A Woman Rider’s Guide To Motorcycle Touring

Planning to try out the ‘motorcycle lifestyle’? For women, that might be a big challenge initially because there aren’t as many women motorcyclists as men, thanks to the dogma that women don’t ride bikes! Having said that, it isn't much of a challenge if you make up your mind to start riding a motorcycle either for your daily commutes or to go on long distance trips. We spoke to some of the most experienced female riders in our community and found out how they started their journeys. Based on their collective experience, we have gathered a few very nuggets of advice that will guide you on your own goal of motorcycle touring.

Pack smart

A common mistake that is made by both men and women riders when they are getting started with long distance motorcycle travels is that they tend to pack a lot more than they are actually going to use at the destination. This is very common because people anticipate many different scenarios based on which they serve their luggage bags with more things and they are ever going to need them in reality. Therefore, our first advice for you is to prioritize your needs while going on a motorcycle tour and cut down on unnecessary clutter. Pack only those things that are extremely essential for ensuring your comfort during the trip. It's a good idea to leave behind all electronic gadgets besides your mobile phone and a few power banks to keep yourself connected with people back home and to check the GPS whenever you need to. Other than that, you don't need your laptop or any other large-sized electronic gadget because chances are that it will just push the limits of the gross axle weight of your bike rather than being useful to you.

Learn a few repair techniques

When you are in the middle of nowhere during a long-distance road trip you cannot expect any technical assistance in case your bike happens to break down due to some mechanical fault. It is always a good idea to know a few repaired tricks and techniques before setting out on long-distance tools just so that you can get out of trouble and reach a qualified technician for further assistance. A good way to learn simple things about repairing basic falls in your motorcycle is to work a few youtube videos and try it out on your motorcycle at home so that even if something goes wrong you can always depend on someone to rectify the fault and teach you at the same time.

Always ride with the sun

Long distance trips usually mean riding for more than 300 or 500 kilometers depending on what you are comfortable covering in a day. In certain cases, you might have to ride after sundown, but it is always wise to ride when there is enough daylight for you to find assistance if anything goes wrong. Also, when it gets dark the incident light from oncoming traffic makes it really difficult to focus on the road which usually leads to mishaps. Avoid all of these problems by starting early every day and ending your right just after sunset. This will give you ample time to settle down in your hotel room or set up camp if you are planning to camp outdoors.

Talk to people, but make your own decisions

You can't possibly go on a road trip and not talk to people at all! The more you talk to people the better you get to know them and their cultures which is why talking is very important and you need to grab every opportunity to interact with local people at the destination and also along the way. But when it comes to making important decisions do not depend on the information of a stranger. Always do your research well and after taking additional input from local people make your own decision because you never know whom you can trust at a foreign destination.

Don’t compromise on safety

The safety of your own self and that of the motorcycle is extremely crucial when you are away from home. The motorcycle is the only thing that will get you out of a place and back to home so before setting out on a road trip be sure to take your motorcycle for a complete overhaul and maintenance. Also take the time to purchase a travel insurance if you are traveling outside your country or planning to cross multiple states within your country. Invest in a complete set of riding safety gears including a branded motorcycle helmet, jacket, boots and riding gloves. Do not park your motorcycle in a dark area or in a place where there are very few people because that might attract the attention of miscreants. Whenever you have to stop for a break measure to keep the motorcycle in such a place that is always visible to you from inside the hotel/restaurant.

Last but not the least, always focus on enjoying your time during the trip instead of worrying about small things either about your work or small challenges that you will evidently face when you're on the road. Keep a positive mindset and focus on getting a wonderful experience from your trip.