My former motorcycle:
A 1982 Honda Nighthawk 650

Number of US & Canadian states I've been to on a motorcycle of my own:
8

Number of countries I've toured on a motorcycle of my own:
2

Number of countries I've toured on the back of a motorcycle:
17

International trips by motorcycle
Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Northern England & Scotland, France, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Macedonia (the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden

Trips riding my own motorcycle
California ("Lost Coast" and gold country), Idaho, Montana (Glacier NP), Nevada, Oregon, Washington (state), Wyoming (Yellowstone), Canada (Alberta and British Columbia, Jasper, Banff & Kootenay).

 
Photos of me traveling by motorcycle
 
See the TravelAdvisor map of where I've been (not just by motorcycle).

 
Follow me!

jayne_a_broad, personal Twitter account
My tweets here are about travel, motorcycling, tent camping, bicycling (mostly as a commuter), and things I find amusing. I tweet maybe up to half a dozen times a day, on a really good day - usually much less.

jcravens42, Professional Twitter account
My tweets here are about volunteers / volunteering, nonprofit / NGO matters, humanitarian / development / aid issues, communications, NPtech, & women's empowerment. This is my "grown up" Twitter account and I tweet anywhere from half a dozen to dozens of times a day.

I have a personal essay about why traveling, in general, is not only wonderful, but important to your life, and why women's excuses to avoid traveling are really just words. But I wanted a section of my web site to be about traveling by motorcycle specifically. And specifically focused on women.

I don't travel by myself by motorcycle, but many women who travel by motorcycle do. I'm fine traveling by myself in a car, but not by motorcycle. But I link women who do travel by motorcycle by themselves, because they have great stories and advice.

Is it scary sometimes? Absolutely. As of December 2012, I've ridden more than 7000 miles on my KLR (more than 11600 km) since buying it in the Fall of 2011, and more than 18,000 miles (almost 30,000 km) on motorcycles since starting to ride in 2009. But I consider myself a novice rider - I am still not happy on dirt or gravel, and being short (5' 4"), I have to be vigilant before every stop, making sure I can put my foot down and still hold the bike up. I sometimes have to ask my husband to ride my motorcycle down some extreme hill on a dirt road, or even to turn my bike around in some challenging scenario. I accepted long ago that I'll never be an expert rider and that I have to ask for help sometimes. But I don't let those limits keep me from riding - I build my trips with those limits in mind. Remember: you do not have to ride on gravel and dirt if you don't want to - at least not in the USA; since I want to travel internationally, I include at least a bit in my riding every month.

If you want to travel with others by motorcycle, the Internet makes it much easier to find traveling companions, via online communities for women motorcyclists (easy to find on a Google search, and via online communities focused on motorcycle travelers. ADVRider is a great place to meet other people who travel by motorcycle - not just adventure motorcyclists who travel offroad, to exotic vistas, but also people who like to stick to riding on pavement. You can try Horizons Unlimited as well, though I don't find the forum members as friendly and helpful as ADVRider.

Many motorcycle travelers will pick up with another traveler, or a group, while out on the road. It's never a bad idea to ride at least a bit with other motorcycle travelers you come across, or to talk to other riders you meet at a camp site, a hostel, a guest house, a hotel, etc. - you get great advice about the area where you will be riding, other riders will help you out in case of emergency, and it can make you feel safe in places where you might not feel so safe alone.

That said - and what I'm about to say will put me in the minority of most women riders - don't assume someone is a good, trustworthy person just because he (or she) is on a motorcycle. Don't ever feel bad about saying no to sharing a room, to having a drink with another rider or other riders, to going somewhere isolated with another rider or other riders, etc. Women who are harmed while traveling tend not to blog about it - hence why you seldom, if ever, hear negative stories. Also, a lot of people have this mentality: I traveled to such-and-such place, and did such-and-such thing, I was fine, therefore, all safety warnings are alarmist and untrue.

I would never, ever tell a woman not to travel because she fears something might happen, because something might happen anywhere; I'm just saying be cautious, and don't apologize to anyone who says you are being overly cautious. And men: please look out for your fellow women travelers! Here's much more regarding health & safety considerations for women travelers.

Here are all of my resources for women who travel by motorcycle (or want to) that I hope you will find helpful:

• advice for women motorcycle travelers: packing.
• advice for women motorcycle travelers: footwear (shoes & socks).
• A list of things to consider regarding your accommodations choices.
• My favorite motorcycle travel resources.
• General information and advice for women travelers to help get novice women travelers from the USA, with or without motorcycle, planning ASAP, with advice on how to choose where to go, your options regarding group travel or DIY, and your options regarding transportation and accommodations.
• Using the Internet to Share Your Adventure During Your Adventure, advice on blogging, photo-sharing, tweeting, etc.
• transire benefaciendo: "to travel along while doing good." Advice for those wanting to make their travel more than sight-seeing and shopping, whether in your own country or abroad. A lot of motorcyclists that go to other countries want to know how they can volunteer while abroad; this page will help you explore your options.
• My travel essays, covering road trips in the U.S, living in Germany and traveling throughout Europe and beyond - not just by motorcycle. These aren't to brag -- they are to inspire (and to help my memory in my old age). If you read just one essay, read this one regarding travel in California, Nevada and Oregon.
  
• Suggested short motorcycle routes in Oregon and Washington state (from an hour to all-day; many can be linked together to create longer trips).
• Our Motorcycle Travel & Rally Plans for 2012
• Our Motorcycle Travel & Rally Plans for 2013 (never too early to plan!)
• General packing tips for non-motorcycle riders and health & safety considerations especially for novice women travelers.
• Saving Money for Travel
• Feeling ambitious? Some of the most astounding travel destinations are in developing countries, and if you are already an experienced international traveler, you might want to think about some not-so-"Western" destinations.
• Getting Started as a Motorcycle Rider: My Journey (Tips for Women Who Want To Ride)
• Getting Started on a Dual Sport: My Journey (Changing from a cruiser to a dual sport)