Girls and Gear: An Appeal from One Lady Rider to Several

I ordered a new leather jacket the other day after going the better part of a few years without having updated my collection. I had been halfassing my street rides in a textile jacket that was less likely to bulk and pinch in all the wrong places, and I am lucky enough to have a pair of leather pants that fits me well enough to make safety tolerable.    In the 8 or so years that I have been riding, I am happy to report that there is finally some variety in the riding apparel market for us ladies who like to carve a canyon or hit a track day, or maybe even just drag some knee or pop some wheelies in a parking lot somewhere (not that I do wheelies... I'm not that cool).

At this point, after around 8 years of riding, I've really enjoyed seeing more women emerge into motorcycling alongside me.  Of course, women have been riding motorcycles since the dawn of time, but I'd venture to say that only in about the last decade or so have there been enough women for apparel manufacturers to really start paying attention to our needs.  Up until then, and even still today, there seems to be a bit of a stigma that lingers when you lump women and sportbikes into the same conversation:  "Oh, you mean the umbrella girls?" or "The girls who ride on the back of their boyfriend's bike."  Of course, with anything there is usually a barrage of presumptuous imagery that goes along with said stigma: scantily clad women either standing off to the side, or suggestively straddling a motorcycle as more of an accessory than a sentient person who actually knows the proper way to sit and ride a bike. Women who actually rode their own were likened to Harley Davidson riding gender-confused entities who were built like cave-men and cussed like sailors. Now I'll admit that I can cuss like a sailor, but I remember fondly rolling up to my first bike night, by myself and having several different guys point out their confusion at the fact that I just "didn't seem the type.":

"Is this your boyfriend's bike?" 

"You can handle this thing?"

One guy to another: "Dude, she doesn't have any chicken strips." 

In fact, I've pretty much heard it all over the years but the most frequent observation that I get is from coworkers, peers, and non-riders: "You just don't seem like the type!"

Since times are quickly changing and the number of actual female riding enthusiasts (and ones that are beautiful at that) increases dramatically, there is a new persona emerging of the badass leather-clad, fully suited biker babe draggin' knee while her pigtails flail wildly behind her; and for those of us gals who aren't cromagnon gender-mutants riding around on over-chromed, underpowered oil dispensaries, the options for good quality, good fitting, and yes... even sexy gear has dramatically increased.

Women's Frank Thomas Suit... not too bad for a cheapie off the rack!

Still, there are plenty of women out there who prize their vanity over safety and they opt out of gear; donning little more than a t-shirt and some spandex-blend shorts with their super cute girl shoes and freshly manicured nails because that's hot. Now don't get me wrong: I admire pretty bodies as much as the next person.  The female form is definitely something that should be celebrated tastefully and with dignity, but the human body is one that is also fragile. For those who are not yet familiar with The Road Rash Queen, take a few minutes to click the link and see her story.  Warning: some of what you will see may be difficult for sensitive audiences, but it will change the way you look at those pretty girls riding around in their shorts and spaghetti straps. And if you are one of these pretty girls riding around in shorts and spaghetti straps, then consider how you are representing us as a minority in the sport.  Also consider my appeal to what you think is sexy... or maybe more appropriately, what you think people think is sexy: 

Less skin, more gear!
Rev'it Allure Jacket, my favorite corset, and a cam sprocket from an 04 ZX6RR

In theory, and in a perfect world, we all love and respect our bodies and want to show off our curves and perfectly tanned skin and there are ways to go about it while still protecting it. You might be surprised to know that I am not only advocating against road rash, but also against the "weatherization leatherization" of your skin. Yeah you're young, pretty and your skin is in excellent shape now, but all of that sun exposure will eventually catch up to you.  When you ride without gear you subject yourself to a multitude of dangers that stretch far beyond the road rash and injuries that you are sure to sustain in the event of an off; but there is also skin cancer, insect and debris-related injuries (ever been hit by a rock, a bird, or something that fell out of a truck at 90 mph?), oh, and dehydration - which makes your skin look even worse when it can't keep itself hydrated during an epic day of baking in the sun while riding and perspiring. So even if you manage to avoid being seriously rashed and maimed at the circumstance of a crash (whether you're on your own bike, or on the back of your boyfriend's), time will take it's own toll. 

I don't want to sound preachy here but what I will say is that from one woman on a bike to another: you're missing the mark on "sexy."  Of course, we live in a society that doesn't necessarily share my views, but we also live in a society that has absolutely no concern for your safety, your autonomy, or even respecting you as the beautiful woman you are.  We live in a society that encourages women to exploit their bodies tactlessly and with as little clothing as allowable in social media.

Because full-gear selfies on your own bike in the garage where you do your own wrenching beats out the panty-clad 'duckface' any day of the week.

(Rev'it Allure Jacket and Marryl pants)

So here, ha ha! let me "exploit" my own body in an attempt to appeal to the fact that sometimes it's not a manner of parading around your scantily-clad body to showcase that you are a pretty girl on a motorcycle.  Sometimes its about celebrating and respecting the fact that you are a beautiful, sexy woman who rides a motorcycle and probably does it better than a lot of guys out there. You and your body deserve respect, and you deserve to be protected while not having to stuff your feminine assets into boxy, bulky men's gear. And that's what is so great about apparel manufacturers finally taking some notice of the fact that women want gear, and they are making gear that is flattering and protective. We finally have a choice.  We have the right to choose (and as we all know, that's a pretty hot topic of debate these days). I hope that many of you take something from this, buy yourselves some gear, and avoid becoming the next poster-girl for road rash prevention. Besides, leaving a little something to the imagination is part of what makes things so interesting.

Ride fast, stay pretty!