All you want to know about Motorcycle Riding Gears

You know that motorcycling is not confined only to the motorcycles or the scooter you ride. There’s more story behind that. There are several equipments which not only enhance your bike riding memories but also ensure proper safety and comfort to your riding abilities. But then the question arises – is everything out there worth the money to be spent? Sure, there are numerous attractive components and aftermarket equipments available in the market, but not everything is safe and worth extracting the greenery off your pocket. All those stuffs totally depend upon your riding and territory conditions and styles. Off course, motorcycles and the bike riders are the most prone to accident, crashes and injuries. So that straightly puts up the ‘safety first’ quotient to the bike riders, and here comes the significance of safety equipments and riding gears. Every motorcycle should have a trustable and good quality riding gear in his wardrobe, which he can adorn out every time he sits on the saddle, with ease and comfort and the aim of safe riding for himself, fellow riders as well as the pedestrians in his mind. It is this combination of a riding gear which bridges the gap between a rider and a perfect ride. Nowadays, thanks to the cut throat competition and awareness in the market, we can see juicier gears from each manufacturer, which not only are top notch in quality, but are also much easier in reach to those consumers who can’t spend equal amount of money which they spend for buying the bike. All the riding gears are available in various price brackets and types, which make the deal even drool-worthy. But the correct information before buying a riding gear is a must for the rider. So, here are some quick tips about what kind of riding gears are available out there and what all considerable points you should tick up in your mind while investing in them:-

01. Helmet:-

Helmet is one of the must-haves for all the riders, both by conscience and law-abiding factors. Now many of the Indians shy off the helmet, making excuses about the unnecessary sweating in the traffic conditions, itching in their head and frequently removing and wearing them in a short jaunt. But avoiding such silly reasons at the cost of supreme safety is the sweetest deal for remaining sturdy. Gone are the days of holding an old-school half-face lid on your head, as nowadays there are all kinds of helmets, ranging from a half-face to full-face and motocross, with varying colors, size, shape, material and build, are available in the market at all price ranges. Just consider all the factors while buying a helmet, with size and fit being the top most priority, otherwise those irregular pressure points will end up in a rather uncomfortable journey.

02. Jackets:-

These are the best way to protect your shoulders, chest and abdomen in all the grief conditions of weather and safety. Now jackets too vary according to the type of material used in making them. For a normal daily commute, you can opt for a leather jacket offering you the better sized off center zippers and perfect snap down levels. For aiding a better fit and sturdiness, some jackets even offer buckle belt attached to it and zippers at the cuffs. For more serious biking conditions which include the pedigree of thrill, it is recommended to have jackets with tough pads at elbows and shoulders, which, in some jackets, are even available as detachable options. Kevlar fabric jackets are the best one to be considered for the safety reasons. Jackets too are available in varying colors and materials, which are a personal point of view while buying.

03. Gloves:-

Head done, chest done, shoulders done. And then comes that part which gives you the connection between you and the handlebar – your hands. And for them, gloves are the sole and best safety option. Gloves perform two odd jobs at a same time – First, they protect your hand from getting hurt while you suffer any crash with your hands scratching against the road surface, and second, they protect your hand from the flying objects which strike at your hands with a stinging effect, due to the action of blowing winds, such as insects, stones and even raindrops. Like jackets, gloves too vary according to the type of material, riding styles and protection components. Black leather gloves are best suited for the day-to-day commute, and adding protection hard bits at the knuckles will add a safety quotient for serious outright biking conditions, like off-roading or a track day out. For winters and chilly days, there are even heated gloves offered for you by some manufacturers nowadays.

04. Goggles:-

Eyes are one of the most precious gifts given to the mankind. So why not preserve and protect them, right? Now many think that wearing a full-face helmet with a visor down will act as a shield to their eyes, but unless they have the quality of UV protection or are tinted, your eyes need some protection. If your full face helmet comes equipped with a good quality Plexigas face shield, your eyes may not require shodding those extra weight of goggles. To reduce the glare of the sunlight falling on you, you can find a suitable slim pair of goggles for protecting your eyes. Here again, there is a wide range of riding sunglasses and goggles available for you, but you should select the perfect size in accordance with that of your eyes, the frame and shape of the glasses in addition to your budget. Oversized or undersized goggles will reduce your comfortability inside your helmet. Nowadays, the wrap-around sunglasses are the most trending ones, alongside the conventional yet cool looking sports style goggles.

