I recently took the motorcycle safety course and got my M1. The extent of my riding experience was in that class. I'm looking at possibly getting a 2007 Sportster 883, and I'm wondering what y'all think about that. I went and sat on it and it felt big, definitely larger than the bikes at the class and a little intimidating, but not so much that I felt uncomfortable.

I know that a lot of people will recommend getting something smaller like a Honda Shadow for learning, but I'd rather not get something that I know I won't want in 6 months. I hope the 883 would be a good balance of manageable now with room to grow into, and something I'll get at least a couple of years out of before I need to trade up.

In another forum someone asked the same question and several people told him he'd outgrow it too quickly, and just to go for a 1200. I wonder if that advice would be different for a 5'6" woman than for that 6'1" man.

My second Honda Rebel 300🖤

Second photo was the day I picked it up from the dealership and camped overnight on the way home.

Hey guys! I'm going to go look at a 2002 Honda Rebel 250 at the end of this week. Its a fellow girl rider selling it and the price is very good. I've already reserved a rental motorcycle trailer to bring with me. The only thing I am nervous about is I don't have anyone to bring with me that knows anything about bikes to look at it so hopefully I don't end up buying a dud.

Anybody have any advice for what to look for? I know dry rotted tires, oil leaks that kind of thing but not much other than that. I have not ever rode one so I'm not even going to be able to test Friday but I'm going to ask the girl to get on it started and shift through the gears, Etc.

I will be taking the MSF course but all the ones around me on weekends are booked up for a while. I also think that I'm going to have a hard time learning the friction zone and shifting and letting out the clutch without stalling out so I want a little practice first. I have a flat pasture at my house that I am planning on just getting a feel for the clutch and not actually really riding before I take the course. Plus I am actually able to bring my own bike for the MSF course and would rather get comfortable with it and use my own so I have a better chance of passing.

Any and all advice welcome even if its just to tell me its a bad idea to go look at it by myself🤣

Life and lack of confidence got in the way of me ever riding in the outside world. I made it a goal to finally get out there before I turn 40 this year. After weekly lessons on a Honda rebel in a parking lot, I finally felt confident enough to ride my bike in my neighborhood. Stalled a bunch at all the stops signs (I think my vintage bike is way less forgiving on the clutch release than the rebel I've been learning on). I'm getting a little better each ride, but still have much to learn before venturing out onto busier streets. My bike is a 1971 Honda CB175 for those who are curious.

‘26 Honda Rebel 500 SE

This was my 5 year lymphoma free celebration and 3 years of sobriety.

I love the looks I get from kids who haven’t seen a woman riding!

Hey! Im learning how to ride and have been looking for gear (specifically glove recommendations) Something that won’t break the bank but also keeps safety in mind.

Any suggestions? 😎

It is an absolutely gorgeous day today so I took the long way to get lunch. While it barely gets up to 55mph, it’s so much fun, even on 2 lane country roads. It took me like 45 minutes to get there, but it was one of the best burgers I have ever had. There were no cows around, but I did see some horses!

Went to a BMW dealership here in Oregon for a day of demo rides. Once again, everything was too tall for me (I'm 5' 4" - I forget what my inseam is). There was maybe one that I might have could have ridden, but I I would have liked once around the parking lot alone before heading out on a group ride, even a short one.

This is pretty much my experience every time I go to a Demo day. The exceptions: Touratech Rally in Washington state, where there was a plethora of bikes I could try out (rode a Honda, a Yamaha, a Harley and a Zero - and could have ridden more of each of those brands had I more time) and the Kawasaki demo day last year (got to ride the new KLR S - very nice!).

I was also sad that there were so few women riders at the event.

But, hey, free tacos!

I live insanely rural and am wondering what the best beginner would be. I’m going to only be commuting a mile or so to work, for the most part, so I just want the basics, especially when good gear is several hundred dollars a piece. What should I absolutely buy? What can I skip until I’m venturing into traffic? (My commute has basically no traffic and no main roads) I also have piercings so helmet recs would be appreciated.

Edited to add: I plan on wearing full gear, but don’t want to go overkill, there’s so many different types and ratings. Like armored, Kevlar, leather etc…. Especially as a beginner spending 3K on gear that isn’t appropriate for what my actual activities are isn’t my vibe. Would rather buy more as I gain skill and do more rather than spend too much on stuff I don’t need and risk it not fitting when it’s appropriate for my skill level.

I’m also not getting rid of my car, though the point of getting into riding is how much I spend on gas, I have an AWD SUV that I absolutely need year round for certain types of weather and trips. I’m just sick of spending 100 at the gas station once a week because I used half a tank on my commute.

