“Fashion Fades, Style is Eternal” - Yves Saint Laurent
Last week I had an appointment with a Dermatologist who removed more than two dozen sun spots from my arms and my hands. I have been wearing sunscreen on my face for many years, but I had applied sunscreen to my arms and hands when I first started riding motorcycles 25 years ago. I could have avoided this expensive little visit which then got me thinking about how I had survived so long with the way I used to dress for motorcycling. I did not think to wear protective clothing or gloves – never mind sunscreen and this prompted me to share some NB riding tips with you.
Back in the naughty 90’s, it was more important to look cool and sexy, than to be safe on a motorcycle. To be honest there really was not a lot of protective riding gear for women available. Custom outfit: high heeled boots, tight denim jeans and a collection of cut-off, sleeveless T-shirts. If it was cold, I would wear classic leather jacket and perhaps a pair of pretty gloves that grandma had left behind. On a long distance summer ride to Cape Town via the Eastern Cape, I would wear a pair of cut-off gloves – a fat load of good that would have done had I run out of talent! Thankfully I have grown wiser and in the last 15 years, my protective rider gear collection has grown – which I must admit I am quite proud of. But what exactly should women wear on a motorcycle – be it as a rider or a pillion passenger? The answer to that is, “The right gear – all the time” so although I continue to grow old disgracefully, I would like to do it with some dignity and style.
This story is from the April 2020 edition of Bike SA.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 2020 edition of Bike SA.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
A Ladies Perspective What a Surprise Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX
I’m sure as everyone knows by now there is little that compares to my BMW K1200S and out of the 13 different bikes I’ve been lucky enough to ride over the 18 months I’ve been riding, I finally came across one that I’m almost certain I’d swap my bike for…
Goodwood's 79th Members Meeting - Hunting, Shooting and - Racing
For that’s what marked the 79th Goodwood Members Meeting aka 79MM, held this year on April 9-10, which this time included two thrilling motorcycle races, each with a blanket finish which in Race 1 saw less than a second covering the first four bikes home.
MIDWEIGHT PUNCH - TRIUMPH TIGER SPORT 660
The Triumph brand seems to be going from strength to strength worldwide. New models are seeing the light of day in various sectors, and here in South Africa there is a carefully planned dealer expansion program in action.
Isle of Man TT-winning ABUS NORTON NRS588 GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Exclusive track test of the last British bike to win the Isle of Man Senior TT in 1992, after what's widely considered to be the most exciting race ever held in the Island
NORTON ROTARY RACERS HISTORY - Rotary Race Record
For eight successive seasons the world’s first - and so far only - Rotary-engined racebikes swept to serial success on British racetracks. Here’s a timeline on their ebb and flow.
MOTO MORINI'S Alberto Monni - INTERVIEW
Exclusive interview with Moto Morini's CEO Alberto Monni, responsible for directing its ride along the comeback trail since its 2018 takeover by Zhongneng Vehicle Group/ZVG
KAWASAKI NINJA 1000SX - Surprise Package
I’ve recently written in my Editor’s note bemoaning the lack of available Sports-Touring motorcycles nowadays.
DRYSDALE HISTORY PART 4/5: 25 YEARS ON FROM CREATION OF FIRST 750-V8
2002 1000-V8 Bruiser mega-Monster was a Naked roadster with added muscle - the answer to the question of how to out-max a Yamaha V-Max!
GODIER & GENOUD KAWASAKI 1000 - Enquring Excellence
Exclusive track test at France's Carole circuit of what's arguably the first motorcycle of the modern era - the title-winning Kawasaki Endurance racer built in 1975 by Frenchmen Georges Godier and Alain Genoud
Unnecessarily Fast, or Unnecessarily Dangerous?
“The bigger they are, the harder they fall.” This truism comes from boxing, but applies to all walks of life. Innovative MotoGP superstar Marc Marquez, however, adds a new twist.