TRANSCRIPT 🔗
WEBVTT
00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:21.280
Hi friends, it's Kay.
00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:31.440
Welcome back to Motor Fems, where we celebrate women, motorcycles, and everything that comes with life on two or sometimes three wheels.
00:00:32.240 --> 00:00:38.000
Today we're going somewhere a little scary in honor of upcoming Halloween.
00:00:38.320 --> 00:00:42.960
Not a dark back road, not a mountain pass in a thunderstorm.
00:00:43.200 --> 00:00:46.880
Not even a gas station bathroom in the middle of nowhere.
00:00:47.119 --> 00:00:51.119
We're going into the Gear Graveyard.
00:00:51.359 --> 00:00:52.640
You know the place.
00:00:52.880 --> 00:00:55.039
Maybe it's a shelf in your garage.
00:00:55.280 --> 00:00:57.600
Maybe it's a plastic tote in the basement.
00:00:57.840 --> 00:01:04.000
Maybe it's an entire closet you're afraid to open because something will fall on your head.
00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:12.719
It's the final resting place for all the motorcycle stuff we bought because we were absolutely convinced it was gonna change our lives.
00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:17.439
The jacket that was gonna make us comfortable in every possible weather condition.
00:01:17.680 --> 00:01:31.359
The gloves that promised to be waterproof, the miracle anti fog product, the phone mount that was supposed to change everything, the luggage system that took approximately four engineering degrees to install, you know the one.
00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:36.879
And of course a motorcycle seat that promised you could ride 600 miles in total comfort.
00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:47.680
Somewhere in America, right now, there's a garage containing four thousand dollars worth of motorcycle gear that somebody would happily sell for two hundred dollars just to get it out of the house.
00:01:47.840 --> 00:01:50.079
And I'm pretty sure I'm not alone.
00:01:50.319 --> 00:01:51.760
How does this happen?
00:01:52.079 --> 00:01:54.879
Motorcyclists love gear.
00:01:55.280 --> 00:02:01.599
We research it, we watch videos about it, we read reviews, we ask other riders what they're using.
00:02:01.760 --> 00:02:06.719
And then somebody says the magic words This thing is a game changer.
00:02:06.959 --> 00:02:09.199
That's it, we're done, take my money.
00:02:09.439 --> 00:02:12.879
Because every piece of motorcycle gear seems to come with a promise.
00:02:13.199 --> 00:02:15.199
This helmet will be quieter.
00:02:15.439 --> 00:02:18.240
This windshield will eliminate buffeting.
00:02:18.479 --> 00:02:20.879
This seat will save your backside.
00:02:21.120 --> 00:02:23.759
This rain gear will actually keep you dry.
00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:29.120
Or this communication system will connect seamlessly with everyone you're riding with.
00:02:29.360 --> 00:02:32.159
This gadget will make navigation effortless.
00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:33.840
And sometimes it does.
00:02:34.159 --> 00:02:35.439
But sometimes.
00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:38.560
Welcome to the Gear Graveyard.
00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:42.000
Exhibit A The
Load full transcript
Perfect Jacket.
00:02:42.159 --> 00:02:43.680
Let's start with jackets.
00:02:43.919 --> 00:02:48.240
Finding the perfect women's motorcycle jacket can feel like searching for Bigfoot.
00:02:48.639 --> 00:02:50.879
You hear rumors that one exists.
00:02:51.199 --> 00:02:55.919
People claim they've seen one, but somehow you can never find it in your size.
00:02:56.400 --> 00:03:08.400
You finally find a jacket that looks great online, it's waterproof, breathable, armored, ventilated, warm in winter, cool in summer, and apparently capable of surviving reentry from outer space.
00:03:08.800 --> 00:03:13.840
It arrives, you put it on, and suddenly you can't bend your arms.
00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:22.319
Or it fits beautifully everywhere except the chest, or the hips, or the sleeves are six inches too long.
00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:26.800
Or there's a mysterious bulge somewhere that no human woman actually has.
00:03:27.039 --> 00:03:28.400
But we don't give up immediately.
00:03:28.479 --> 00:03:31.120
We tell ourselves it'll break in.
00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:36.639
Three years later, it's hanging in the closet looking exactly the way it did the day we bought it.
00:03:36.960 --> 00:03:38.479
Or the glove collection.
00:03:38.719 --> 00:03:47.199
I don't think you can call yourself an experienced motorcyclist until you own at least seven pairs of gloves and still can't find the right pair when you need them.
