Motorcycle Safety and Riding Gear from the Ground Up

Most of us ride with some common sense after having several years of riding under our butt and can make good decisions on what to wear while riding. Others yet haven’t had the time on a bike to take a spill, lay the bike down or even see what can happen to someone else when the human body hits the pavement at 60 miles per hour. So, I’m going to give you some tips on what motorcycle riding apparel to wear and not to wear from the ground up, this is an article to help you save your hide, literally.

1. Footwear: First of all, let me get the stuff out of the way on not to wear either because it’s just stupid or you will look like a moron. Open toed anything, sandals, shoes, flipflops etc. They are just wrong. Next would be dress shoes, sneakers, loafers or crocs. These kinds of shoes don’t have any protection to speak of. What to wear: Proper riding boots should be your first choice. Good riding boots can run up to over $200 bucks but they provide the best protection, water proofing and support. Good boots can make the difference between a great ride and a not so great ride. When coming to a stop on a city street, there is oil, tranny fluid or even some soda that somebody dumped out of their window and this can make for a very slippery situation, having a boot with a good slip resistant sole can make the difference when putting your foot down for a red light. Waterproof boots will also keep you nice and dry and warm when on a ride and the weather changes or you have to go through some puddles after a rain has come through. Support in those same boots can reduce the possibility of a broken ankle or foot should you have an accident also. If you are on a budget, at least look into some good hiking or work boots, decent ankle support for the long ride, good traction and waterproofing as well. These can hold up for a long time and this is what I wore when I first started riding.

2. Legs: Denim is a good start as it is a rugged and durable fabric that can last a long time, but when you hit the pavement, that cotton will shred like toilet paper on a drum sander. Leather and new modern textiles designed for motorcycle riding are the best choice. Make sure to select something with re-enforced knees and a proper fit for your body type. There is nothing worse than chaps or pants that bind up on your knees, waist or crotch when you are on a long ride. Besides, if you do take that spill, you will at least keep the skin on your seat, literally. What Not to Wear: Shorts of any kind, it's not safe from the road, bugs or the heat of the engine at all and they simply look stupid while riding a motorcycle.

3. Jacket: Even in the desert, you may think wearing a nice cool T-Shirt from the local dealership will keep you nice and cool but you are sadly mistaken. As the wind runs past your skin on a hot day, two things are happening that will make for a very bad day. 1. Is a good ol’ fashion sun burn. I know you can slather on some good ol’ SPF 50 to keep the rays away but it’s still not safe against bugs, rocks, birds or anything else that may fly up, not to mention if you biff it. 2. Dehydration, as that glorious wind passes by, it’s evaporating any sweat that may be coming out very fast so you have to put out more. Unless you are drinking a gallon of water every 50 miles, you are going to get groggy, weak and start to have a nasty headache that the best over the counter pill can’t get rid of. When riding you should keep it all covered. A quality riding jacket, whether leather or new modern textiles will make things much more pleasurable. Be sure to select the right fit, something that has a removable liner to let you ride longer in the season or when the temps have dipped overnight and it has good re-enforced elbows and shoulders. Most of these will have zipper vents in them too, this keeps some airflow to keep you dry and cool in the hot summer sun, you won’t get a sunburn and the bugs won’t be like little missiles attacking you. There are several reputable manufacturers out there to buy from, just do some research on this and read some reviews before purchasing. Also, go and try it on in person, I know buying online is easy and compulsive, but make sure the size you pick fits you and what you’ll be wearing. Too loose will just flop in the wind and too tight will restrict your movement and reaction time, plus it can create pinch points on your skin at the elbows, shoulders and back.

4. Gloves: Protect your hands from the bugs, rocks and elements too. There’s nothing like riding with cramped up hands from the cold or just your knuckles getting blasted by flying things. I don’t mean the brown Jersey gloves for 99 cents either, I mean, shell out a few bucks for something that’s going to last you a few years. Padded palms, vents, knuckle blocks and other features go a long way to comfort while riding. I have two different pairs of gloves, one with a lower cut for the summer riding, they still go under my jacket sleeves and allow some breeze up the sleeve too, they have re-enforced knuckles and padded palms with a nice style in black leather, the other pair has the same features with the added bonus of insulation and a longer arm cut to go on the outside of my jacket and up about 4 inches to keep out the elements such as cold and rain.

5. Helmet: This is possibly the most important piece of safety gear you can buy besides an education at any Motorcycle Safety Foundation Training School. Do not purchase your helmets online. Every head size and shape is different. Select a helmet that meets your needs. I personally have a full face flip-up helmet. I like this because I can get it out of my way if I need to grab a quick drink of water or something. Full Face, open face or bucket is a personal preference and each has its own unique characteristics that offer more protection, style and comfort. One helmet that fits a person with a 24 ¼ inch head may not fit someone else with the same size head. Your cheeks, ears, forehead and even your hair style will make a difference. Go to a showroom and try on several different ones, make sure it’s going to fit properly and not be too loose or too tight. Too loose will flop around on your head and give you a pain in the neck and head, plus this will offer less protection in a crash, this could break your neck. Too tight will just make it uncomfortable to ride and discourage you from wearing it. If you choose a helmet without a face shield, always make sure to wear some sort of EYE PROTECTION. This is important, there are tons of manufacturers out there that make Sunglasses or goggles that even fit over your prescription glasses. A Bug or dust in the eye while riding can cause you to crash and your eyes can get very dried out too. This is important even on a short trip to the grocery store.

Remember, This is an investment into your own future and it only takes a fall a few feet from the ground to kill you or injure yourself, so don’t take the risk. Getting lazy with your safety gear just one time is all it takes to do some permanent damage. And make sure you research what you are going to get, it’ll save you time and money right from the start. As you ride more, you’ll figure out better solutions for what makes you comfortable too since the new stuff sometimes needs a little time to break it in.

So get out there, use your gear, ride until the rubber is gone and enjoy your time on two wheels.



Shannon Appleby has been in the motorcycle industry since 2005 and has had the opportunity to become friends with some of the most influential people in the world when it comes to the Two Wheel passion. Regularly attending Daytona Bike Week, Biketoberfest, Sturgis and many more, along with building his first bike by finding a basket case and completely rebuilding it just to understand the bike more. Shannon has created over 300 videos covering motorcycle parts and accessories, custom bike builds and motorcycle rallies and events. You can see more of Shannon and his passion for motorcycles at his website http://www.motorcyclepartsandaccessoriesvideos.com