ALT-2 Essential Motorcycle Safety Gear
There are those out there who believe that there is nothing that is "essential" as far as protective gear when riding motorcycles. Others are of the opinion that the more protective gear you can have, the better. In reality, I guess it all boils down to how much you value your own well being and how much of a risk taker you are.
A lot is going to depend on what type of riding you are doing. You'll probably use different safety gear for off-road riding than you would on the street.
So let's take a look at some of the items that could be considered essential to preventing or at least reducing the risk of injury.
Helmet The most important piece of safety equipment to protect the most important part of your body in all types of riding. Buy the best one you can find that is DOT or SNELL approved. They come in all shapes and styles so you can protect your head and look cool too. Save your head, wear a helmet.
Boots I prefer work boots or military type boots that provide more support and protection for your ankles for road riding. I never ride with light shoes or sandals and I don't recommend anyone does. For off-road riding, there are specialty boots made with heavier leather and higher rise to protect your lower leg. One style or the other is a must though. Riding trails through woods and rough terrain is no place for light shoes.
Eye protection If you are not behind a windshield on the street, then glasses or goggles are a must to protect your sight. Believe me, getting hit in the eye with even a small bug at 60 or 70 mph definitely hurts and if it happens to be a pebble that just fell off that dump truck a few cars ahead of you, it not only hurts but can do permanent damage to your eye. For off-road, I recommend goggles. If you are riding with other riders, you are going to be riding through dust, dirt and sometimes water or mud kicked up by the other bikes. Goggles will keep all that out of your eyes. They come with interchangeable clear or smoke lenses for day or night riding.
Jacket I prefer to ride with a leather when I'm riding the street. A lot of riders don't like to wear them when it's hot but it affords a lot of protection. If you don't have a leather, the next best thing is denim. Off-roading is a little different. They make plastic chest protectors that are lighter and cooler than a jacket and they provide very good protection for your upper body. I highly recommend them for that type of riding.
Gloves A must for riding the backwoods. When you're riding through trees or brushy areas, you'll want gloves because you will constantly be getting smacked on the hands by vegetation along the trails. Motocross gloves are the best. They are leather with padding sewn into the tops of the fingers and back of the hands to provide additional protection for just this type of riding. For the street, I usually wear gloves for long trips when I'm gripping the handlebars for long periods.
Pants Leathers will provide the most protection but most riders don't wear them. I definitely recommend a full length pant of at least denim weight though, NOT shorts. You should have at least one layer of material between your skin and hot exhaust pipes and engine cases that your legs are right next to, especially if you dump the bike or have to lay it down. Of course if you DO end up on the pavement, wearing pants will give you a layer between your skin and the road surface you're now sliding along too. Some riders use the option of wearing leather chaps over jeans. They afford you the protection of leather but are more comfortable than full leather pants and you have the option of taking them off when you get off the bike for a bit.
That about covers the major gear that's available to save your precious body if you do end up in a situation beyond your control. Of course there are other things you can add to the list, especially for dirt riding, including elbow and shoulder pads, full competition leathers, knee and shin guards, neck rolls, kidney belts and more.
One other bit of safety gear that comes to mind is for your street bike. You'll never see them on choppers or sport bikes but if you ride a big heavy road bike, a good set of crash bars will not only save your leg if you lay the bike down, they will also help save the side cases on the engine from being damaged.
In closing, I'd like to say that after many years of riding both dirt bikes and road bikes, I'm still in one piece and it's in no small measure because I've used most of the riding gear listed in this article.
Be safe, ride safe and you'll have many enjoyable years on two wheels.
Thanks for reading.
