Wednesday we asked if it was possible to ride a motorcycle, in protective gear, while still looking stylish? AMERiders gives you Part Two of a Guide to Riding Stylish in Motorcycle Safety Gear. We didn’t want to give you the whole shebang at one time. No that would be too much show we decided to break it up into two separate posts for you so you would have time to process and maybe implement some of it in between the two. So let’s get started.
Again This is the guide for, When you’re not on the race track, jumping sandy gulches or battling SUVs full of texting teen moms. This is for when motorcycles are just an awesome way to get from point A to point B and back again.
Boots
Boots can be a great way to help keep you Riding Stylish. They should always match the color of your belt and jacket. So they’re probably going to be black. Our basic rule for determining if a boot is going to protect your feet in a motorcycle crash is to grasp it by toe in one hand and heel in the other and twist as hard as you can. Does the result look like your foot would remain intact? If so, you’re good to go. Look like you’d end up with foot sausage? Don’t wear it.
You also want strong (but not guillotining steel) toe and heel boxes, a sole with good grip and solid support for your ankle. Embrace the biker look and go with a full-on boot rather than a riding sneaker. A boot will be more versatile (they work with shirt and tie or t-shirt alike) than sneakers while providing exponentially more protection and, with proper care (see leather lotion), will last many times longer. Make sure they lace up securely and tightly, well above your ankle; because you really want them to stay on when you crash.
Gloves
Now your Gloves come off and go in your helmet. So don’t compromise protection here. Your hands are the first thing to touch the pavement in a crash and the palms are the first part of your hands to hit. So, prioritize palm sliders over knuckle protection and make sure you spend enough to have high-quality materials like good leather or even kangaroo skin.
There’s no reason you can’t wear high-end race gauntlets day in, day out. But you may want to find similar protection in a glove that’s faster to take on and off. Please, just make sure they match your jacket’s color.
Helmet
Want to retain good visibility while still looking good? Just get a plain white helmet. High contrast, high class. Or if you don’t care about being high class grab a plain ole Hi-Viz helmet.
You and I both want to wear a black visor when it’s daytime, but we need a clear one for coming home after dark. Stick it in an old wool sock and keep it in a saddle bag or tour pack and swap it before riding home. Please don’t ride with a tinted visor of any kind at night, it’s just plain dumb.
45 percent of all impacts occur to a helmet’s face region. Wearing a full-face helmet is a good idea as losing your jaw is not a good look.
Modification
Find a good tailor and use him. Clothes that fit you are clothes that look good. If you’re having leather worked on, find a tailor that specializes in such and ask them if they can replicate the hidden seams; most can. A good tailor will also be able to add or change the position of armor in a jacket or jeans. And tailors are amazingly cheap.
A note on “fashion” leather jackets. Don’t use them as Motorcycle Safety Gear Just don’t. It’s not the same leather, it’s not held together the same way, it will not protect you in a crash and some look very cheap. Motorcycle jackets made for motorcycling only are all you should ever wear.
There are many jackets out there that have armor in them but you can have some added as well but if you’re not looking to have anything added to your jacket then there are many leather and textile jackets that have CE (certified armor) already in them.
We hoped this has helped you figure out how to Riding Stylish in Motorcycle Safety Gear. Or at least get you well on your way to doing so.
~And as always….
~Live Free Ride Hard~
~AMERiders
and
Let AMERiders keep you Riding Stylish with our large selection of Motorcycle Safety Gear.
And as always don’t forget to send us your stories, pictures, and events for posting to GALLERY.AMERIDERS @ GMAIL.COM and we will post them for you. The more people that know about your event the better and we are offering free advertising. We would also love to hear about your rides and love to see those bikes so send those stories and pictures.
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