05. Riding pants/chaps:-

Now, most of the riders think that their rough-n-tough and sturdy pairs of jeans will do the job of protecting your legs and thighs from the mud splashes and crashes, but if you have that extra dough to invest in, it is advisable to spend it for the special riding pants or chaps as they are called. Sure, the daily riding commutes will be satisfied perfectly by the ‘never-going-to-be-old-fashioned’ jeans, but if you are out for serious adventure, like a day at your nearest circuit, off-roading around the country-sides and those adventurous long road trips, the chaps are the better clothing option, offering you a tougher and more comfortable armor to your legs. Also, their ability to resist rain showers is also much better. Some riding pants even come equipped with knee caps of tough material, along with hip protection too. Sure, it sounds a bit too much for the normal rider covering just a couple of kilometers for his shopping and office rides, but if you are some adventurous kind of a guy who loves taking his bike out for some action on weekends, the riding chaps must have a proud space in your wardrobe.

06. Boots:-

The feet are the most steadily working body parts while you ride a motorcycle, covering up all the quick actions of shifting the cogs up and down and manipulating the speed with the help of foot brake. So, in order to provide the utmost comfort and protection to your feet, you should have a nice pair of boots on them. Now, as all the riding gears, the boots too are distinguished on the basis of material and protection capabilities. For the normal riding conditions, leather boots of appropriate size perform the job adequately. There are some classic old-school boots which has are devoid of laces and have bit of extending flat-surfaced heels on the foot pegs, which are also worth giving a look, but then again, if you are serious sort of a lad, there are those boots available too, which come with a much larger extension which seem to integrate with your pair of jeans or the riding pants. These offer the much needed protection to be offered up at the lower legs and ankles, and at the same time, give you that extra edge for tighter corners and towering speeds. If your riding boots come equipped with laces, it’s advisable that you tuck them inside the boots so that they may not get stuck in the foot pedals or side components of the motorcycle while taking those twisties up the hill.

07. Earplugs:-

Ohk, this may not seem a much needed equipment to be invested upon, but is a welcome addition, if you seriously consider motorcycling safey to the core. Normally, our ears are prone to the scream of the engine at high speeds and the unnecessary honking of the vehicles around you, even when you are wearing a full-face helmet covering your head and face completely, which may seem a nuisance for you while riding and you wish that somebody push the mute button over them! You can simply cut the supply of sound from those sources to the eardrums, by just placing a set of earplugs on both the ears. These really will help you a lot after removing up your helmet, to adjust to the after-ride conditions of your ears, and the volume of the surroundings will sound the same as you heard before starting your ride.

08. Safety west:-

Usually, the motorcycle riders are considered to be the most ignorant species on wheels as compared to other vehicles, once you hit on the open stretch of long roads and highways, and this visibility decreases even more once you are riding in the dim lights, night time or a foggy morning. So, in order to make yourself visible to those careless truck drivers and speed-junkies on the roads, you can wear a brightly colored vest with reflective patches on them. Sure, they are not one of the coolest stuffs to invest in, but if you are a kind of rider who has to kick of the rides on those chilly foggy mornings frequently, this one is worth buying, as the bright color of vests will surely be able to be noticed to the drivers riding behind you or coming from front. And if you still not consider them to spend your hard earned money upon, another innovative idea is to add sticky reflective tapes on helmets or jackets, but that sounds tacky, isn’t it?

09. Chest armor:-

Now, apart from using the rider jackets, if you still feel that you are running short of safety, provided you are an extra safety-concerning type of rider, you can use a safety chest armor, which is usually placed inside the jacket’s pads. Though not much needed for the street bikers that much who are limited up with the speed barriers, but for those who are out for some serious off-roading actions or love to race around the tracks, these armors can surely be considered as one of the most important gears which all the experts advise you to buy. These armors are normally coupled up with tough pads and caps at shoulders and elbow areas, and can act as an armored vest which covers up your back as well as your frontal chest area.

10. Knee and elbow guards:-

The first things which you are left behind hurting when you slip off your motorcycle or face a crash are your knees and elbows, as these are the ‘pointing out’ parts of your body. To prevent scraping out of your elbows and knees under such drastic conditions, they are provided with safety pads covering them up. Firstly, let’s talk about the knee pads. Being the knee joints as the most prior part to protect, sometimes they come up with a bit of small extensions which even cover the upper leg surrounding it, as well as a part of lower thigh. Secondly, the safety pads for elbows too come up with the same characteristic, covering up some extra skin of the arms. But both do one job perfectly – to protect the sensitive bone joints of knees and elbows, when you fall down from your bike on the road surface, or even a worse condition, a rock on a road surface.

