Five years ago, I believed motorcycles were only for men….
Badass leather jacket-wearing men, fearless men, strong men, tall men, adrenaline junkies, or the rare, super strong taller women of the world. I, like many others, had a stereotype of what motorcycle riders looked like and that stereotype looked nothing like me.
But surprisingly, 5 years later, I ended up riding motorcycles. I’m a 5ft1” short woman, a woman who avoids danger, a petite woman, a woman of colour, and let's just say I’m not benching the weight of my bike any time soon.
I always thought as a short person, I could never ride a motorcycle. Bikes scared me; honestly, mopeds scared me, and I never entertained the thought of one day owning a motorcycle. Funnily enough, my partner didn’t share my doubts, he believed I could pretty much do anything and his encouragement set me off on a journey that helped me face a lot of fears while discovering my size didn’t determine what I could and couldn’t do.
The day I passed my motorcycle test was amazing. I had achieved something I once thought was impossible. That excitement of achieving the impossible made me want to encourage others to do the same. That’s why I started Petite Bikers, an online community for other shorter riders or riders that don’t fit the stereotypes. If I shared my story and challenges as a shorter rider, maybe others might be inspired to try and over theirs.
‘Petite Bikers’ has been exciting, encouraging and inspiring for me. I’ve had thousands of people reach out to me, and some have even shared their stories on the blog, I’ve discovered an amazing world of motorcycle riders and it’s made me realise that stereotypes within the motorcycling world can be shifted and transformed.
Even though the ‘petite biking’ community is getting larger, it’s still challenging for the new shorter riders to take that leap of faith. I’ve listed some challenges I’ve faced below and how I overcame the challenges to make that leap a little more manageable for new riders.
“ The day I passed my motorcycle test was amazing. I had achieved something I once thought was impossible.”
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR GETTING ON TWO WHEELS
1. Finding a driving school
They’re everywhere but do they have a bike your size? Sadly none had a bike for me, so I had to buy a small bike, and get someone to take me to my lessons on a weekly basis. Not the most practical option but it just shows, where there is a will, there is a way. Nowadays, however, more driving schools are storing smaller sized bikes, so I recommend calling as many as you can in your area, and asking.
2 Overcoming the fear
Fear is not an easy thing to overcome, however, fear is normal, it’s what keeps you safe. Personally, it took me a while, and if that’s the same with you, that’s ok, I was practising in the parking lot, a lot. The turning point was when I first went on a big tour, I gained a lot of confidence and the fear disappeared on its own. Whatever you do, don’t give up, just keep pushing those fear boundaries even if it takes a while.
3. Finding a bike that works
I had to test a lot of bikes before I found one that worked for me. The Honda Rebel is a great beginner's bike, it's a chopper but it doesn’t feel like one. It’s light and low and great for shorter riders. I now ride a lowered Ducati Scrambler. The new models don’t need lowering, and they’re also light bikes. The Ducati is faster and more agile than the Rebel. But if smaller bikes aren’t your dream bikes, it is possible to ride any bike with the right training and confidence - Jocelyn Snow is a great example of that, she is 5ft1 and she rides a BMW GS.
4. Finding Gear
Discovering gear was one of the toughest parts, I won’t lie, I still struggle with it sometimes - I started with children’s gear, but quickly discovered most of it just doesn’t fit around the hip and chest area. I’ve found a nice pair of Kevlar Leggings by GoGo Gear, and I love my small lightweight Junior Nexo Helmet.
Luckily, the gear industry is shifting too, women gear is no longer men's gear shrunken down with an additional pink highlight. I’ve been lucky enough to connect with some clothing companies and shops owned by ‘petite bikers', like ChicRiot, Ride&defy, Moto Muse, who are eager to support and cater for the ‘petite’ market.
Height ain't nothing but a number, it shouldn’t stop anyone from experiencing the joys of motorcycling. Motorcycling is something truly magical. If I had my height stop me, I would’ve missed out on so many beautiful moments, and so many amazing people.
Go follow Poonam and her adventures with Petit bikers on Instagram HERE and on the Petit bikers website HERE!
