lady riders

[Lee Rusty]

lady riders are the fastest growing branch of motorcycling around the world.
In twenty years of teaching new riders, I will make the staement that in my opinion women make better riders than men - they may not be as fast - but they are safe.

Can't ask for better than that

[Motoracer]

I belive that

[Liv, Norway]

Thank you, Motoracer & LeeRusty!

Liv.

[bluninja]

I would agree that statistically women are safer riders/drivers than men. I would not decribe them as better...that depends on what you consider to be better.

TTFN

[duckman]

I'd say that they are better at thinking with their heads, as apposed to men who to tend to drive with their dicks.

*Flame On*

[bluninja]

Men and Women think differently. One isn't better or worse than the other. Generally men have better hand eye coordination, better spatial awareness, and are able to take in more from the surroundings without being distracted. However they also have a heightened sense of confidence, and are more agressive/competitive on the road.

TTFN

[Lee Rusty]

what do I mean by better

Smoother operation of the machine, leading to good riding style.
Safer operation of machine leading to longevity.
Better reading of the road leading to longevity.

As fo comment men drive with there dicks

that I counter by saying a week ago I saw a WOMAN driver (car)
MULTITASKING - Driving over harbour bridge at 60+K talking on phone and reading a glossy magazine spread out on her steering wheel - not doubt she also had the radio on. SHe probably would have put on cosmetics if she had another hand.

I work on the bridge and had a chance to observe this for over almost full length of bridge, she read article glanced up to see what was happening on road back to mag etc - in the time I watched her the car travelled over a km and her eyes were on the road maybe 2 - 3 seconds.

One can only hope she kills herself without taking out someone else.

Also long term obervation on bridge traffic shows approx 1 in 5 women on phone while driving - wiht men it is approx 1 in 20.

So women are not blameless drivers.

I do however believe after 20 years and over thousands of students - I am able to state women make "better" rider than men.
If your only criteria is speed then men win - but there is a lot more to riding a m/c than going fast.
Any one can go fast it requires no brain and a fistfull of throttle,
the faster the bike goes the more stable it becomes, thus covering up for riders lack of skill. Unfortunately one can not go fast everywhere (race track excepted) and thus riders get into strife.

This comment is not to say that race riders do not exhibit both skill and speed, but they are in the minority. Indeed they are an art form to watch. Nothing looks better than Rossi in full cry.

THe trouble is riders who try to emulate the racers ability with out the racers skill.

[Motoracer]

We have come a long way since the old "Biker Angels" threads. Its more busy now but like someone once said before, the males to female ratio has plummeted to some what similar to a bike's compression ratio in the thread. I guess at least there is some activity in the forum now.

[Motoracer]

1) I too saw a chick the other day, trying to put on lipstick with the left hand while looking at the mirror and at the same time she was holding a ciggy with the other hand. This was on the motorway ofcourse.

2) I guess you don't need brains to go fast for a short term but to go fast and stay upright for a longer period, you do require some brains.

3) I do not really understand what you mean by the bike being more stable when it is going faster. I usually experience higher unstability at higher speeds. Front and back tyres loosing traction around corners, suspension loading and unloading in an erratic manner making steering more difficult and braking more touchy (I am referring to riding on not so perfect roads). Oh and how could I forget the all too often yet scary every time TANK SLAPPERS!!

[Jackrat]

Iv,e seen a lot of women in what were once male only jobs.
Now days when I see this I just take it with a grain of salt,She will be good at it.
BTW i have always considered safe to mean good.
The two fastest riders I ever knew are both now dead.

[bluninja]

I do however believe after 20 years and over thousands of students - I am able to state women make "better" rider than men.

You've formed an opinion based on your observations and made a statement.....it doesn't make it fact. However it's interesting to note; anecdotal information from riding instructor friends in the UK indicates that women require more training, and have a higher test failure rate at CBT and full practical test. Perhaps once they have aquired the skills they mature into 'better' riders: who knows.

Anyway had a look around for any stats around....found one report in Oz about comparisons between men and women drivers...Apparently a survey is under way specifically aimed at women motorcyclists, but no results or reports. An abstract from the Oz report...

In spite of the relative differences in the rates of change, men still have a considerably higher fatality rate than women. In 1995, the fatality rate for male car drivers (0.76 deaths per 100 million km) was 1.64 times higher than that for female car drivers (0.46). However, the differential between men and women decreases for less severe crashes. In fact, the rate of hospitalisation of female car drivers (8.35 per 100 million km driven) is 1.15 times higher than that for men (7.35 per 100 million km driven).

TTFN

[Lee Rusty]

I did not say it was a fact

I said I believe - It is a statement - my opinion

sounds like some picky people feel treatened

It is also my finding that women take no longer to train than men.

I believe it is not having to do the "macho thing "

Men are more competative, and feel they have to prove something to me or others.

[Slim]

Si - I have to say that I found the female motorcyclists I encountered in the UK to be a bit on the timid side, and perhaps this contributes to the longer training/higher test failure rate in England? Or perhaps its a harder test than the NZ one? Or maybe it's got something to do with the volume of traffic in the lower half of England, a lot more "heavy" vehicles in the mix? Just some thoughts.


Lee - what sort of proportion of Basic Skills & Handling vs more advanced motorcycle training are you talking about, when it comes to the women you're training? I recall that I took to bikes really quickly at 18yo, but wasn't the safest of riders until several years later: taking risks during overtaking, carrying too much steam into corners, riding bikes that were much too powerful for me, and hence getting into strife.

[bluninja]

Originally posted by Lee Rusty
sounds like some picky people feel treatened 

Lee, picky would be discussing your spelling

Yes, you didn't say it was a fact, but within the context of your post it had a ring of ergo sum. Why else tried to add weight to your opinion with 20 years and thousands of students? Perhaps it is you being picky??

As for feeling threatened; oh dear! If someone discounts or differs with your opinion then they obviously must feel threatened. Perhaps in your world.

Men and women in general have distinct and different thinking and communication styles; not better or worse - just different. If we are open to this then we can learn from the strengths of the opposite gender and benefit.

Slim, who knows why there is an apparrent difference between NZ and UK. It could be down to the students each instructor attracts, or what 'facts' they retain and use to form their opinions with.

I must be having a really slow day to day 

TTFN

[Lee Rusty]

u must b