Selecting Gear

Minimum Gear

Anyone mature enough to become involved in motorcycling -- even if not yet a rider -- ought to be able to imagine a list of essential personal equipment:

eye protection
helmet
gloves
over-the-ankle leather shoes or boots
long-sleeved shirt or jacket
long-legged pants
high-visibility indicators of some kind

The importance of said gear is easily understood. Even so, too many people hit -- both figuratively and also literally -- the public roads in shorts, sandals, and worse. Too, a surprising number of riders still choose to dress head-to-toe in black. And it is troubling. Per NHTSA statistics: "Compared with a passenger car occupant, a motorcycle rider is 26 times more likely to die in a crash, based on vehicle miles traveled."

Wake up. You are not in a car. Don't be the rider who slides across the concrete -- at 70 m.p.h. -- with bare skin exposed. Don't be the motorcyclist automobile drivers fail to see. Forget fashion. Forget conformity. And do what works.

But for having seen things go wrong I would not write this.

What's Involved in YOUR Crash?

Every crash event is unique. You don't know what you're going to hit, how your body will move through space, or what will hit you after you come to a rest. Consider the trauma that might be involved in a motorcycle crash on the roadway:

impact
abrasion
crushing
heat and flame

Be honest with yourself about the risks, and plan accordingly.
[British Government Department of Transport Crash Study (PDF)]
[Hurt Report Summary]

Materials from which Gear is Fabricated

In most cases, leather is the best thing that a motorcyclist can wear. A quality leather product lasts a long time too. But not all leather is created equal. Is the jacket [or are the pants and gloves] that you're considering for purchase constructed from leather that's thick enough to survive a crash? You'll see numbers such as 1.3mm or 1.4mm put forth in advertising. Generally speaking, the thicker the better. Different animal hides possess different attributes too. What sort of hide is being sold?

And what sort of stitching holds the hide together? Was the garment cut in such a way that it will feel comfortable in the position in which you'll ride? Was the garment designed and fabricated specifically for motorcycling by a reputable manufacturer such as Vanson, Hein Gericke, Held or Dainese?

The right choices will pay dividends. If your crash involves a hot object, heat generated by friction, or significant abrasion, then quality leather will provide you with the best possible protection.

For those reasons, at every racetrack around the world you'll find leather. But it isn't always good to argue from "The Track" to "The Street." The track tends to be populated by healthy, young, professionals moving in the same direction, at the same speed, with hazards removed, and medics waiting for the worst. Leather isn't perfect.

The chief arguments against leather in "The Real World" are: (1) its poor performance in the rain; (2) its weight; and (3) the ethical questions raised by its production. For these reasons, many riders opt to wear "textile" garments made from synthetic materials such as Cordura or Kevlar. I've crashed in such a suit -- an Aerostich Roadcrafter -- and it worked.

Even as leather is available in various thicknesses, so too textiles are graded with increasingly higher "denier" numbers to indicate increasingly coarse/strong material, e.g., 500, 600. And not all synthetic materials are equal: poly-anything is much more susceptible to heat than is a product like Kevlar.

Regardless of whether your gear is leather or synthetic, does it contain armor? Does that armor consist of both hard "plates" of material -- designed to prevent penetration by foreign objects -- and also soft "pads" of material -- designed to absorb the energy of the crash? Does that armor protect the knees? Elbows? Back? Shoulders? Hips? The "classic" black leather "biker" jacket usually offers abrasion protection, but little else.

What about venting? Garments that don't "breathe" or otherwise allow air to circulate are terrible. In extreme heat some riders prefer to wear perf leather or mesh synthetic. "Perf" is a type of leather in which many small holes have been punched. "Mesh" is an open weave textile that holds a system of armor in place. [Think of the plastic sack in which oranges are sold.]

As important as it is for your gear to provide crash protection -- it's equally important for your gear to function when you're not crashing. Hopefully, you'll spend the better part of your time in the saddle not crashing. Match the equipment to the conditions in which you intend to ride.

Don't ever get on your motorcycle with any bare skin exposed.

Visibility of Gear

Too many motorcyclists are killed by automobile drivers who fail to yield the right-of-way while turning in front of the motorcyclist. And too many of those automobile drivers claim that they, "Didn't see the motorcycle."

