Motorcycles.
Not something we would normally discuss on this blog, but it’s time
we took a serious look at this alternative mode of transport and,
more crucially, why girls should get into riding motorcycles.
How to choose a good first motorcycle for a woman?
Although
motorcycles and mopeds are a unisex mode of transport, they are
usually designed with men in mind. This is because 80% of riders are
in fact, men! If women are to set themselves free and enjoy the feel
of the open road on a bike, however, choosing the right one is an
important decision. We’d suggest going to a specialist bike dealer
who had a range of bikes to choose form. Somewhere like BMG
Scooters who have a
selection of bikes and a friendly team ready to help will make you
feel at ease about your choice.
The main
things to look out for when choosing a bike, especially as a woman,
are height and weight. Since most riders are men, a lot of bikes and
mopeds are designed more with the male frame and strength in mind.
It’s important that the rider can reach the floor with her foot,
because the higher the bike, the higher the rider, and the more
difficult it is to control.
No one wants
to think about dropping their bike, and if you do drop your bike, it
could mean some serious repairs, so being able to steady a bike is
vitally important. If the bike is too heavy for the rider to handle
safely, then it’s not a great choice, especially for a first-time
bike.
What age can a woman begin to ride a motorcycle or a moped?
The rules on
riding motorcycles are different in every state, but for the most
part, you are able to ride a motorcycle of up to 125cc without
passing any special test in the US
as long as you have a full driving license. For mopeds, no special
test is necessary at all and every state varies the age at which a
kid can start riding.
Here’s a
quick table to illustrate the laws surrounding the minimum age for
riding a 50cc and over moped (the laws may be different in your
state):
|
State
|
Minimum
Age
|
|
Alabama
|
14
|
|
Alaska
|
14
|
|
Kansas
|
14
|
|
Florida
|
15
|
|
Hawaii
|
15
|
|
Louisiana
|
15
|
|
Mississippi
|
15
|
|
All
Other States
|
16-18
|
For mopeds
up to 50cc, most states require riders to be aged between 14 and 16,
except Arkansas where the minimum age is just 10, and New Mexico
where the rider must be 13 and above.
What percent of motorcycle riders are female?
In the US,
only
20% of riders are female.
Although that number is steadily rising, there is still a
disproportionate number of male riders to female riders but riding a
motorcycle or a moped could be a great way to give our girls some
more independence within a safer means of transport.
There’s a
huge variety of bikes to choose from, from 125cc right up to the more
powerful engines, but one thing the bike community has over car
drivers is a great sense of family. Women riders tend to feel more
looked after and watched out for within a biker family than they
could ever find in a car-driving community.
CONVERSATION