Our time is running out...

Deciding to take a sabbatical is easy, but preparing everything in time not so much. Even more so when you have a big move ahead of you.

After 3 1/2 years in Spain, we moved back to Germany at the end of July 2022. So we still had 3 months to get the missing pieces together: visit friends we haven't seen for a long time, apply for the necessary documents and insurances, do an offroad motorcycle training,.... And the most important thing: buying the needed motorcycles, clothes and equipment.

In Spain, Helge owned a Triumph Street Triple RS and I treated myself to a Kawasaki Z900RS. That was also my first motorcycle ever. Both were great bikes, but not the first choice for the kind of trip we had planned. Neither were our leather suits....

Our motorcycles in Spain

In the months leading up to our move, we tested several motorcycles and visited several motorcycle clothing stores in Barcelona. The latter with rather disappointing results: The offer of high quality (= usually safer) motorcycle clothing was very limited, and especially for women almost non-existent.

I can kind of understand that the market for women's clothing is not as big as the one for men. But I really wonder why the clothing line for women is either in a so called feminine color (pink, white...) or has a lower protection class. I mean, even if I (or another person looking for female-fit clothing) were a pillion rider, don't I deserve the same safety as the person riding the bike? Or is the rider supposed to cushion my fall in the event of an accident and does that count as an additional level of protection?

Long story short: shopping was at the top of our priority list in Germany.