Motorcycle Gear

Besides leather jackets being a cool fashion statement, they can also keep you safe on the road and serve as a “skin” between you and the road. A riding jacket of any kind is essential for keeping you not only safe, but warm and dry. Most riders choose leather jackets to keep them safe on the road. Understanding the different types of leather will help you in your purchase for the perfect riding jacket.

Leather obviously comes from the skin of an animal, usually either cattle or water buffalo. Tanning the hides turns the material into durable, strong leather than can be used in a variety of ways. The material can be tanned with a variety of different chemicals to produce various types of leather including vegetable-tanned leather (used for armor and book binding), aldehyde-tanned leather (producing a white leather used in children’s shoes), or rawhide (used for lacing and dog chews).

Leather is typically sold in three forms:

Split Leather
This leather uses the middle or lower section of a hide has been split into two or more layers. Split leather has an chemical layer applied to make it look similar to grain leather. This type of leather can also be used to make suede. Split leather, while it may look good, is not usually considered good for riding.

Corrected Grain
This leather has been sanded to remove any scars, insect bites or brands. Corrected grain leather is made from top grain, though referred to as corrected grain since the surface has been corrected. While corrected grain is good leather, and imperfections are corrected, it is still not the top of the line. This type of leather is typically about 2mm makes this leather very durable and good for riding.

Full-Grain/Top Grain
This type of leather is made from the upper section of the hide and has not gone through any sanding or corrections. Full grain leather remains natural, resulting in the highest strength and durability. This leather will wear well and will actually improve over time. As this is the ultimate leather, used for many purposes, it is the most expensive.

If you plan on buying a leather jacket, consider weather conditions in your area. Leather will definitely keep you warm on cold days, but may be too hot for some in warmer climates. Also, leather is not meant to get wet, so if you live in wet weather, you may want to consider another alternative.

Besides leather being fashionable, durable and protective, a good leather jacket will last a long time as well. While leather can be expensive, most of the time you will certainly get your money’s worth if you take care of it.

Leather jackets can be purchased online at www.rockheadbikes.com.

- Julie

After you’ve purchased your motorcycle and helmet, you may be left wondering what other gear you need. There are a lot of options when it comes to gear. You may find that some of the things on the list below just aren’t for you. Most though, help to keep you safe and comfortable while riding. While it’s easy to hop on your new bike and go, consider purchasing some additional items before your first ride.

Recommended

Motorcycle Jacket
A good jacket will not only protect you from the elements, but help to keep you warm as well. Research different brands and types of jackets before you buy. Some people wear a heavy leather jacket, while others prefer something more lightweight with extra protection in certain areas. A few good brands are Joe Rocket, Speed & Strength, and First Gear.

Jeans
Almost all riders wear some type of jeans, either regular or with added protection. Don’t ever wear shorts or sweat pants or anything that will tear easily should you go sliding across the road.

Riding Pants
Riding pants are a good option to help protect you even more. Some pants you can even wear over your jeans. Not only will they keep you safe, but they will keep you warm when riding in colder conditions.

Advice on fabrics for pants and jackets can be found here

Gloves
I talked about gloves a few weeks ago. Don’t go without them. They’re one of the cheapest and most necessary pieces of gear you can buy.

Boots
Again, many different options when it comes to boots. There’s tall boots and short boots, ones with laces and ones without. Decide which is best for you and which you will feel most comfortable in. Either way, just buy a pair.

Optional

Eyewear
This is only optional for those that wear a full helmet, in which case additional eyewear is most likely not practical. For riders wearing a half helmet, eyewear is an absolute necessity. Goggles will keep your precious eyes safe from bugs, wind, road debris and other elements.

Socks
Some riders prefer to buy long socks that will cover most of their legs, and won’t ride down into their boots. As long as you’re wearing good boots and pants, socks won’t be the most important purchase you make.

Rainsuit
If you’re going to be doing a lot of riding, it’s probably wise to get a rainsuit. Nothing is worse than getting stuck in a storm and getting drenched.

Reflective Vest
Like crossing guards wear. If you’re going to be doing some night riding, especially on dimly lit roads, it’s a good idea to wear a reflective vest.

Ear Plugs
Riding is loud. If someone tells you otherwise, they’re lying. Between the engine and the wind rushing past, riding can damage your hearing. Ear plugs are cheap. They save your hearing. Should be a no-brainer.

Heated Clothing
Not necessary unless you’re driving in cold conditions. Heated clothing can vary from some plain long johns to actual pants with electric heating elements in them, similar to an electric blanket.

Clearly there is a lot of gear recommended for riding. If you don’t think you can afford the necessary gear, you may want to rethink your motorcycle purchase. You really can’t put a price on your life.

Many of these, and other items can be found online at www.rockheadbikes.com.

-Julie

As promised in my last post, I want to take a moment to discuss helmet certifications. While I’ve stressed the importance of wearing a helmet at all times when riding, there are some important testing and certifications that every rider should know about.

When shopping for helmets, you will notice that they are labeled as having passed certain certification standards. Three of the most popular of these certifications are DOT, Snell, and ECE 22.05.

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) rates helmets based on a few standards, including impact force. The catch here is that there is NOT always actual testing on each helmet. A manufacturer can advertise that their helmet is DOT rated if the manufacturer believes that the particular helmet meets the DOT standards. Every so often, helmets are randomly purchased by DOT and tested. Surprisingly (or maybe not), there are quite a few helmets that DO NOT pass the DOT testing, even though they may have previously been rated as DOT approved. Therefore, unless the DOT approved helmet that you’re wearing on your head has really been tested and approved by DOT, it may not be as safe as you are led to believe.

