Motorcycle Gear & Information

Spring has sprung in much of the country, but brisk evenings, cool days and springtime weather still require motorcycle gloves to keep your hands and forearms warm and dry.  Even a relatively warm day will feel cooler at 50 MPH and leave your hands vulnerable to chill.  Summer is on the way, but until the daytime temp reaches 75 or higher, the gloves will feel good.

And when summer comes, invest in a pair of lighter-weight gloves or maybe half-finger gloves.  They provide protection while helping to keep your hands cooler.

The feds are backing once again a national law requiring all motorcyclists to wear a helmet on the road, but included in their language is a requirement for full finger motorcycle gloves.  Currently only 20 states have helmet laws, and the NTSB says 12 motorcyclists die every day on America’s roads.  While bikes make up less than 5% of the total vehicles on the road, they account for nearly 15% of all fatalities.  A helmet law would lower this fatality rate, for sure.

I understand and concur with the helmet law, but it’s just like our government today to micro-manage everything we do and require full-finger gloves.  Sorry “big government,” this seems like a decision best left up to the rider!

Motorcycle gloves are a good idea, even for summertime, warm-weather riding.  And the reason is for protection from the wind, the sun and, of course, road rash.  But the length of your motorcycle gloves is left to rider preference.  The key components to look for are protection, style and comfort, but all three components are available in full-length gloves, 3/4 length gloves and short gloves.

For colder days, a longer glove will give added warmth to your hands, wrists and forearms.  On warmer days, the shorter gloves will protect your hands without making you extra hot.  Built-in, reinforced knuckle protection gives you the added comfort of knowing that should the unthinkable happen, your hands will be as safe as possible.  And all gloves protect your hands from over-drying from the wind and burning from the sun.

Fall is here – the crisp, cool days, the chilly evenings, the temperatures falling near freezing at night.  And winter is on its way.  But don’t be too quick to put your bike away.  These fall days provide some of the finest rides of the year.  Cruise into the high country to see the fall foliage, take a ride across the prairie or ride to the ball park or the stadium to catch your favorite team.  Don’t put your bike away, but do outfit yourself so that you are comfortable and warm.  Heated motorcycle gloves, for a start, are well worth the investment.

Some heated gloves run off of the bike’s battery, others are charged by batteries in the gloves themselves.  And heated motorcycle gloves increase the effectiveness of heated motorcycle grips.  They keep your fingers warm, without having to compromise and wear mittens.  Heated motorcycle gloves lengthen the season within which we can ride.

If you live in a cold climate, but still love to ride your motorcycle I would recommend investing in some motorcycle gloves that can help keep your hands warm on those cold rides.  Most gloves are made of leather which is the perfect material to help keep the warmth inside.

Motorcycle gloves can also help protect your hands if you were to get into an accident.  Nobody thinks they will get into an accident, but these things do happen.  It’s better to be safe than to be sorry in protecting your hands when riding a motorcycle.