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Motorcycle Boots

I am a new rider and I just bought a Kawasaki Ninja, though I hope to upgrade to a Harley at some point in the future after I've been riding awhile. I'm looking mostly at harness boots, but most of them have a slight heel (.5-1.5 inches). I know that this is preferable on a cruiser because they can rest more easily on the foot pegs, but would the heel be a problem when riding a street bike like a Ninja?

Comments for Motorcycle Boots

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motorcycle boots
by: Turtle

I have been riding for many years and have over 200,000 + miles and the best boot that I have found is by Magnum. You can get them water proof, with the zipper on the side so you don't have to constantly re-tie them, have very good skid resistant bottoms and are very light weight. You can wear them all day and your feet never get tired.

With a large size...
by: Judy

..foot that you have, you might look into purchasing a man's boot. I've gone both ways and have found men's boots fit my feet better. I'd steer away from a large heal. It could get caught on a footpeg while you're trying to remove your foot to put it down at a stop.

Riding, and wearing gear is not a fashion show, so don't think you should have a certain type to go with a certain bike for a "look." Function over fashion is paramount!

Also, I'm a bit perplexed as to how you would think going from a Ninja to a Harley would somehow constitute an "upgrade." It would bring you from a lighter, much better balanced and suspended chassis to an overly heavy, more primitive chassis with weaker suspension and slower steering (due to the fork rake angle. Many people have a great deal of misconceptions about the available power of Ninja 250's. It is because their power bands are structured so as there is little available under 5000 rpm engine speed. That is what makes them a user-friendly beginner bike. However, between 7000-10,000 rpm they have more than adequate power. I weigh 250+ and easily rode a Ninja 250 on a 200 mile freeway trip @ 80-85 mph and had power left over. I also spent a great deal of time on twisty mountain roads and it handled superbly, far better than ANY Cruiser could ever hope for.

Do yourself a favor and don't automatically assume a big Harley is the be-all and end-all to larger bikes. Yes, I've ridden several Harleys because I wanted to make informed judgements, and not prejudge. I've been riding on the street since the late 1970's and and found virtually every single bike I've ridden to be far superior in performance, handling and price to any Harley ever made.

Thanks for comments!
by: Amelia

Thank you for all the advice! I spent over an hour looking online and wasn't able to find any satisfactory answers, so this is really helpful. I'm limited in my choice of boots, however, because I have big, awkwardly sized feet (11.5). I'm pretty sure the Milwaukee brand will work for me, as they seem to run big, but many of the other brands, such as Xelement, do not seem to go past a 10 for most boots. I think I'll try a pair of less clunky sort of harness type boots like the Milwaukee Women's MVB241 Black Leather Damsel Boots and see what happens.

Thanks again! Any other suggestions for brands that come up to an 11 or 12 would be very appreciated!!!

harness boots
by: Lynn

I have harness boots but I only wear them on my cruiser. I also ride a Ninja and prefer my Xelement Boots that have a flatter sole & low heat. I wouldn't wear harness boots on a sport bike, but that's just me. I think they would feel clumsy.

toe
by: kp

The heel shouldn't be a problem. It's the toes that you need to worry about. Whether or not they'll fit easily under the shift peg. Harness boots typically have a square, tall toe box. I'd try and shift with the boots on while sitting on the bike (with the bike NOT turned on) and see how easy it is to do. I have a pair of Sidi Vortice boots that I can't wear when I'm riding one of my bikes, and I don;t want to adjust the shift peg.

just my .02.

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