Another, more stringent rating is Snell. Rather than passing a series of standards, helmets with this rating are actually tested in 7 different areas including impact, penetration, and flame resistance. Snell testing is voluntary, and the manufacturers pay for the helmet to be tested. Most companies strive for Snell approval on their helmets, ensuring riders some of the best possible protection. Owning a Snell approved helmet shows that you are serious about your safety and you are a responsible rider.

The ECE 22.05 certification comes from the Economic Commission for Europe and is one of the most common certifications in the world. Over 50 countries in the world require an ECE certification. ECE testing is similar to DOT testing, though ECE requires helmets to be tested at higher velocities than DOT. Therefore, all ECE helmets will be DOT certified, but all DOT helmets will not be ECE certified. In addition, ECE requires that random batches of ALL helmet productions be tested PRIOR to being released to dealers for sale. This is much different from DOT who performs random testing after helmets are released. ECE helmets are approved for competitive motorcycle events and are even the preferred certification by most professionals.

Hopefully by now you realize the importance of wearing a helmet. And not just any helmet, one that has been properly certified and can help protect you in case of an accident. Once you’ve decided which helmet rating (DOT, Snell, ECE) you would prefer to protect your head, stop by your local dealer and start trying some helmets on. While you may be new to the riding scene, your gear should reflect your seriousness and responsiblity.

-Julie

Riding a motorcycle without a helmet is NOT an option. This applies to both you and your passenger. And I really don’t care if you happen to live in a state without a law requiring a helmet. Not wearing a helmet is irresponsible, selfish, and just plain stupid. It doesn’t matter if you happen to be the best motorcycle rider in the universe, you can never predict the actions of all the others on the road with you.

Over the weekend a close family friend was in a motorcycle accident. The car in front of him hit a passenger, the passenger flew over the car, and directly into my friend, who was then thrown from his bike. Since he was in Maryland, he was wearing the mandated helmet. Even so, he has life threatening injuries and has been in a coma since. Had he not been wearing a helmet, it’s almost certain he would have died immediately. At least he still has a chance…

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 7,502 lives were saved over the 5-year period ending in 2007. Clearly wearing a helmet can save your life.

Deciding on the type of helmet to purchase can take some time. Over the next few days I’ll go over some tips for choosing a good helmet, including rating, ventilation, padding and more. Today though, I want to discuss the difference between a full face helmet and a half helmet.

A full face helmet generally offers more protection than a half helmet. In recent studies, it was found that 35 percent of crashes had a major impact on the chin area. Obviously wearing a half helmet does not protect the chin area, therefore, you are really only utilizing 65 percent of the protection available to you.

In addition, full face helmets will protect you from various elements (rain, wind, bugs, road debris). A full face helmet may have you sweating more than a half helmet, but it just takes some getting used to.

Clearly, in my opinion, full face helmets are the way to go. But as long as you’re wearing some type of head protection, I won’t argue. Most importantly keep yourself in check. As I mentioned before, no matter how confident you may be in your skills, you can never predict what may happen. If you’re not wearing a helmet when you ride, you may as well paint a target on your back. Your life just is not worth risking.

-Julie

When purchasing your first motorcycle, you probably have already given some thought to the gear you'll be wearing, including a helmet and jacket. One piece of protective gear you don't want to overlook is gloves.

Motorcycle Gloves are one of the most important accessories for riders. In addition to protecting the hands in case of an accident, they also protect the hands from road debris and weather conditions.

Gloves come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. There are also a few different options based on your normal riding conditions. Ventilated gloves will offer some air flow for hot or steamy weather. Water resistant gloves protect against light rain, puddles, etc. Rain gloves are available to wear over riding gloves and most are completely water proof.

When purchasing gloves, look for ones that have a metal or plastic barrier over the knuckles and Kevlar, metal or heavy padding for the palm. It’s important to purchase a glove that will not only look good and protect from weather, but ultimately one that will protect your hands in case of an accident.

So while you're all excited to get out there and ride your new bike, please remember that safety always comes first.

-Julie

In addition to purchasing your first bike, you’ll also need to purchase safety gear, including pants, jackets, gloves, etc. The choices you make in purchasing protective clothing are just as important as your helmet and bike choice. While you may not think that your clothing choices are a big deal, you should really put some thought and research into these items before buying. Your protective clothing choices can make a lot of difference if you’re in an accident.

Below are some interesting numbers on differences in fabrics. Obviously there are comfort and personal preferences, but before purchasing any clothing or accessories, you should take note of this:

Tear and Abrasion Strength by the numbers:
pounds of force until fabric tears, abrasion cycles on pavement until fabric fails

Cotton Jeans: 4.5 pounds to tear, 50 cycles to failure
70 Denier Standard Nylon: 4.5 pounds to tear, 165 cycles to failure
500 Denier Polyester: 8 pounds to tear, 180 cycles to failure
200 Denier Standard Nylon: 7.5 pounds to tear, 275 cycles to failure
500 Denier Cordura: 22 pounds to tear, 710 cycles to failure
620 Denier Cordura: 35 pounds to tear, 1200 cycles to failure
Competition Grade Leather: 80-110 pounds to tear, 1200-1700 cycles to failure
1000 Denier Cordura: 110 pounds to tear, 1780 cycles to failure
Air Mesh Kevlar: 1260 pounds to tear, 970 cycles to failure
Stretch Kevlar Blend: 420 pounds to tear, 1800 cycles to failure

Basically, the higher the number of cycles till failure, the further you can slide on the pavement before the fabric tears. These numbers are very important, as this could be the difference between a minor scrape and a major injury. As you can see, your regular jeans may not be the best clothing to wear when riding. Even if you’re confident about your riding abilities, you can never predict what will happen when you’re on the road.

So before you start riding, please invest some time and funds into your protective clothing. It just may be the best decision you’ve ever made.

-Julie