Why Do Bikers Dress The Way They Do? By Tyler Powers

Most motorcycle riders wear leather – lots of leather. Boots, chaps, vests, gloves, chain wallets, and leather jackets. The reason behind all this leather is not for looks, and it's not to appear threatening. It's all about protection!

There is protection from weather provided by leather. Riding in cool weather gets very cold when you are moving at 55 miles per hour. Even the gentle Florida winter requires protection from winter weather. In fact, I would never know that was Becki getting ready to ride the Toy Run if I didn't recognize the motorcycle! Weather isn't the only issue, however.

True bikers dress to protect themselves in a fall rather than dressing just for the ride. Accidents do happen. You may have to drop a bike to avoid being hit by a car. You may experience a front blow out and lose control. It is possible that even the most experienced rider can drop a bike. I've had to CHOOSE to drop a bike to avoid being run over by a car. The bike and I both survived. I didn't even get road rash since I was wearing leather! I also chose where to drop the bike so it wasn't damaged except for a paint ding.

Bikers learn from experience, both theirs and others. When you see someone who chose to ride in shorts and tee-shirt come in covered with road rash, you know that riding that way is not wise. They dressed for the summer ride and failed to dress for the fall which happened.

That explains the leather jackets and chaps. But why the chain wallets? Motorcycles vibrate somewhat. You climb on and off them. This places stress on the back pocket where a wallet would be carried. Over time, the wallet can drop out unnoticed and not only is money lost, but ID, proof of insurance, credit cards lots of valuable things that take time and trouble to replace. With the chain wallet, this cannot happen. You also do not expose yourself to having a pick-pocket hit you during a crowded motorcycle event!

The leather gloves – often fingerless for summer wear -- make holding handlebars for hours more comfortable. There isn't a cruise control on a motorcycle, although some people rig them up. The throttle is in your hand and you have it turned to the speed you want to go for the entire ride. That wears on the palm and tires the hand. The gloves provide comfort. Mesh and leather are normally used for summer riding, full leather for winter rides. Also, the hands are provided protection from the road in case of a skid, fall, or drop. Road rash on the palms HURTS!

Goggles or eye protection is often the law, but it also makes sense. Think what happens if a bug hits you in the eye at 55 mph! Of course, the goggles or eye protection needs to look cool, but that just because no one wants to wear funny looking glasses. Helmet visors provide the protection in states where helmets are required. A benefit of visors, if you use a full-face visor, bugs don't get in your mouth either! ICK!

Speaking of bugs: leather protects the rider from insect impacts as well. Do you realize how hard a bug is when it hits your body at high speed?? It's painful!! And no one would want that angry insect to sting if it were capable.

Boots are a necessity. If you "almost" drop a bike, often that sturdy boot placed on the ground prevents the potential drop becoming a real accident. Think how your foot would look if you had to steady yourself and your bike wearing thin bottom sneakers? If you ruin a pair of boots because you saved yourself from a fall, it's an investment that paid off! Boots also provide protection from hot exhaust pipes and support the ankles better for mounting and dismounting your ride.

Where helmets are not required, leather skull caps are popular. Sometimes called a "do-rag", these leather bandana-like objects are shaped for the head and tie in the back. This hold hear in place but also provides some protection should you scrape your head during a fall. Of course, if you HIT your head during a fall, only a helmet will provide protection. However, we should let those who ride decide, but most states feel otherwise!

There is a reason for every thing the biker wears. Sure, it looks cool in their opinion, and there is some really beautiful riding gear available. But it's not all about looks. What you wear when you ride can save your life or at least your skin!

Glad-Handling those Bad Landings Tips on the Perfect Motorcycle Gloves by Gary IIminen

For many of us, gloves are gloves. If they fit fairly comfortably and prevent blisters or keep our hands warm in cold weather, we’re pretty much good with whatever we happen to have at hand—pun intended.

 

But, where power sports are concerned, selecting the right gloves can make a big difference in our enjoyment, comfort and safety.

Sizing seems pretty basic, but it makes the difference between day-long comfort and “can’t wait to take ‘em off” discomfort. Checking out the size of your favorite current gloves is a pretty good guide and manufacturers have handy sizing charts, as well for buying online.

One trick I’ve learned for riding in a climate that can be finger-numbing cold in the morning and toasty in the afternoon is to double glove. Wear a light, snug-fitting riding motorcycle glove with thin leather palm and mesh or stretch fabric back inside a heavier leather and/or insulated glove. As the temps rise, take off the outer glove leaving the lighter, cooler glove to provide protection without being too warm. Some snowmobile gloves feature a removable glove liner, but that may not be designed to act as a lightweight glove in itself.

I’ve found that tactic is particularly good for off-road ATV and motorcycle riding and for snowmobile riding, improving protection when trailside branches whack your hands. The thin gloves are also very good for handling tools in sub-zero cold when exposing bare skin can cause frost-bite in a matter of minutes and handling steel tools can literally cause them to freeze to the skin. It can be very difficult to use tools with the bulkier insulated gloves or mitts on. Getting the outer glove in a size or two larger than usual makes this work pretty well.

Depending on your sport and season, you may want motorcycle gloves that keep your hands warm, dry and protected, or cool, dry and protected.

A variety of approaches exist to meet both goals. Perhaps the most dizzying aspect of glove design these days is the variety of materials used in glove construction. Even basic leather gloves have variations: goat skin, lamb skin, buck skin, pigskin, full-grain cowhide, suede and combinations of more than one type. Solid, perforated, fingerless, non-lined, lined, insulated, non-insulated, gel-pad palms, you name it.

Leather has a natural beauty to it, tends to be supple and provides reasonably good weather and abrasion protection. Add some treatment to the surface and you have a waterproof, tough, comfortable basic glove that easily mashes down to fit into your pockets. These types of gloves tend to be reasonably priced, too, generally ranging from as little as about $20 for your basic styles to the $60-$70 range depending on the options.

But the real revolution in glove design is in the use of synthetic materials. Stretch mesh for the back and sides of the gloves allow near-total ventilation, which may be augmented by finger vents, while providing abrasion protection and second-skin fit. High-tack silicone rubber and similar materials added to palm and fingers prevents slippage on the hand-grips and levers, supple finger materials allow maximum “touch” for fine control, pre-curved fingers and palms virtually eliminate “break-in” for the grip. Add Kevlar® fiber in back, wrist and gauntlet with hard knuckle and finger armor and you’ve got a competition-grade protection package.

Speaking of competition, if you intend to use the gloves for racing, check the rules for the sanctioning body; some types of racing won’t allow some types of gloves. For example, in land speed racing no synthetic materials are allowed—leather only, a minimum three inch gauntlet is required and wrist closures are mandatory. European (CE) standards exist for professional motorcycle gloves: EN 13594:2002. No equivalent U.S. standards exist. Fully appointed racing gloves can range from $50 to about $200, depending on the required equipment.

Adjustable wrist closures with Velcro® or snaps assure the gloves will stay on when you need their protection most. They are a good feature to have for leisure riding gloves and are essential for competition. Elastic bands are ok for some applications, but to be effective in some situations, they’d generally have to be so snug, they may be uncomfortable.

Other features like battery-operated heaters, finger-mounted face shield wipers, reflective piping or panels, gel padding in the fingers or palms, or key pockets are all items to consider, depending on your riding plans.