Fantastic advice from everyone - thanks. I'm currently living in Germany, but will go back to the USA for a long visit to take the MSF course (probably in Austin, Texas). Then I'm going to look for a little beat up motorbike to get experience with (and that I won't absolutely panic over dropping -- and I will drop it). And then... who knows?!

But I'm going through all the web resources you've posted as well and continuing to learn a lot.

I may still want to talk to some of you, so don't be surprised if you see an email from me at some point. But, for now, I have a lot of reading to do.

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Jayne Cravens
CoyoteBroad

Dropping it gives it more character

And besides, how are you supposed to learn how to pick it up again??

Don't forget that women novice riders are in exactly the same position as many male novice riders (apart from the underwear of course). Not all men have ready mechanical knowledge and instinctual riding ability. And believe me, the nerves are the same too!

I echo the 'it's your ride' sentiments mentioned earlier. My instructor told me a few times 'Ride for yourself'. You ride to your own ability and learn as you become more experienced. As long as you can be within speed limits (as opposed to 'granny riding'), you have hours and hours of entertainment ahead of you

Enjoy every minute!

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[QUOTE=Shells]
Don't forget that women novice riders are in exactly the same position as many male novice riders (apart from the underwear of course). Not all men have ready mechanical knowledge and instinctual riding ability. And believe me, the nerves are the same too!
QUOTE]

well said Shells, given that we are supposedly living in an enlightened age why should there be a different set of rules/advice/tips for female riders. I haven't found a single control on the bike that I can manipulate with my John Thomas whilst riding along (plus there are certain parts of the male anatomy that are definitely 'inconvenient/painfull' when landing/hitting large holes etc). I only know two girls with bikes in the UK at the moment, both of whom totally shred the tarmac on a tuned-up R6 and CBR600 RR - and neither of them have ever said to 'but its so hard - I'm a woman'.....

To quote a Boddingtons advert 'you want equality - it's your round'

Sorry if I offended anyone with my question. I certainly believe I'm as smart or nervy as most of the men I've known. But, even as an avowed feminist, I know that I don't have the upper body strength that my partner does, and in observing him with his bike, I've seen him do a lot of things that I know I could never do, not without a tremendous amount of working out for months and months, if not years -- and while I do want to learn to ride a motorcycle, I'm not sure I'm ready to make that kind of excercise commitment. My fear around riding comes primiarily from that, from being in a situation with a motorcycle that I cannot handle physically. My other fear is having a wreck, but that's more from a fear of car drivers.

Also, I know that I'll like riding "for myself", but I also really do love sitting on the back of the bike, something most of you seem to loathe. I understand that -- but I really do like it. I guess it comes from having to be in control of absolutely everything -- this is one of my opportunities to let go and let someone else deal with decision making, while I get to just enjoy the ride. So, while I really do hope to learn to ride for myself, I probably won't give up the back of the seat altogether. Hope that sentiment isn't so outrageous that I'm booted off the board.

Unfortunately, it's going to be a long, long while before I can learn to ride -- I'm in Germany, and made the mistake when I moved here from the USA of not getting my driver's license in the first six months while here (I expected to be here only one year, and don't have a car anyway -- I take mass transit). Now, the only way for me to get a license is to take the exhaustive and intensive German driver's course and test, entirely in German, and my language abilities are just never going to be up-to-par to do something like that. I've found a place I'd like to take lessons back in the USA, and then get my license, but it will not transfer to Europe because I've lived here so long. Very bummed about it, but still hopeful that, once I move back to the USA someday, I can get going on this. In the meantime, I'll be reading some of the books recommended here, as well as a few others that have been suggested. Thanks again.

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Jayne Cravens
CoyoteBroad

Well your question was relevant i think! Average UK woman is 1m62 tall. Not sure about the guys but probably at least 10 cms more maybe. Also women as you said are generally less muscular. So asking question to female riders make sense.

Here are few tips I've learn the hard way if you are short and not very muscular (so also relevant for guys who fall in that category
ALways plan where and how to park your bike. If there is a slope the chances are, if you park front wheel first, it will be very difficult to get the bike out. In that case make sure you park back wheel first.

Also, chances are you may not have 2 flats feet on the ground. So you will not be able to "paddle" (ie sit on the bike and paddle with your feet to move it). No worries. Get used to move the bike on a flat ground, with you on its side. You will need that to park around town! At least in Europe where space is at a premium!

Not being very muscular, if the bike start linning on its side, after a certain point you will not have the muscules to keep it up. Here my advice is let it go down. There will always be someone to help you pick it up! I dropped mine again this morning and straight away some guy came from nowhere to help me! So sweet! ah yes also I've been told (by my IAM instructor - Advacne riding) to practice slow speed (like speed of someone walking) to increase your machine control! That will help you not to drop the bike! And me too! Off to Tesco car park later to practice !

Now there are also advantages to being a female biker!

Look a bit dizzy and hapless, smile a lot, and that cope on its bike who is about to give you a speeding ticket that you surely deserve, or parking ticket, will quite often let you off with a small lecture only!
Look clueless, flash those eyelashes, and hey presto some bike shop assistant will offer you to change your visor for you (or whatever small thing you are clueless but is a minute job for a bloke!). My theory is that it makes them feel good, so let them help you even if you don't need
And there is always someone to help you pick up your bike! Because you will drop it! No shame on that!
Send me an email if you want!
By the way, not sure where you live but you may be able to rent a 125cc bike for practice? I did it when preparing my test.

Cheers,

Maria

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Maria

www.franglais-riders.com

I know that you have given up obtaining a license for now, but I should have thought of this before--you, or someone completely new to bikes (not just women) can learn on a scooter or moped. I learned on my friend's Honda CT70 years ago, and they are still available as street-legal Chinese-manufactured replicas. http://www.americanlifan.com/lifan/models/g7.html

They are cheap, and when you upgrade to a bigger bike, you have a lesser tendency to drop the bigger one because you got used to having a 2 wheeler, and a very unintimidating one at that!

I guess it's long overdue to end this thread that I started.

I took a day-long taster course in Germany in 2008 to get the basics down of riding a motorcycle; the instructor was nice enough give me guidance in English, and he was really wonderful. I didn't get anything in terms of a certificate or permit, but I did get a lot of great advice and a basic understanding of riding.

We moved back to the USA in 2009 and I had signed up for a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course in Louisville months before we had arrived (they fill up fast). LOVED the course (I think it's absolutely essential!), and got my motorcycle license in July 2009!

I bought my own motorcycle in November 2009, and after various milestones, took my first motorcycle trip on my own motorcycle this month (August 2010) -- to the Horizons Unlimited meeting in Northern California. I'll do my first international trip next month, when my husband and I go on a short trip to Canada.

Another resource I found helpful: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles, 4th Edition. It has a lot of great advice for riders.

Thanks, everyone! Happy riding!

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Jayne Cravens
CoyoteBroad