Consider traveling by yourself. We’ll be rooting for you from the sidelines; traveling alone may be an immensely fulfilling experience. More power to you. But riding a motorbike alone is not risk-free for women. We spoke with other female riders who are exploring the globe on their own to better prepare and plan for your solo journey, and we came up with a list of useful advice. Continue reading to learn how to chart your route and get over your doubts and fears:
Inspiration for Single Female Motorcyclist Travel
Women have been traveling alone for as long as men have, but British rider Elspeth Beard is our favorite role model when it comes to female motorcycle travelers traveling alone. In 1982, Elspeth embarked on a solo journey across the globe on a BMW R60/6; her book, Lone Rider, is an incredible story of tenacity and fortitude that we heartily suggest reading.
A growing number of women are riding alone throughout the globe these days. For many years, Kinga Tanajewska, often known as “On Her Bike,” traveled around Australia, Asia, Europe, and Africa. You may follow her journey on the On Her Bike YouTube channel, where she is now riding alone.
Lea Rieck is presently traveling on shorter trips by herself. She has cycled alone throughout the Americas, Asia, Australia, and Europe. Visit Lea Rieck’s Instagram and YouTube channel, Got2Go, to follow her travels and get inspiration.
Henriette, or “For the Love of Wheels,” is now riding her bike throughout Africa; Tracy Charles, a Canadian rider, has been traversing North and South America for some time; and Jessica Stone from Goruffly is on a goal to ride her bike around the globe by herself with her dog.
Check out these brave motorcycle women if you’re considering going alone, or better yet, send them a note; we’re sure they’ll be delighted to connect and provide guidance.
Before You Leave: Prepare
Now that you’ve figured out your motivation for a solo female motorbike vacation, it’s time to start packing. And the first step is preparing: having the right equipment is essential to keeping safe, whether you’re riding across the globe or simply taking a weeklong vacation.
Fortunately, there are now more women’s apparel options available from manufacturers than ever before. Select very protective clothing according on whether you plan to ride largely on pavement, dirt, or both in equal amounts. Sturdy, over-the-ankle motorcycle boots, a helmet, gloves, and high-quality leggings and jacket with elbow, hip, knee, and back armor are what you need. If the journey is longer than expected, think about bringing two pairs of gloves (one for cold weather and one for hot weather), and if you know you’ll be traveling to higher elevations or through inclement weather, add a heated jacket. If your motorcycle jacket and trousers aren’t waterproof, rain gear might come in useful. Lightweight merino wool base layers are a wonderful option to wear beneath the gear.
See this post for more detailed information on the top women’s motorcycle gear if you’re looking for further gear guidance and recommendations. Ultimately, the kind of equipment you need will largely depend on the kind of riding you want to perform, although four-season adventure riding equipment is often your best option.
Carry Less
Which kind of bicycle do you ride? Whatever motorbike you decide to ride—a 250cc dirt bike or a BMW GS 1200—be sure to have minimal gear for the ride. It’s also not only a matter of being able to pick things up in the event of an overturn: traveling light is made simpler by packing less.
Filling your panniers to the full will mean that you’ll have more items to take care of, clean, and pack and unpack each time you stay at a hotel or camp. Pack as much as you can if you really must have many pairs of clothes or a duffel bag full of photographic equipment, but try to find ways to reduce the amount of stuff you bring along.
You travel lighter when you carry less.
And don’t forget, there are stores everywhere (yes, even in the Kahalari Desert and the Peruvian Amazon), so you can always locate them on the move if you realize that you really need something that you neglected to pack, like additional socks, tire tubes, or charging cables. The globe is far smaller than you may imagine, and every big city along your journey has something like to a Walmart or Target.
Get Your Bike Ready
Bicycle upkeep and possible malfunctions are among the top concerns for female travelers traveling alone with motorcycles. And suppose your bike breaks down in a far-off place? What happens if you simply can’t get the bike up after falling? How about if…?
While it is reasonable to be concerned about all of these “what ifs,” the reality is that it is impossible to account for them all. You can’t plan for every possible scenario, even if you’re riding a brand-new bike and are capable of doing all the maintenance and repairs yourself. It’s possible that you’ll forget to bring a repair kit when you have a flat tire or that you’ll have to deal with scorched clutch plates in the midst of a lonely mountain path.
The best course of action is to prepare and adopt the appropriate mentality. Make sure your motorbike is in top shape before you go out. If you are handy with a wrench, go over the whole bike, look for wear on the components, and replace them as needed. Take your bike to a reputable garage if you’re not handy with mechanics, and they will examine everything and make any necessary repairs. As preparation is half the work, try to get your bike ready for the road before you go.