00:03:47.599 --> 00:03:59.520
Summer gloves, winter gloves, rain gloves, touring gloves, heated gloves, gloves that were supposed to work with your phone, but apparently only work with someone else's phone.
00:03:59.759 --> 00:04:02.800
And waterproof gloves deserve their own category.
00:04:03.039 --> 00:04:07.120
Because waterproof is one of the most optimistic words in motorcycling.
00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:15.759
There is nothing quite like pulling your hand out of a waterproof motorcycle glove and discovering that your fingers have been marinating for the last two hours.
00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:18.560
Into the gear graveyard it goes.
00:04:19.519 --> 00:04:22.480
The seat that was gonna save your butt.
00:04:22.879 --> 00:04:27.920
Motorcyclists will spend an extraordinary amount of money trying to make their butt happy.
00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:37.199
Custom seats, gel pads, air cushions, beaded covers, sheepskin.
00:04:38.160 --> 00:04:45.920
Somebody somewhere is probably experimenting with memory foam and NASA technology as we speak.
00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:48.639
And every one of us thinks this is it.
00:04:48.879 --> 00:04:53.839
This is the thing that's gonna turn me into a thousand mile-a-day rider.
00:04:54.639 --> 00:05:03.040
Then 90 miles later, you're standing at a gas station wondering whether it's possible to ride a motorcycle standing up for the next three states.
00:05:03.439 --> 00:05:05.439
The technology graveyard.
00:05:05.680 --> 00:05:08.240
Then there's motorcycle technology.
00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:22.720
Phone mounts, GPS units, helmet communicators, Bluetooth devices, cameras, charging systems, tire pressure monitors, and enough cables to wire a small city.
00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:25.439
Some of these things are fantastic.
00:05:25.759 --> 00:05:36.399
Others require a ritual involving Bluetooth settings, three apps, two firmware updates, and language that probably shouldn't be repeated on this podcast.
00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:44.560
There is also a special section of the gear graveyard reserved for things that worked perfectly until you actually needed them.
00:05:45.040 --> 00:05:45.839
Luggage.
00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:48.000
Because apparently we're moving.
00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:51.439
Motorcycle luggage deserves honorable mention.
00:05:51.759 --> 00:05:55.680
At some point every rider decides she needs a better way to carry things.
00:05:55.920 --> 00:06:10.319
So we buy saddlebags, tail bags, tank bags, dry bags, roll bags, panniers, packing cubes, compression sacks, and eventually we have enough luggage to leave home permanently.
00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:12.959
Then we discover the one bag we really like.
00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:15.920
The rest gear graveyard.
00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:19.360
The cheap thing that became the expensive thing.
00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:21.199
Here's another classic.
00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:23.680
You need something that costs$150.
00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:27.120
You think, I'm not paying$150 for that.
00:06:27.519 --> 00:06:29.680
So you buy the$39 version.
00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:31.279
It doesn't work.
00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:34.319
Then you buy the$69 version.
00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:37.600
It's better, but still not right.
00:06:38.639 --> 00:06:41.600
Finally, you buy the$150 version.
00:06:41.759 --> 00:06:42.959
Congratulations.
00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:46.720
Your$150 piece of gear cost you$258.
00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:51.519
And now you have two additional exhibits for the gear graveyard.
00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:53.199
Here's the thing.
00:06:53.439 --> 00:06:56.240
Most of these purchases aren't really about stuff.
00:06:56.480 --> 00:06:58.959
They're about the ride we imagine having.
00:06:59.199 --> 00:07:03.759
We buy the perfect touring jacket because we picture ourselves crossing the country.
00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:09.040
We buy the luggage because we're thinking about that trip we've always wanted to take.
00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:16.399
We buy the heat of gear because maybe this is finally the year we're going to extend our riding season.
00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:22.480
We buy the communication system because we want to share our ride with our friends.
00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:26.000
We're not just buying motorcycle gear.
00:07:26.079 --> 00:07:27.680
We're buying possibilities.
00:07:28.079 --> 00:07:31.040
And I actually love that about motorcyclists.
00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:37.759
We're always looking for ways to ride farther, longer, safer, and more comfortably.
00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:43.199
We just occasionally accumulate a small
sporting goods store while figuring it out.
00:07:44.399 --> 00:07:50.160
Before buying another piece of gear, ask yourself, what problem am I actually trying to solve?
