How I Came to be Ninja Ryder - Motorcycles for the Smaller, Lighter Female Rider

Motorcycles are beautiful machines, and anyone can find a style to love. But unlike a car, a motorcycle has to fit the rider. If you're under 5'5", have an inseam less than 30" or 31", and weigh under 150 pounds, you'll find your options limited when you shop for a motorcycle -- that is, if you want to put a toe on the ground (recommended when you need to stop!) For a new rider with beginner's skills a small, light bike is the safe and fun way to go.

There's a lot of advice out there about best bikes for women (as if such a thing existed!) It's easy to find advice on lowering bikes, changing seats, stacked boots, shorter shocks and other ways to fit your bike. Often, the advice doesn't hold water for me. I'm not saying they're lying, but when a guy tells me he knows somebody who gained 2" wearing Daytona Ladystars, or when a tall woman tells me her 5' 1" friend can flat foot a BMW with the BMW low seat option, I'm just saying I haven't shared those experiences.

Here's what I know is true for me. I'm 5' 2" with a 28" inseam, and I weigh 110 pounds. I go to the gym, so I'm not a total weakling, and I've been riding for a year and a half. I am not a Harley-Davidson or cruiser fan (I'm not anti-social about it -- I'll still wave to ya!) but I admit Harley does offer several models with comfortable, low seats. The catch is that they weigh a ton and don't seem to handle our southern California twisty roads very well. At least, not the Harleys I get stuck behind.

My first bike, my trusty Donatella, was a 2006 (3rd generation) Ninja 250. I bought her with 920 miles for $3000.00. I still wanted to lower the Ninja, so I chose a Soupy's adjustable lowering link, then a custom Corbin seat with their famous nose job, and some bar risers. On the advice of the fantastic Ninja 250 Riders Club, I changed the tires to the lower profile Pirelli MT75s (love them). I also sprung for the Frey Daytona Ladystars and gained a little extra height over my Oxtar boots. Of all the things I did to ride more comfortably, the biggest investment was the Ladystar boots.

We did all the work in our own garage with no special tools. Over the next few days, I'll detail the steps I took to modify my Ninja, and then explore the customization of my Triumph Bonneville SE. (You didn't think I'd stop at one bike, did you??)