3. Safety Gear
Description
This article is from the Beginner Motorcycle Info FAQ, by rn@bell-labs.com (Ravi Narayan) with numerous contributions by others.
3. Safety Gear
If you want to be fully safe you should be covered from head to toe
every time you ride. Buy all the equipment you can and wear it,
even on hot days or for just a jog to the store. Again, get the
best your budget allows. Good clothing will protect you from the
nasty cuts and abrasions (and glass!) that happen even in a low
speed slide. Many people with older used bikes spend about as much
on equipment/helmet etc. as on our bikes, devote a generous portion
of your cycling budget to clothing. Here's what you need:
JACKET: Get a high quality leather jacket suitable for motorcycling, not
a thin "fashion" leather jacket. These begin at about $300. Make the fit
tight enough that it won't ride up and expose your skin in a slide and
loose enough that you can put sweaters under when it's cold. Leather isn't
the warmest garment, its more for protection than cold. See that it closes
firmly at the neck and wrists or you will get quite cold. Leather made for
racing is the best but it is expensive. Shop at a motorcycle store or
good quality leather factory, boutiques and department stores generally
don't have suitable jackets.
[with Pooder's correction:]
As an alternative to leather, Aerostich makes high quality riding wear
made of a cordura/Goretex laminate. The Goretex is there to make it
nearly waterproof while still allowing your body fumes to escape. Because
it's one more layer, the Goretex may also provide some additional abrasion
resistance, but its main reason for being there is waterproofing.
PANTS: Ideally you should have leather or Aerostich pants on all
the time. This can however be expensive as well as impractical
to walk around in or carry around all day. But, a famous study
found that Levi's only last for about 4 feet in a slide before they
give way and expose your bare skin to the pavement (no cite). There
isn't an easy solution to the protection/inconvenience trade off here.
Aerostich makes pants that zip together with their jackets (~$300)
or a one piece step in riding suit (~$600) Leather suits come in
two zip together pieces (jacket/pants). Again, no fashion leather.
FOOTGEAR: Good quality leather riding boots are the best protection
for your feet in a crash. (high boots, no heels!) If you must wear
sneakers at least make them high tops that cover the ankle and lace them
firmly. Most kinds of sneakers or regular shoes tend to come off
in a crash. Sandals, dress shoes or open shoes are out of the
question, even if you don't crash they make it hard to control the
bike and land your feet correctly when stopping.
GLOVES: They give you better throttle control and protect you in
a crash. At first, they feel weird and make it feel as if it is harder
to use the controls but you get used to them quickly. Get leather (whatelse?)
Check saddlery stores if you can't get a good fit at a cycleshop.
EYE PROTECTION: If you don't have a full face helmet then wear
goggles, without them the wind in your eyes is too intense to see
properly, sunglasses won't do it because the wind just blows under
them. With a helmet and shield you will still need to carry
sunglasses. Without a roof the sun for you will be much more
glaring than in a car. You can also get a tinted face-shield, but
only for daytime riding. Get one pair just for the bike and bend
the paddles (earpieces) of the glasses so that they are straight,
they will fit under the helmet much easier.
[Andy Beals adds:
Or, buy a pair of [real] aviator-style military surplus sunglasses -
straight earpieces designed to slip on when you're wearing a helmet.
Probably available at your local surplus store and definitely via
mail-order from Kaufman's Surplus. Not cheapie sunglasses, real
Ray-Bans].
If you plan to carry passengers you are responsible for providing
a similar set of gear for them if they don't have their own. Whenever
you replace your original equipment and clothing consider keeping
the old stuff around (if it is still serviceable) and building a
passenger set. Don't let improperly attired people pressure you
into giving them a ride! (they will try). You will probably want
to wait at least 6 months before carrying passengers anyway.
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