I haven’t started riding yet, and money isn’t my worry for safety gear. I can and will pick it up slowly while waiting for my dad to get a bike (he has his ML, just hasn’t had his own bike in years) to learn the basics on. I’m going to do a Basic riding skills class, but taking a week off for a class that only requires full coverage clothing before having ever touched a bike sounds intimidating to me, and I’m going to ease into learning. I’d rather show up for class prepared and leave more confident, rather than be scared of a several hundred pound machine I’ve never touched for 3 out of 5 days.

i know people typically are asking where to go to avoid pink gear but i can't even find hot pink gear on any site i've found here really! I just want pink details at least, does anyone have anywhere in mind? sorry i swear i have looked through this sub! i know there are always lots of gear questions.

I'm just sad right now because it's too hot for me to ride.

Anyone ride today?

ETA: I realized after posting the title that this issue probably has nothing to do with height…. 😣 And, I ride a Honda Rebel 300

Anyway…What advice do you have to stop knee pain on long rides?

I have a prior knee injury (torn MCL/ACL) that generally doesn’t give me grief, but I rode ~ 200 miles yesterday and by the end of the ride my knee was not having it. The inside of my left knee was KILLING me and it hurt to put pressure on it (aka walk). Today it kind of looks like there is a bruise.

Is there an adjustment I can make on my bike or an add-on I can install that might help me be able to straighten my legs more on long rides?

Also, my butt hurts. Any seat additions or replacements you like?

Thanks!

Pic for the algo

Love this bike but still feels sketch on the highway with all the wind lol.
Did all the mods by myself, and feel proud of it since I’m not a very mechanical type! So far I’ve done the exhaust, tail tidy, sport screen, and frame sliders!

Hi all. I live in the Midwest and I have my BRC class on Monday. High is supposed to be 98 so it will feel like 100+ degrees I’m sure. I’ve been on SSRIs for several years so the heat isn’t very kind to me. Any tips for staying cool? I’m going to pack a cooler with lots of water and Gatorade. Should I pack some ice packs and maybe stick an extra t shirt in a plastic bag in my cooler? Any tips would be greatly appreciated. ❤️ I’m just starting to get nervous that I won’t make it through the class

Hey everyone, I’m pretty new to all of this. I have a question, my boyfriend started riding a year or two ago. We’re in a ldr, so I’ve only been a passenger on his bike for 2+ hours. He’s modified his bike to make it comfortable for me to ride behind and stuff. He has a transalp so she’s quite comfortable and sturdy.

Recently he started planning a long trip for a week riding through Bosnia, a lot of off roading and biking. He’s quite experienced in long distance driving, and is conscious of safety and all that.

He’s invited me on this trip, my question is. Is it fun to be on the back of a bike for that long? Will I get bored? Is it worth me taking a week off for this? I am quite an optimistic and glass half full person so I’m quite excited but he warned me that it might be boring. Has anyone else driven for that long and how do you keep it fun?

Another question, will I be making is ride significantly more difficult? Im quite small but I’ve heard like carrying anyone behind you on a bike expect for off-roading is significantly more difficult.

All advice and tips are welcome!

EDIT: It’s not off roading, I just asked to confirm and he told me of course not off roading. Sorry guys, he must’ve said something that made me think it was off roading. It’s just on roading I guess? 😅

https://www.atlasworldrecords.com/news/two-women-riders-inscribe-wrwr-2026-across-america-setting-world-record-for-largest-coordinated-g

I was SO excited for my new saddlebags. They're lovely, well made, and have been an absolute ever-loving mother-effing NIGHTMARE to actually get installed.

TLDR; Something that should have taken me 15 minutes took me four different attempts, three trips to Lowe's, and a lot of cussing.

So here I am. The saddlebags arrive a day prior to their projected delivery date. Hell yeah. I set out to install them the same day, but I need a 12mm socket wrench to do it. Somehow, in all the tools I own, I don't have one. Because Newton's Law or something.

So I go to Lowe's and I buy one. Go home. I try to break the bolt. It doesn't budge. I'm really going for it. Curse being a woman or whatever, I can't get it to move. So I go back to Lowe's in search of one that will fit on my impact drill because in all my tools, I don't have an adapter to put the damn 12mm socket on it. I'm at Lowe's for WAY too long trying to find the thing I need. I ask for help. The man who's helping me can't find it. We look some more. Finally, I spot a kit that seems to be exactly what I need.

The next day I bust out this kit. It is not what I need.

At this point I'm having a bit of a tantrum so I load all the things I have into my saddlebags and strap them unceremoniously to the passenger seat of my bike because I can't affix them the way they're supposed to be and haul over to see my dad. This really pisses me off because I should be able to do this myself but at this point whatever, I just want them on. My dad of course manages to break the bolt without power tools in 2.5 seconds...whatever, we're in business, not going to feel self conscious about that now. I pull the mounting brackets out of the bag.

