melbourne women moto bike build kustom kommune

Virago Bike Build Part I

A gloomy Tuesday had morphed into a clear summer afternoon as I wound my way through city traffic enjoying the crisp wind on my face and the warm sun through my leathers. By happenstance, I converged with three Leatherettes on the corner of Nicholson and Johnston Streets, all of us on en route to the women’s bike build. We roared …

woman moto fun hand signals

Hand Signals

If you see anyone doing some of the following, no they’re not having a John Travolta disco moment in their seat, they’re trying to communicate something to you. Hand signals are important for group riding and other uses, e.g., your electrics may be on the blink, or you’re warning oncoming vehicles or your riding buddy. Most are common sense and …

woman moto tech savvy

Tech Savvy

  Tech Savvy articles are accessed by clicking the photos or the text below… enjoy ♥         All Women Bike Build Women from across Melbourne have come together at Kustom Kommune, a communal bike workshop in Richmond, to rebuild an old Yamaha Virago to ride to Shelia’s Shakedown, the notorious women’s motorcycle festival, in Ballan, Victoria. Part …

Reading motorcycle tyres

Reading Your Rubbers

Read Your Rubbers Tyres miraculously keep your bike upright, pointed in the right direction and are a super-important to stop you falling off. Reading tyre wear patterns is a skill worth learning, so you know what’s going on, down below, whether you’re a weekend, highway-warrior, daily commuter or adventure gal… There are all sorts of other important technical stuff they …

Female group motorcycle rides

Group Riding Etiquette

Hey, don’t you love riding with friends… checking out those newly discovered twisties, following the coast, trailing through the bush tracks or just off to find somewhere with a bike-friendly atmosphere to have lunch, for a long over-due chit-chat and a few laughs! Group Riding Etiquette shows you how… Riding in a large group, is a whole new concept of …

Slow motorbike manoeuvre and uturns

Slow and U-Turns

S-l-o-w Going… One of the least fun things to do on your road bike is to go slow but having your bike under control at very slow speeds is definitely a skill… and a skill that should be learned and practised often.  Various manoeuvres require this invaluable, steady type of control, e.g., U-turns, getting caught in peak hour traffic, riding …