Regarding all those terrifying “what ifs,” consider this: bike problems might occur at some point.
However, you’re more than capable of handling issues as they arise as a healthy adult woman. You will get assistance if you crash and your bike ends up in a ditch where you are unable to get it out on your own. On a rural stretch of road, locals will probably have a can of gas someplace, or another tourist may share their reserve, in case your bike chooses to run out of gasoline. Riding a bike means you are never lost at sea; instead, you are on land, following a road or path, and people are found wherever there are roads and trails. And where humans exist…You get the idea.
Make a route plan.In loose terms
Which way are you going? Alaskan to Ushuaia rider? Traveling cross-country by yourself? Are you going to South Africa from Norway?
Planning ahead is helpful wherever you’re going, but avoid trying to plot out the full route and daily miles at one time. One possibility is that you’ll find that you like traveling further or shorter each day than you had anticipated. For another, there could be obstacles, hold-ups, non-operating ferries, and several other unforeseen events. Make allowances for this: rather than meticulously organizing a thirty-day or three-month schedule, aim for a general concept of where you’re going and then make adjustments as you go.
Furthermore, many of us come to the realization that we would much rather take a short break and explore our local area than go a long distance every day. Some prefer to refuel by taking shorter but more frequent pauses. Some continue to cheerfully do 600-mile days for many weeks. Put another way, you decide how long you want to ride and which routes to go, but you should also give yourself flexibility to modify or adjust your plan as needed. You’ll be relieved of the burden of following the plan and making a hasty decision in this manner.
Stricter planning only pays off when crossing borders with restricted visa and car permission durations. Don’t fool about with deadlines like that if you know you have five days to leave a country before your entrance permission expires. In some countries, failing to depart on time may result in your bike being seized. Except from that, however, feel free to wing it and have fun with Google Earth!
Select Secure Housing
Traveling will introduce you to many incredible individuals. You’re sure to meet people and form friendships since most locals like having visitors. But be careful not to overestimate yourself, particularly when it comes to accommodations. Make sure your hotel or AirBnB’s door locks correctly, stay in all-female dormitories at hostels, and always look for locations with safe bike parking. Keep your valuables off your bike, and if you can’t locate somewhere secure to put it overnight, at least secure it with a disc lock.
As a general guideline, while camping, you should set your camp somewhere with plenty of people around or somewhere with none. If you’re going to wild camp, you should choose a location that’s a bit off the main trail and where nobody is likely to observe you. Alternatively, search for organized campsites if you just can’t locate a decent location; this way, you’ll be safe among other campers.
A motorbike GPS tracker and alert from Monimoto is a handy small travel safety device for bikes. The way it works is that you activate your key fob that is linked to an app and conceal the tracker someplace on your motorbike, like the airbox. Your phone will get an alert from the tracker if your motorbike is moved while the key fob is not with it.
motorbike monitoring system
You may still be able to stop theft when you get the notice. The tracker will give out a live position if the bike disappears, which will be very useful to the police in recovering it. Monimoto is a useful small safety addition to have when driving, and it operates in North and South America as well as Europe.
Myths About Solo Female Motorcyclist Travel Busted: “Going alone is not safe.”
“You lack sufficient experience.”
What happens if you falter?
What happens if you are unable to retrieve your bike?
Do you recognize this? The likelihood is that some people will advise you not to embark on your solo bike vacation. Perhaps you even have a little scared voice in your thoughts that conjures up images of the worst-case and unknown risks.
However, the truth is that motorcycle riding by women alone isn’t nearly as risky as most people think. You’re halfway there if you can ride a motorbike safely across your own nation or to another city; yes, the scenery will be different elsewhere. There will be differences in the cuisines and languages spoken by people, as well as in the quality and gnarliness of the off-road tracks, mountains, and highways. However, the fundamental idea will remain unchanged: you’ll mount your bike and log some kilometers. After that, you’ll stop for the night, unpack, and start the process over the following morning. Rinse and repeat until you reach your destination. That’s all there is to it; granted, after traveling thousands of miles and gaining experience, you may sometimes get weary, experience loneliness, or need to patch a flat in the middle of nowhere.
However, you will.
Traveling alone may provide difficulties, uncertainty, and difficulties at times. However, it will boost your confidence, give you a feeling of independence and self unlike anything else, and let you to see the world at your own pace. You’ll discover that you’re far stronger than you ever imagined, that you can do anything, that you are unstoppable, and that you have the guts to follow in the footsteps of the women who came before you and serve as an inspiration to the young girls who look up to you.