Leather Motorcycle Gear

Motorcyclists love to take advantage of their wheels with unrestricted views and take road trips in the summer. You’ll often see motorcycles whizzing by on highways, stopping at greasy spoons, and flooding tourist towns to see the sights. In fact, I recently encountered dozens of riders during a weekend vacation in the town of Winthrop, Washington. It turned out that the small town is at the end of Highway 20, a gorgeous road that runs through an old growth forest with several lakes, mountains and waterfalls to view along the way – a very popular route for riders!

There are entire websites dedicated to the best riding roads in America, and it’s no wonder. With the freedom you have while riding a motorcycle, nothing could stop you from seeing the most beautiful parts of this country. Just make sure you have the proper motorcycle gear! As with any interstate motorcycle trip, it’s important to know the various motorcycle laws in each state. Washington state’s law is that riders must wear a helmet that has been approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). A DOT-approved helmet has a sticker on the back that identifies it as such.

When you’re first purchasing motorcycle apparel and accessories, your main focus should be on safety. Style is a consideration, but keep in mind that motorcycle safety gear is one of your only lines of defense in the event of a crash. Since you have no seatbelt, airbag or vehicle frame to protect you from injury, you’ll be relying on your helmet, jacket, chaps, boots and more to keep you safe. You should plan on spending between $500 and $1,000 for a full set of good-quality motorcycle gear.

One of the most important pieces of motorcycle safety gear is your motorcycle helmet. A full-face helmet is best because it will provide you with face protection if you slide over the pavement after a crash. The fit of your helmet is very important. If it’s too small, you’ll hate wearing it and may leave it at home, leaving your head and face vulnerable in the event of an accident. If the helmet is too big, your head will bang around inside it if you crash and you may sustain head injuries. Whether or not your state law requires motorcycle helmets, it’s a good idea to have one – your head is the most important body part you want to protect if you crash.

Motorcycle Clothing is as much a part of a ride as your motorcycle. Motorcycle gear has a minefield of clever marketing and hype. Buried somewhere underneath all the marketing hoopla are some excellent products. When buying motorcycle gear where do you start? How do you make informed decisions on what motorcycle gear is best for you?

The basics…

Why do you wear motorcycle clothing in the first place? For most, the answer is obvious; it is purely a safety issue. In Europe, any safety clothing, whatever its use, has to be certified as suited for its intended purpose by a battery of test carried out by laboratories that are accredited to do so. If they pass, they may be sold bearing the CE mark. As a result of testing and the associated research it is clear that well made motorcycle clothing helps lessen the severity of injuries in an ill-fated event of a crash. Read the rest of this entry »