivers are bad, but the idea of a bike is not to use it for riding on crowded highways, it is to take it to places where there is not much traffic and enjoy the feeling the ride gives. I know the dangers involved, but I still need to try it. As for not seeing me on a sport bike, and on a harley, it's not going to happen. I only like sport bikes, I think Harleys look... crude in a way. I need a bike that would suit my personality. And there is more than leather for protection. However, I think the best idea is just to learn slow and become a good rider. It is dangerous, yes, that is part of the thrill. But it only becomes dangerous and harmful if people ride that way. A good rider is a safe rider, and doesn't mess around in traffic.

[Firefox]

What colour bike would you chose, L?

[Laurieheels]

Well, a friend has black and grey, I think that is a great pattern. Red and silver would be nice, or all silver. I think silver is great, and a bit more visible. And of course, I would wear all black. Or black and another colour that complimented my bike. it all depends on whether or not I pick up a riding suit or get leather.

[Firefox]

I think I'd like black and sliver or electric blue and silver. I'd definitely go for all black leathers so some contrast with the bike would be nice.

[Yamyam]

Yeah, if I could zap off somewhere that's not particularly crowded, and I didn't have to take my little one with me, then I'd think about it. Call me odd, but I don't really want a mode of transport that I can't take my little one on. Like I said earlier, motor-trike for me! Otherwise, I'm going to have to stick to my cage. But I'm one of the rare drivers who can see motorcyclists, and treat them with courtesy. It's quite astonishing how much more polite bikers are than your normal road users. One helpful signal, like "I know you're there, feel free to overtake" almost always gets a friendly wave.

[Tech]

I ride my 50cc aprilla SR50 around london 4 days a week, then around kingston upon thames on fridays going to and from work every week, and i wear my 4" chunky heeled boots on the bike without any problems, and the boots also give me the advantage that i can now reach the floor on both sides of the bike when stationary, which i had to stretch to accomplish before, so less pain in the groin now

The only downside is that my knees are now up where the handlebars are, my bike is a nice color though, its black and red...

this is exactly the bike i ride, its a V reg and i have been riding it for the last 2 years

http://www.hooterscooter.co.uk/images/sr50-racing.jpg

its unbeleivably reliable, and nippy at 60mph top speed

[Laurieheels]

It's a cute little bike... for scooting about it is great. I have heard a few people suggest that a very low cc bike would be good for training, but n the road to a super sport, it might ber a bit under powered. One does need something with a bit of a kick to learn the twisties. It had a great colour scheme on it though. The issue with heels and bikes is more for the emergency issues, a high speed manourver that goes a bit wrong, and faced with doing something to prevent your ride from going down, you need some good reaction time. I think it is possible, but whether or not it is practical remains to be seen. As for the contrast of colours with the leather... maybe, but when looking at the colours bikes come in, a racing suit looks to be a better compliment than the black leather treatment. Of course, all of this will have to wait for March... I think that I would be happy buting leather pants in the interm, just for the sake of owning them. And matching them with leather boots that havea nice stiletto heel. Yeah.

[DesertHeeler]

Laurie, Considering what your goal is, I think your first bike should be about 500cc. Anything smaller and you will get very rapidly bored with it. I don't know how practical pointed toe stilleto boots on a bike would be, but I don't see a problem with boots with a square or rounded toe and a tallish block heel. You need a heel to keep your feet on the pegs.

[Firefox]

500cc seems huge, especially for a first bike. I was chatting to my mate last night and he reckoned 100 or 200 was much more sensible until you get experienced.