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Top 3 Challenges for Women Motorcyclists

Top 3 Challenges for Women Motorcyclists

Motorcycle riding, traditionally a male-dominated past-time, is currently enjoying an unexpected boost in both participation and much-needed sales by women, an audience that’s been largely untargeted by the entire industry until now. The percentage of female riders has significantly increased from about 4 percent or so in 1990 to around 24 percent of the riding population in 2012 and there’s no sign of those numbers falling anytime soon.

The motorcycle industry is finally getting the hint that riding isn’t just a guy thing anymore. Many bike dealerships and manufacturers have begun targeting the growing female market, but women riders still face some unique challenges in a traditionally male sport. We’re going to discuss the top 3 challenges for women motorcyclists and toss out a few suggestions from experienced female bikers.

1. Seat Height

One of the main challenges faced by female motorcyclists is seat height. Many bikes are built for the typical man, who is obviously taller than the typical woman. Because we often lack the upper body strength of a man, we really need to be able to rest flat-footed when we’re stopped in order to have full control of the bike. Many manufacturers are addressing this by building bikes with lower seat heights, or by making taller bikes a bit easier to modify

Whatever you do, don’t settle. Make sure when you sit on your potential new motorcycle that both feet are flat on the ground, and allow space for the pipes because when the bike warms up, those pipes will burn you even if you just brush against them. Not fun, and not safe. You can’t control the bike if you can’t touch the ground so if your feet aren’t flat, ask if the motorcycle can be lowered. If not, keep looking because it’s not the right one for you.

2. Weight Distribution

Because women tend to be stronger from the waist down than they are in their upper bodies, motorcycles with lower centers of gravity seem to work better for most biker gals. Top-heavy bikes are fine once the bike is moving, but when you’re trying to maneuver it out of the garage or back it out of a parking space, it can be bulky and difficult to manage.

Statistically, those are the two times that a woman is most likely to drop her bike so having one that either weighs less or has the weight distributed closer to the ground (or both) increases your odds of keeping your bike “shiny side up”. When you’re testing a motorcycle, shift the weight a little to the left and right, and back it up at an angle as if you’re parking it. If it seems heavy and awkward, you may want to keep looking.

3. Dropping Your Motorcycle

There are two kinds of riders: those who have dropped their bikes, and those who are going to. This situation is particularly challenging for women motorcyclists, again because of the upper body strength issue. If your bike is lighter and/or has a lower center of gravity, then it’s going to be a bit easier to pick it back up by yourself.

The average woman’s motorcycle weights between 400 and 900 pounds, so grabbing it by the handlebars and lifting it up like you would a bicycle isn’t going to be an option. Instead:

Squat down and place your bum against your seat
Grasp your hand grip and set the brake with one hand, and grab your sissy bar or rear crash bars (if you have them) with the other
Using your legs, slowly walk yourself backward, pushing the bike up as you go

If you can’t get your motorcycle back up by yourself, then you may have to break down and ask for help. Don’t worry though – many men can’t get their bikes up alone, either, and it’s likely that whomever you ask has been in your shoes. It happens.

These are just 3 challenges for female motorcyclists, but are the ones that you’ll most likely deal with as a new rider. There are still some social challenges to being a woman with her own bike but with the percentage of women riders increasing on a near-daily basis, most people aren’t looking at female riders as oddities anymore.

There are also a significant number of female motorcycle clubs and riding groups forming so there’s most likely a group out there that you’ll fit well into if you’re so inclined. There’s no law that says that women must ride with other women, though, and many of us ride in mixed groups that are made up of biker friends that we’ve met along the way. Regardless of how you like to ride, just do it safely and do it often, and remember – shiny side up!