“For women who ride”

Indeed – and for women who ride, but aren’t necessarily out for the leather look, Tourmaster’s Ladie’s Trinity Motorcycle Jacket is a great jacket to wear. Especially in a sidecar.

Jodie’s light blue Tourmaster Trinity came as a Christmas present from me. I’d found the jacket at Eugene’s Discount Motorcycle Parts (just off West 11th at Tyinn), and liked the color (perfect for Jodie) as well as the zip-out insulating liner and the removable armor. To top it off, the jacket was also on sale for $110, a quite reasonable price for a durable motorcycle jacket.

About the Women’s Tourmaster Trinity Motorcycle Jacket

Here are some features and specifications from the manufacturer’s website:

• The 400 Denier Nylon Dobby 3/4 length shell combines with a Rainguard® waterproof/ breathable barrier for a garment that protects from the road and rain
• The collar features a soft, microfiber relief panel
• Zippered chest vents, sleeve vents and rear exit vents provide flow-through ventilation
• Two-way main zipper closure with dual wind flap seals out the elements
• Phoslite™® sleeve piping and Tour Master’s signature reflective rear triangle help increase nighttime visibility
• The Microfiber lined collar and cuffs are soft yet durable
• Collar anchor snap eliminates flapping while the collar is open
• Adjustable sleeve take-up straps at the forearm and bicep help secure elbow armor and material
• Removable, CE-approved armor at the elbow and shoulder with an articulated Triple Density back protector
• Tour Master’s Ladies Z.O.Q. (Zip-Out Quilted) Liner features a comfortable iridescent taffeta liner
• Zippered chest map pocket, hand warmer pockets, internal pouch pocket and mobile media pocket
• Adjustable waist belts, with TPR pulls help to fine tune the fit
• Includes a jacket/pant zipper attachment with the pant side included
• Available colors: Black, Light Blue, Silver, Pink
• Available Ladies sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL

Jodie in her jacket

I have to say, Jodie looks good in her jacket. No, strike that. Jodie looks pretty damn hot. It’s a lot of fun to ride around in Svetlana, with Jodie sitting there in her blue jacket, returning waves and grinning big. She likes her jacket a lot, both for its warmth and versatility, and how comfortable it fits her. It’s been a good pick for her, and it just may be for you (or your riding lady) too.

More online: Tourmaster’s Ladie’s Trinity Motorcycle Jacket »

On Saturday afternoon, we picked up Jodie’s silver, size small, HJC CL-15 helmet (just like mine) at Eugene’s Discount Motorcycle Parts.

Since our helmets are identical, we had to find a way to tell them apart. So we found her a wee sticker for the back of her helmet. It says, “Foxy Rider”. Hell yes she is!

More smiles per gallon

The day we got the Ural, Jodie had gotten to sit in the sidecar, but this was the first time that we actually got to ride around together. We’d been looking forward to this for a couple of days, as I finally felt confident enough for her to start going around the neighborhood with me. (We also tried to ride with Ella, but so far she’s not adjusted enough to her doggles or the bike in motion. She’ll be riding around with us soon enough though.)

I did feel a little nervous, since this was my first time driving the sidecar with an actual passenger, instead of some bags of pellets. On the plus side, pellets don’t shift their weight on turns. Jodie did just fine, leaning with me and the bike on turns and curves.

Driving up the Happiness Factor

Driving the Ural already has been an exercise in seeing lots of smiles and waves. At the risk of sounding a bit corny, these crazy Russian sidecar rigs bring a bit of happiness to people.

Riding around with an actual passenger, however, drives that happiness factor up exponentially. The entire time we were out, people were waving. Grinning. Tapping their walking buddy on the arm and pointing. Seeing two people on the bike, not just one, made a big difference. Jodie and I got a big kick out of all the smiles and waves.

Back home, Jodie was all smiles too. “I loved it!” she told me after we took off our helmets.

I knew she was the perfect hack monkey. And such a foxy one, too.