HD Sportsters are for Women?
While at a motorcycle rally this weekend that was open to all makes and models of bikes, I overheard someone make the statement that HD Sportsters were for women. I’ve heard this statement made about various makes and models of motorcycle before, but I have never understood it.
Is there really any motorcycle out there that is specifically made for women? Are women’s needs in a motorcycle different than men’s? There are only a couple of things that I would think would be a factor in making a motorcycle less appealing to a woman, and those things would be weight and seat height.
The weight of the bike seems obvious. Generally women are not as strong as men. You may be able to find me the occasional exception to this but it’s generally a fact. The problem is that you don’t need to be strong to handle a large heavy bike. They are not heavy once they are moving and would only be a problem at low speeds if you had really short arms which isn’t a gender specific trait.
The seat height comes into play in the fact that women are generally shorter than men. Once again, this is not universal. In order to safely handle the bike at a stop you should be able to plant both of your feet flat on the ground. I have seen many cases where people can’t do this, so even this does not seem to be an absolute requirement. However, I would not ride a bike when I couldn’t plant my feet on the ground.
So, are HD Sportsters lightweight bikes with low seat heights?
According to HD’s website, the unladen seat height of a 2008 Sportster XL 883 is 29.3″. Here are some more measurements:
2008 HD Sportster XL 1200L - 28.0″
2008 HD Dyna Wide Glide FXDWG - 28.5″
2008 HD Fat Boy FLSTF - 27.5″
2008 HD V-Rod VRSCAW - 27.1″
2008 HD Electra Glide Standard FLHT - 30.7″
So it seems there is not much difference among HD models and seat height. If the seat height were the only criteria, the V-Rod would be the best women’s bike.
What about weight? The 2008 Sportster XL 883 weighs 583 lbs in running order.
2008 HD Sportster XL 1200L - 581 lbs.
2008 HD Dyna Wide Glide FXDWG - 678 lbs.
2008 HD Fat Boy FLSTF - 714 lbs.
2008 HD V-Rod VRSCAW - 670 lbs.
2008 HD Electra Glide Standard FLHT - 780 lbs.
There is some difference here.
This still leaves me unconvinced. So let’s hear what you think. Are there specific models of motorcycle that are marketed toward one sex or the other?
Comments
2 Responses to “HD Sportsters are for Women?”
Leave a Reply
I don’t think there is a motorcycle made except for maybe a BMW that a woman couldn’t ride. I am 6′ and would have a hard time getting my feet on the ground on a BMW, while I have seen women on most other brands of Motorcycles including a Goldwing which is about 100 lbs heavier than a big Harley.
I’ve never had the opportunity to sit on a BMW, they must have a very high seat. I noticed that on my Goldwing, the problem wasn’t so much the seat height as the seat width.