Wearing Modern Motorcycle Gear

Motorcycle racing is a dangerous sport and riders need to wear protective clothing. A helmet is by far the most important piece of safety gear for a motorcyclist, but it’s not the only protection a racer needs. Most modern day sport bike racers wear helmets, racing suites, gloves, and boots all designed to protect them in a crash. This safety gear is much more than the old leathers. Modern day motorcycle safety gear is comprised of leather, metal, Kevlar, and other strong materials.

A racing suit, and especially the type used by most riders, is incredibly strong. It’s not uncommon to see a rider come off their bike, slide along the track, and then get up and walk away unscathed. Racing suits are made from different materials such as leather, nylon, and Kevlar. Modern racing suits are far more resistant to abrasion than their leather counterparts. There are many great brands to choose from including Alpinestars, Speed and Strength, HELD, Scorpion, and many more.

Those riders who still prefer leather suits, they are made from different leather than that used for making everyday clothing. Protective leather is not only stronger and more durable than regular leather, but it's also more flexible. Leather racing suits do not need to be excessively heavy if made from good high quality leather.

Most racing suits also come with extra built-in protection to protect a rider's knees, elbows, and shoulders. This built-in protection is usually made from a high-density plastic or titanium, thus offering the rider maximum protection if they end up sliding along the road surface after having come off the bike.

Even though leather has been the material of choice for many decades, many racers are now opting for a racing suits made from some "synthetic" material. The most common materials are high-density ballistic nylon, such as Cordura, and Kevlar. These "synthetic" suits are also waterproof, which means that they are ideal in all types of whether.

A helmet can be the most important piece of safety gear worn. You’ll see them worn on the street, motocross, and racing. A helmet normally consists of two layers; a hard outer layer and soft inner layer. The hard outer layer is designed to spread the force of an impact over a large area, while the inner layer is designed to absorb as much of the impact as possible. Buy the best you can afford concentrating on safety and comfort.

Gloves and boots round out a great protective outfit. Gloves come in short and long, synthetic and leather, and may have built-in carbon fiber knuckle protection and palm protection. There are many great motorcycle glove manufactures including Alpinestars gloves, HELD, and ICON. It’s important to pick the glove that is right for your riding. Boots are now made of combinations of leather, Gore-Tex®, high impact plastics, and metal. There are some great videos on YouTube by Sportbike Track Gear that explain the difference in gloves and boots.

Spending your money on a good helmet, good racing suit, gloves and boots is a wise investment for anyone who races a motorcycle. Even if you never take part in a race, great motorcycle gear will not only save your life in a crazy bad wreck, but many times also keep you from getting any injury at all.