Being a motorbike rider myself it's always nice to see other females getting out on their bikes and enjoying the freedom of two wheels, and being a female instructor too, it's an even better feeling being part of that journey with them and to see them reach their own goal on a motorbike, whether that's just a taster to say "I did it", a CBT to get them from A to B, or a full licence for hobby, work, commuting or racing. It doesn't matter why, it's just a great feeling to be part of their success. So I dedicate this page to all the lady bikers, current and to be – biker chics, Leathered lovelies, Gorgeous in Gortex, Sexy on a Suzuki, Yummy on a Yammy, Glam on a Grom, Happy on a Harley, Kute on a KTM; whatever you wear, whatever you ride, however you look wherever you’re heading, once you've tried it, I’m sure you’ll all agree there’s no feeling like an open road and a motorbike to get you there.
For those who haven’t tried it yet – why not? I bet that is the question you’ll be asking yourself once you’ve had a read through, and once you’ve tried it the next question will undoubtedly be “What took me so long to do this?”!!! But be warned; once you have the biking bug there’s no remedy
the only cure is…get on ya bike and ride ride ride like Diana does!
Diana Stec, another lady who set her own challenge, having fallen in love with her boyfriend and his bike all at the same time (we can’t say which was really first!) she eventually persuaded him to take her for a ride on the back when she fell in love all over again, but this time with the idea of riding a Triumph Bonneville herself! Read her whole story here
I struggled at first to find any training schools that were supportive. Luckily, we came across MTS Sussex after 30 minutes on the New Rider Training, I was figure-of-eight-ing a 125cc bike around the car park, changing gear and emergency stopping. I booked my DAS for the following month. By day two, I was riding on the public roads on a 700cc bike, which my boyfriend was amazed at – he said he was riding for three years before getting on a big bike! I even practised my U-turns just before riding into the test centre and passed first time! My rider trainer told me to enjoy it and just go with the flow, which I did, and to my utter surprise I passed my Mod 2 first time… with zero minor faults, which I was told was a near-perfect ride. I am grateful to MTS Sussex rider training as I would never have done it without them.
Many women have been put off riding a motorbike for various reasons, apart from the old age hairy assed biker image, tattered jeans, leather cuts greasy bandanas and all, the biker community has always been a very male dominated community. Then there’s the vertical challenge for a lot of us (me included at 5’1”), and the weight of the bigger bikes can pose a problem too, not to mention finding motorcycle clothes that actually fit and do what we need them to do.
Oh my God I’ve spent many an hour trawling bike shops, shows and internet sites and still end up looking like an ape who ate Alices shrinking cake, walking into a bike café thinking I’ll be treated like an alien. But now there’s clothing out there to fit all shapes and sizes and guess what – there’s many many women out there riding bikes and we don’t get treated as outcasts anymore, in fact the guys seem to love it. And what's more if you buy from J&S Uckfield, Lagunas Maidstone or GetGeared at Leatherhead not only will you receive a great service along with expert advise but you will also get a discount on your clothing and accessories if you mention MTS Sussex!
Bikes are lighter than ‘back in the day’ and there’s ways to lower most standard bikes for even the nearest to the ground…I ride KTM’s – enough said!– you don’t need balls to ride a bike!
We have standard Yamaha 125's and custom bikes for the CBT's, so if you are short of leg just ask for one when you book. And for the full licence training we have a new fleet of Yamaha MT-o7's, a few of which are lowered, and most with the choice of being restricted for A2 or 'full fat' for DAS, so no excuses ladies - you can do this! When it comes to buying a bike, Laguna motorcycles is where we buy our motorbikes from and they're sure to give you a deal worth traveling for!
So against all odds, many of us have risen to meet and beat the challenges that face the lady biker…and most outshine a good few of the guys! If it’s something you fancy giving a go why not try a New Rider Training Course? You’ve got nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain for less than it costs for an average a nail makeover, haircut or night on the town. If you like it (and most do so be warned….it won’t end here!) you can go on to learn at your own pace starting with the CBT.
We have a student: instructor ratio of just 2:1, so even if there’s 6 guys/girls on the CBT there will also be 3 instructors..no pressure just pleasure! And the full licence training is a 2:1 course as well. Plus we have lowered bikes you can use, restricted ones too if you want to build yourself up to the ‘full fat’ version – riding a bike is all about fun, grin factor, freedom and believe me, when you get your licence, you don your gear and swing that leg over your very own bike you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.
But this isn’t only about what I say and how I feel, have a read of a few reviews written by some of our lady students, check out our Facebook page and what Diana says on the Triumph blog about us at MTS, and how learning to ride bikes has pretty much opened a new chapter in all their lives…enjoy the read, get the bug and, go on…you know you want to!
Vikki Chalke never thought she would overcome her nerves, but she enjoyed her training so much she forgot all about being nervous and passed first time, here's what she has to say:
I was a bundle of nerves when I came to MTS but knew getting my license was what I wanted. Matt & Nicky reassured me the only thing holding me back was my confidence. A few lessons and a lot of coaxing and they were right. I passed my test and have never looked back.
A few words from Nix Bedwell who passed with MTS in 2017. Nix had her own challenge to beat as she is completely deaf, so riding a bike seemed a world away from possible to her for a long time, till she popped into MTS and met the team, tried the bike and believed she was up for the challenge, And that she was; …there was no stopping Nix, she was determined to reach her goal and did so first time with the CBT, training Mod1 & 2
I have always wanted to learn how to ride a motorbike for years! My father’s side were mostly bikers but I never got round to it apart from owning a Scooter years ago. Then last year I had the perfect opportunity to do my big bike training and it’s all thanks to Mr G who is a lovely guy, great teacher who made me feel comfortable and safe. Because of Mr G I passed my DAS with MTS Sussex first time. Best feeling in the world. I hope to see more female bikers on the road because it’s not just a boy thing. It’s a girl thing too!
Nix - Personal Trainer www.nixfixbrighton.com
(Brighton/Hove/Haywards Heath and surrounding areas)
This seems like many moons ago when Di Edmonds Jarmin was adamant not to be left behind nor to be a pillion forever after her hubby Roy passed with us. Roy brought her along for a taster (new Rider) and she took to it like a duck on water…since then she’s really put Roy through his paces having passed DAS and got herself a bike (or two!)
I’ve always wanted to ride a bike but wanted to have a little try & MTS offered taster days. It was perfect!! Matt & Nikki were fantastic not just coaching but in all aspects & I was hooked!! I then did my CBT & I felt totally safe & they catered for all of us that were there, total beginners to more experienced riders & my first road ride felt amazing. Thanks to MTS I had the biker bug!! I then did my DAS & thanks to their friendly professional yet fun way of coaching it makes them the only people to go to for all your bike training needs.
Hi, girls get biking!!!
And Karis Montague shows us what it's like from start to finish, with a 125cc at the beginning and ending up with her dream bike a Yamaha R1 on an A2 licence - well done Karis!
After previously failing a CBT with a different riding school I turned to MTS for help, this started with two, one on one riding lessons with Matt. This built up my confidence immensely and not long after I passed my CBT. I then spent a few months on my own 125 on the road before I decided I wanted to do my A2. I came back to MTS and did three days training and then tests and passed both first time. Learning to ride here was the best experience you could ask for, everyone is so friendly and you feel so comfortable, which you need to be able to relax on the bike. I don’t think I could have passed without the help and guidance of all the instructors I trained with. I would recommend MTS to anyone in need of training, they are an amazing group of instructors .
