| How do you vote? Styling or protection? What do | | | | attach to your jacket by a zipper. Boots should |
| you need to consider about the type of clothing | | | | be thick leather, with a sole that can flex with the |
| to wear when riding your motorcycle? First and | | | | foot but has a resistance to crushing across the |
| foremost, repeat, you need protection from | | | | foot. Heard of steel toe shoes? Well not a bad |
| injury. However, you can still be styling while riding | | | | ideal for when you are riding. |
| your bike! | | | | The history of material normally used for |
| There nothing like laying your bike down on | | | | motorcycle protective clothing has been leather. |
| asphalt, rapidly skidding down the black hell with | | | | The thick nylon and other synthetic materials will |
| visions of I am going to die in your head, plus | | | | work well too. Look into Kevlar reinforced jeans |
| leaving lots of your skin on the street to get you | | | | which hold up much better than normal jeans |
| to think about wearing protective clothing while | | | | while skidding across asphalt at 70 m.p.h. Here is |
| riding your motorcycle. If you are like most | | | | an interesting fact. According to the European |
| people, you think about injuries from falling | | | | standard abrasion test, normal jeans last 0.6 |
| (impact) or abrasions from skidding. Both of these | | | | seconds, while protective motorcycle pants will |
| types of injuries can be very painful especially if | | | | last 5 seconds or more. Think about 5 seconds of |
| you survive them. Good news, clothing can play | | | | protection versus about 0.5 seconds. If you have |
| an important part in reducing the injury level in | | | | to think very hard, you have been riding your |
| both types of these injuries. | | | | motorcycle without a helmet again. Go with the |
| Did you know that 30% (50% at night) of drivers | | | | Kevlar protected, re-enforced jeans. |
| involved in accidents with motorcycles claim they | | | | You apply the same principles to jackets. You are |
| didn't see the bike? I can't count the times I have | | | | looking for hard wearing jackets, preferably thick |
| had to dodge cars who I know just didn't see me. | | | | leather not the fancy thin fashion leather like |
| If they had been watching for cars, it would not | | | | some jackets. Pay attention to the stitching which |
| have been an issue. How many times have you | | | | should be uniform with no dropped stitches. All |
| not seen a motorcyclist and you are even more | | | | your stress areas, your elbows and shoulders |
| aware of them than the average driver? Driving | | | | should be reinforced, ideally with some impact |
| in your neighborhood on your bike could be highly | | | | protection included. This means, not a bad ideal to |
| dangerous. Approximately 90% of urban | | | | have some protective padding in your jacket. |
| motorcycle accidents are caused the other driver | | | | Want to keep those fingers looking good and |
| not by the motorcyclist. Riding with your | | | | attached? You must have a decent pair of gloves. |
| headlights on is very important to being seen. | | | | When you fall, you instinctively put out your |
| Bright colors or reflective stripes can help a lot. | | | | hands palm side down to stop yourself in a slide, |
| For those of us who are into styling, there are | | | | so the palms of your gloves should made of thick |
| some great looking motorcycle clothing on the | | | | leather or knitted Kevlar and reinforced with |
| market these days. However, not all of the | | | | patches. Knitted Kevlar is especially good for this |
| motorcycle clothing offers as much protection as | | | | kind of abrasion resistance, but reinforced leather |
| you think. Protective motorcycle clothing are not | | | | works well too. |
| created equal. In Europe, they have a standard | | | | That old saying it only hurt when I stop. Well, |
| for motorcycle clothing. For it be lawfully sold as | | | | apply that saying to when you hit the pavement. |
| "safety" clothing, it has to pass a series of | | | | Impact protection can be bought separately like |
| European standards and bear the CE mark, which | | | | back protectors. If you buy it, make sure you |
| are pretty lengthy. How does the clothing | | | | wear it. Depending on your personality, it might be |
| performance hold up in abrasion, tearing and | | | | best motorcycle protective clothing with a degree |
| impact tests. Once they pass the test, then the | | | | of impact protection included so that you know |
| manufacturer are allowed to sell the motorcycle | | | | when you put on your jacket and pants, the |
| protective clothing with the CE mark. | | | | protection is there and you don't have to |
| Unfortunately, USA has no such regulation is | | | | remember to put it on. |
| available in the USA. Cheer up, all is not lost. Just | | | | I know this is a cliche but helmets really do save |
| requires you to pay attention to what you are | | | | lives. Your head is not as hard as you think. Head |
| buying. | | | | injuries are not easy to recover from and in a |
| Not many people realize that most motorcycle | | | | motorcycle accident; they tend to be really |
| injuries occur below the belt. You love your legs | | | | severe. A helmet may not stop the injury but it is |
| and feet but when you are riding a motorcycle, | | | | very possible it might reduce the impact of an |
| the are extremely vulnerable to injuries. Make | | | | injury. |
| sure you wear a decent pair of high boots and | | | | If you are like most people, they try to avoid |
| protective pants. Leather, thick leather is a good | | | | pain. Give some serious thought to your |
| choice. Check the pants for reinforcement at the | | | | protective motorcycle clothing the next time you |
| knees and hips. The better safety pants should | | | | go shopping. |