We the cyclists complain, regularly, about "not being seen" while moving through traffic. And the solution seems to be to make ourselves more visible, i.e., wear bright colors. But, too, there are people who do see us -- and just don't care. Worse yet, there are people who see us and then deliberately harass or menace us. The very same things that make "you the rider" visible and safe -- the full set of gear, the bright colors, the good riding habits -- seem, sometimes, to encourage cowardly automobile drivers to behave poorly.

Having written that, black clothing isn't particularly functional. It gets hot. Considering adding red, orange and yellow clothing to your riding ensemble. If you can stomach the idea, wear a safety vest -- with reflective material.
[Aerostich on Hi-Viz Gear]

Helmet

Wear a helmet. A properly-fitted, DOT-certified, full-face helmet works harder than any other single piece of gear. Personally, I prefer helmets that bear aditional certification -- such as that offered by the Snell Memorial Foundation, British Government or European Community.

Most obviously, a helmet provides protection in the event of a crash. The helmet's hard outer shell and energy absorbing inner layer work together -- shielding a rider from abrasion and penetration by foreign objects, while reducing the force transmitted to the cranium by increasing the change in time over which said force is transmitted.

A helmet has tremendous insulating value too. In hot weather a helmet will help to keep you cool; in cold weather it will help to keep you warm.

In the rain and in the wind a helmet with a face shield protects its wearer from airborne debris that is not only a physical hazard but also an obstacle to navigation.

Perhaps less obvious to its wearer is the fact that a rider's helmet is frequently the first piece of gear to be seen -- as a result of its elevation.

You can't know what background you'll be seen against; therefore you can't know what helmet color will present the most striking contrast to that background. In any case, not all drivers have good color vision. Even so, white, yellow, orange, pink and bright red solids all tend to be good choices. Too, if you ride at night consider applying reflective stickers to your helmet. Without reflective material you are all but invisible in low-light settings.

A helmet that doesn't fit your head is worthless. Unfortunately it can be difficult to be fit correctly. Not only do you need to determine what size helmet you ought to wear, but you also need to discover which brands employ patterns that match the proportions of your own anatomy.

I know, now, that a size "large" KBC or Shoei helmet should fit both my head's circumference and also my head's long-oval shape. You've got to don a likely model, fasten the reataining strap, wear it for a few minutes, and then repeat the procedure with several similar selections in order to determine what you ought to wear. Don't rush. The helmet's fit should be snug -- but it ought not to be in any way painful.

Helmet Reviews:
http://www.webbikeworld.com
http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com

Motorcyclist magazine has called into question the value of the Snell certification -- especially as it relates to the helmets worn by the smallest riders:
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/gearbox/motorcycle_helmet_review/

Sources of Supply

(1) Learn what is available;
(2) Check pricing;
(3) Read reviews;
(4) Try stuff on;
(5) Based on 1 - 4, spend your money.

Too many people skip directly to step (5).

In fact, it would make sense to perform steps (1) - (5) prior to completing a rider's training course; then operate the training program's motorcycle while wearing your own gear; then after licensing wear your own gear while test-riding motorcycles, before committing to a purchase.

(1) First, get the gear;
(2) Then practice the riding skills with appropriate instruction;
(3) Then obtain an operator's license;
(4) Then purchase a motorcycle.

Did you buy a motorcycle without riding it?
Did you ride the motorcycle without gear?

Various manufacturers and dealers whose inventory is available on-line:

Manufacturers:
http://www.aerostich.com
http://www.davida.co.uk
http://www.dragginjeans.com
http://www.heingericke-usa.com
http://www.heldusa.com
http://www.motoport.com
http://www.roadgear.com
http://www.vansonleathers.com

Catalogs:
http://www.denniskirk.com
http://www.jpcycles.com

T O P | N E X T

This is a document that reflects its author's personal experience. The information presented on this page is not a substitute for any factory manual, or professional service. Go to the MSF, the SMF and the AMA; they want to help you. Read the Hurt Report. Do your own research; formulate a hypothesis; test it. Read the material linked from this site. Take responsibility. Ride to be alive.