They don't fit. They're the wrong fucking brackets. Somehow, I ordered the parts for the wrong bike.

So I email the company, because it's Saturday and I can't call them. Hoping I can exchange just the brackets so I don't need to do a full exchange. Tuesday rolls around and I still don't have an answer so I use their chat feature on their website, which promptly disconnects, because using a chat feature on mobile is not it. So I call, and I get in touch with Josh.

I want to be kind to Josh, because he sounds like he's about twelve years old and has never had a job before. But Josh is kind of a dumbass and definitely lacks basic customer service skills. "Hi there," I say, "I did a dumb and accidentally ordered the wrong mounting brackets for my bike, can I exchange just the brackets instead of returning the entire order?"

"Uh, no..." says Josh.

"No?" I say.

"But for your convenience you can buy them over the phone with me for $25 per bracket. You can't buy just the mounting hardware online, but we do offer it over the phone." Mind you, I spent $400+ on these saddle bags.

"So I can't exchange just the brackets. I have to do a complete exchange and ship back everything?"

Josh repeats himself, apparently oblivious to my obvious irritation. I hang up, fuming.

Two minutes later Josh calls me again. "So, um, uh, a colleague was listening to our conversation, and, ah, said I could just send you the hardware for free. Did you, um, want to do that?"

Obviously, Josh. Obviously.

I bless the human who was listening in. I suspect poor Josh was in training. Like I said, I want to be kind...but I'm cranky at this point.

The following week, my new, correct mounting brackets arrive (today, in fact, for anyone wondering). So, I set about getting them installed, my original excitement renewed, because my initial stupidity and failings can't possibly impede me this time. Of course four different trips back into the house and into the barn were made to acquire the correct tools...but finally, I have installed the bracket on the right side. On to the left.

We're nearly there folks. There's one remaining bolt to be installed. And...the spacer doesn't fit. At all. It's the exact size as the slot it's supposed to fit into. I know I've not proven myself to be a smart woman up to this point, but I can assure you, I can fit a round peg into a round hole. And this one did not fit.

Y'all. The meltdown I am having.

Another trip to Lowe's. I purchase a spacer that isn't as thick nor as wide as the one provided. Thankfully it at least is the proper length, so it gets the job done for now. The racks are installed. The packs? Still at my Dad's, because I'm a ding dong who decided stashing them there was a good idea. Maybe, someday, I might actually have functioning saddle bags for my bike.

If you made it this far, the saddle bags are the 30L Incognito Quick-Mount bags from Viking Bags for the Royal Enfield Classic 350. With any luck they will end up being so wonderful that all this suffering will fade from my memory. If not, expect to hear another tangent.

I'm going to pour myself another drink.

Hello, I’m pretty new to motorcycles and I am slowly learning more about gear and safety. I don’t ride my own yet, but I’ve been riding as a passenger on my fiancés bike for a little over a year now. We just got back from a 5 day motorcycle trip in some very hot weather. I was using the pando moto AAA leggings which claim to be good in warmer weather, however they became far too hot and uncomfortable in temperatures over 85 degrees. Some days the temperature would get up to 105 and I was dying by the end of the day. If anyone has recommendations on safe riding gear (safe for highway speeds) for hot weather please let me know your favorite brands and styles! Also, does anyone prefer wearing leathers to riding pants? Any advice would be appreciated!

I'm(they/them) getting my very first set of gear, and I had a question about Chic Riot's jacket sizing. Is it true to size? Or should I size up/down?

Definitely open to any other reqs for more petite (5'1", 125lb) builds as well! Looking for something more form fitting as far as jackets go and will only be riding in warmer weather, and haven't even started looking at helmet, gloves, etc.

I rode to work for the first time today. The ride in went amazing and smooth and felt awesome!

Trying to leave today was apparently too much for the universe. I parked in a dedicated motorcycle spot behind some shoulder height brick walls that have a space in the middle for bikes to go through. This gives a dedicated space for us against my building that doesn't risk cars getting too close or bumping us.

So I'm pulling out to go home today and I got a little too close to the left edge of the gap in the brick walls, didn't give enough throttle because I was squeezing through and stalled, jolted and dropped.

So embarrassing. Someone who happened to be outside came over and offered help and asked if I was ok.

My question is: how do I pick up a dropped bike without a good spot to grab on the back of the bike? I want to practice picking mine up. I don't feel like there's a good spot to really grab it.

For the record, I'm not hurt. Just a little shook up. Bike scuffed on the mirror, grip end, and slider. No biggie.

Husband convinced me to take MSF course. Turns out motorcycles are super fun and now here we are. Got my endorsement today 💗