Leather Motorcycle Gear

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.

The minimum protective gear for any motorcyclist should include the following items of motorcycle gear:

* Motorcycle Helmet (At least DOT-Approved)
* Eye Protection
* Motorcycle Gloves
* Motorcycle Jacket
* Motorcycle Pants
* Motorcycle Boots (Above-the-ankle footwear Specifically Designed for Motorcycle Riding)

The above is the very minimum before venturing out on a motorcycle.

Motorcycle Eye ware / Eye protection means a shield on a DOT-approved helmet, goggles, or close-fitting eyeglasses with a safety lens.

Motorcycle Gloves - As a reflex action, we tend to extend our hands when falling and our hands are often the first to impact. Riders should wear gloves to protect their hands.

Motorcycle pants or chaps for two reasons; First, protection in the case of a fall (jeans do not provide protection) and secondly, to shield from debris (dust, stones, and so on) that get kicked up by vehicles you are riding behind and, more dangerously, debris from vehicles traveling toward you (have you ever had a rock hit your auto windshield on the highway). Also insects collisions are extremely painful and you are likely to meet up with large flying insects when traveling during the spring when there is high activity due to pollen and at night..A whack in the thigh by a beetle can sting, and a wasp or bee can really do a lot of damage if it gets to you bare legs.

Motorcycle boots offer a number of protective benefits:

*Motorcycle boots shield from the insects and flying pebbles noted above,
* Motorcycle boots can reduce the likelihood of a burn from hot exhaust pipes,
* Motorcycle boots can protect your feet and ankles in the event of a crash or other accident.

Riding a motorcycle is extremely fun, not to mention therapeutic, but the joy of the ride can quickly become at best a chore and at worst deadly if you are not properly attired with the proper protective motorcycle gear.