00:07:50.959 --> 00:07:53.680
Then ask, can I borrow one first?
00:07:54.319 --> 00:07:55.439
Can I try it on?
00:07:56.319 --> 00:07:57.600
Can I buy used?
00:07:58.480 --> 00:08:00.319
Can I return it if it doesn't work?
00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:04.079
Do I already own something that solves the same problem?
00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:08.480
My personal favorite, am I buying this because I need it?
00:08:08.720 --> 00:08:11.519
Or somebody on the internet called it a game changer.
00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:14.879
Because there are some genuinely great products out there.
00:08:15.040 --> 00:08:21.120
But there's no single perfect helmet, jacket, seat, windshield, glove, or gadget for every rider.
00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:26.959
Motorcycles are personal, and motorcycle gear may be even more personal.
00:08:27.199 --> 00:08:29.759
Maybe the gear graveyard isn't a graveyard.
00:08:29.839 --> 00:08:31.199
Here's another thought.
00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:34.480
Maybe that gear doesn't have to stay buried.
00:08:34.879 --> 00:08:39.120
That jacket that doesn't fit you might fit another woman perfectly.
00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:44.399
The seat you hated might be exactly what another rider has been searching for.
00:08:44.799 --> 00:08:47.840
Those barely worn boots, somebody wants them.
00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:50.879
That luggage system sitting in the corner.
00:08:51.120 --> 00:08:57.600
It could be headed across the country on somebody else's motorcycle instead of collecting dust in your garage.
00:08:58.399 --> 00:09:02.960
One woman's gear graveyard is another woman's treasure chest.
00:09:03.759 --> 00:09:07.840
And that is exactly the idea behind the Motorfem's gear exchange.
00:09:08.559 --> 00:09:14.159
Helping women riders connect with other women who may be looking for the gear we're no longer using.
00:09:15.519 --> 00:09:19.759
Because good motorcycle gear shouldn't spend the rest of its life sitting in a box.
00:09:20.720 --> 00:09:23.120
It should be out there in the wind.
00:09:24.159 --> 00:09:25.600
So now I want to hear from you.
00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:28.639
What's buried in your gear graveyard?
00:09:29.200 --> 00:09:35.440
What's the motorcycle product you bought because you were absolutely convinced it would change your riding life?
00:09:36.159 --> 00:09:36.879
Did it work?
00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:38.879
Or was it a complete disaster?
00:09:39.840 --> 00:09:46.000
Or is it sitting in your garage right now waiting for you to finally admit that you're never going to use it?
00:09:46.879 --> 00:09:53.200
Send me your gear graveyard stories because I have a feeling this could become a regular Motorfemmes conversation.
00:09:53.360 --> 00:09:54.639
And who knows?
00:09:54.879 --> 00:10:00.000
That thing you regret buying might just be exactly what another woman has been looking for.
00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:10.240
And in the meantime, you gotta check out the Motorfemmes Gear Exchange, the place where the Gear Graveyard goes for resurrection.
00:10:10.639 --> 00:10:14.000
That's what the Motorfems Gear Exchange is all about.
00:10:14.320 --> 00:10:22.480
It's a place where women riders can list motorcycle gear they no longer need and connect with other riders who might be looking for it.
00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:25.440
And there's another reason this matters to me.
00:10:25.919 --> 00:10:31.200
Good motorcycle gear can be expensive, especially when you're just getting started.
00:10:31.440 --> 00:10:38.799
Buying used gear can make it a little easier for another woman to get properly equipped and get out there and ride.
00:10:39.440 --> 00:10:44.799
So before you shove that jacket back into the closet for another year, take another look at it.
00:10:45.039 --> 00:10:50.720
Somewhere out there may be a woman thinking, Ah, I wish I could find one of those.
00:10:51.759 --> 00:10:56.320
Your gear graveyard might just contain somebody else's perfect find.
00:10:57.840 --> 00:11:04.399
Check out the Motorfhems Gear Exchange at motorfems.com slash gearchange.
00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:08.720
Or just motorfems.com and you'll find it in the menu.
00:11:08.960 --> 00:11:12.799
It's free to list, there's no fees attached.
00:11:13.039 --> 00:11:18.639
Let's get some of this gear out of our closets, off our garage shelves, and back where it belongs.
00:11:18.879 --> 00:11:22.320
On Women Who Ride on the Throttle and in the window.