Now, the above description and details must have given you the perfect idea about what kinds of riding gears are available in the market and which one should you buy to enhance your safety, probably being all of them, if you are a true blue rider. However, a question still persists for you, is everything made up just according to you, keeping you in the mind of the manufacturer? Well, the answer is no. Because, every rider out there doesn’t has the built and physique as you possess. Here are some key points you should consider when determining what motorcycle riding gear is best for you:-

> How does it fit?

This is why physique comes up as the first priority while looking out for a particular riding gear. From helmets to gloves, everything varies on size and shape, which do not suit to the tastes of all the riders. You are aware of your body size and built, so before finalizing the deal of buying a riding gear, first check it if the size which it comes into, is fit according to your built or not. Check whether the helmet is small sized or leaving behind extra room for your head, your head should be perfectly fitted inside the lid with the proper length of the strap. The jackets and pants should neither be too skin-touching or too loosened up, but should come up with the perfect fitting to your skin and body. The same checking criteria go for the other remaining riding gears as well.

> Riding gear value:-

Ultimately, for us, everything comes zeroed down to just one factor – price. Off course, we should be ensured up that the stuff for which we are betting our cash on is seriously that worth the money. Value and durability are what the factors which we Indian consumers look the first in our product. So, wisely spending the money on the right gear is very important. You must have the perfect market awareness before buying a product, and should be open to the data that which product is a ‘value-for-money’ proposition, by offering you more features for the same or even lesser price tag, without any compromise on quality. But if you have the potential of spending a bit more on the better product, we give you a full green signal for it, because sometimes the premium which a product demands over others, is worth well spending for, given its credentials in serving you the best for the longer runs.

> Safety features:-

You have to admit it anyhow, riding a motorcycle is not that safer as compared to riding a car. Only wearing a helmet will complete your safety armor for a ride, but a full riding gear is advisable for heading out for your destination. But that doesn’t mean that given your budget, you compromise on the quality of a riding gear. Your each and every gear must be capable of providing yourself the best possible safety from accidents. Prefer that riding gear which boasts of better built quality and additional safety features over others. And if it demands not that hefty premium over its competitors, it’s better to shell out that extra money for it. After all, as they say, prevention is better than cure, right?

> Product performance:-

Just being aware of what riding gear performs what job perfectly is not enough, but what matter more is being aware of that particular product. You should also be aware of that product’s durability and performance in the long run and varying dreadful conditions. For example, the jacket which offers the best comfort in the chilled roads of Leh surrounded by snow-capped mountains may not offer the same levels of comfort in the tropical highways of Konkan coast. After checking up all of your riding priorities and the riding gear capabilities that whether it is going to cater those priorities perfectly, will only sweeten up your deal.

> Product durability:-

Gone are the days when your helmet used to last only for not more than two years. Nowadays, with increase in the demand of consumers and the stiff competition among the players in this sport, the durability is one of the topmost criteria which firms up a decision while buying up a riding gear. And that durability should be as extreme as possible. Prefer those attires which have the ability of lasting for a longer time than the other, which will help you save up your money for the upcoming years, rather than wasting your cash frequently.

> How it looks:-

Ohk! In this design sensitive world, looks do matter. Prefer a riding gear that suits your personality, complexion and shape of built. It can never be regretted if you look good while being adorned with a stylish kit of riding gears. You should complement with the motorcycle which you ride upon. Prefer those riding gears which come with additional design factors, if possible. Though looks and design is totally a personal affair, it is advisable that you don’t go too loud while choosing your particular gear.

> Product materials:-

For maintaining that particular ride gear which you have set your eyes upon, first be ensured that is the material of which it is built up worth spending your cash? Nowadays, while buying a riding gear, you are spoilt up with a number of fabrics and leather options for various jackets and riding pants. Be sure that the fabric should be supportive enough to face the riding and temperature conditions, so that you may not end up being uncomfortable wearing them. Exquisite materials, like Kevlar, are worth spending the money.

> Personal needs and riding style:-

Now, it’s not essential that your riding companion may have the same riding attributes as you have. The riding style, preferences, choices, fitness levels and all the other important factors are different for different riders. So, it’s better that you prefer that riding gear which suits your personality and not others. Don’t copy other’s choices, that if he is buying a particular gear, I too should buy the same. Be individualistic while opting one for you.