Motorbikes and Riding

Laurieheels · 31st August 2002, 03:55

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 · 1st September 2002, 09:50

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 · 1st September 2002, 11:43

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 · 1st September 2002, 15:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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.

http://www.mcnews.com.au/images/cbr600lhf99.jpg

Laurieheels · 1st September 2002, 19:38

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 · 1st September 2002, 22:40

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 · 2nd September 2002, 05:12

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 · 2nd September 2002, 11:03

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 · 2nd September 2002, 21:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laurieheels

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 :o

Firefox · 2nd September 2002, 23:13

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!