Basics of motorcycle clothing

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Basics of motorcycle clothing
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Basics of motorcycle clothing

Basics: clothing for motorcyclists
Everything about motorcycle clothing

The choice of motorcycle clothing can be overwhelming – and we’re not even talking about the colors. Here is a great overview of what you need to know about motorcycle jackets, pants, gloves, boots and helmets. Leather or textile? Which membrane do I need in motorcycle clothing?

Manuel Fuchs

04/05/2012

Motorcycle jackets and pants

The magic word is “risk assessment”. Protective clothing is used to keep the consequences of a motorcycle accident bearable. So if you are certain that you will never be involved in an accident, for example because of a pact with a higher power, you can ride a motorcycle in swimming trunks. And with a helmet, because it is mandatory.


Basics of motorcycle clothing


mps photo studio

Looks like one: Despite stretch inserts on the groin and knees, leather is a rather tough material in motorcycle clothing. There is no such thing as a high level of security without compromise.

But even the hard core of the motorcycle service attendees often wears the full range of protective measures – up to and including safety vests; the deals with “up” seem unreliable. Those who like to be very sporty, exhaust the StVO, occasionally even go to the racetrack, cannot avoid a sporty leather suit. When it comes to abrasion resistance and protection, there is nothing better. The tight fit also prevents the protectors from slipping.


Basics of motorcycle clothing


mps photo studio

The real joy: thanks to the many adjustment bars, the textile combination fits snugly and offers freedom of movement. A white jacket saves the safety vest.

The downside: leather is, in the truest sense of the word, a specialist in fair weather and less comfortable to wear on a motorcycle than textile clothing. Equipped with a sensible membrane, it can withstand a normal summer rain. It also restricts the driver less in his movements and thus contributes to active safety. As long as you don’t fall, she has an advantage. And if it does happen, CE protectors and abrasion-resistant synthetic fibers don’t do a bad job either. The decision for more active or more passive safety is up to every biker.


Basics of motorcycle clothing


mps photo studio

Two-piece suits, whether made of leather or textile, absolutely need a sturdy zipper so that the jacket does not slide up in the event of a fall and its protective effect is lost. The zipper should run as long as possible around the torso – not just 10 centimeters in the area of ​​the spine – and be firmly sewn to the upper material, not to the lining. Of course, one-piece suits are even more stable – but that raises the question of comfort.


Basics of motorcycle clothing


fact

Climate membranes keep rainwater outside and allow body vapors to pass from the inside.

Motorcycle clothing with a climate membrane has been flying high for 20 years. This applies to driving suits, but most gloves and boots are also rainproof and suitable for summer thanks to the “foil technology”. One point of attack so far has been the abrasion resistance of the outer fabrics. If you wanted the highest level of security, you had to go for leather. In 2008, Gore-Tex made a practical new start with leather laminate, other providers followed suit. The C-Change membrane from the Swiss textile finisher Schoeller, which adapts to changing temperatures, shows interesting approaches. When warm, the structure opens to increase vapor permeability. On cold days it closes and isolates. The big market success is still a long time coming, but the direction is right.


Basics of motorcycle clothing

Direct coating.

There are different constructions of a climate membrane, each with its own special properties. With direct coating, the membrane is glued to the outer fabric.


Basics of motorcycle clothing

Z-liner construction.

With the Z-liner construction, the membrane hangs loosely between the fabric.


Basics of motorcycle clothing

Lining liner construction

With the lining liner construction, the membrane is glued to the lining.


Basics of motorcycle clothing


Bilski

Maximum safety with sports gloves: long cuff, two Velcro fasteners, one of which is covered, ankle shell made of carbon, reinforced palm.

As complicated as the structure of human hands, it is just as difficult to make a good motorcycle glove. “Good” here means three things at once: Firstly, abrasion-resistant, because there is a high probability that a falling motorcyclist will reflexively try to catch himself with his hands. Second, gloves should somehow have a shock-absorbing effect. However, there is significantly less space available for protectors than, for example, on a driver’s suit. Thirdly, they should fit as precisely as possible, while being non-slip and slip-proof.


Basics of motorcycle clothing


mps photo studio

More comfort: Even good touring gloves have a long cuff, two Velcro straps and a reinforced ball. No carbon for the ankles, but a membrane against rain.

There are also requirements for comfort, grip, possibly weather resistance and of course the price. Very few motorcyclists will want to pay for a tailor-made glove. Here the risk assessment comes into play again, everyone has to ask themselves which compromise they are willing to accept. Maximum safety at the expense of wearing comfort? Or save a few euros and accept leather creases in the palm of the hand? It is well known that anyone who buys too cheaply buys twice.

Windshield wiper on the glove


Basics of motorcycle clothing


Sdun

Simply practical: a rubber lip on the index finger ensures a clear view when it rains.

Sometimes the most practical inventions are very simple: windshield wipers on gloves, for example. If the drops hang on the helmet visor when it rains, a rubber lip on the left index finger is a terrific thing. Separate wiping covers have also been spotted here and there (at Louis for 3.99 euros; order no. 20018000), but these are only a second choice compared to the permanently sewn-in solution. Yes, it might look a little strange – but it does the job. And that is what it is about.


Basics of motorcycle clothing


mps photo studio

Sports boots: Nancy Sinatra’s “These boots are made for walking” definitely had other things in mind. These are only suitable for sporty motorcyclists.

Nowhere is the compromise between safety and comfort as clear as in the case of footwear: you can quickly take off your helmet, jacket and gloves to go to the beer garden. But who has a pair of Adilettes in their luggage just to be able to change their foot tires? What constitutes the minimum equipment for sports riders can be too much for touring riders who want to walk a few meters in their motorcycle shoes: Too much rigidity – which of course protects the ankle, but makes walking difficult. Too smooth soles – which make active driving easier on the racetrack, but can sometimes cause loss of grip on firm ground. Closures that are too tight – which prevent the boot from being pulled off in the event of a fall, but allow little movement in the lower leg. Interchangeable toe grinders – which help the committed curve sharpener to save money, but make the shoe unnecessarily large in everyday life.


Basics of motorcycle clothing


mps photo studio

Touring boots: optically simple, but under the dark skin there are some well thought-out solutions for the compromise between wearing comfort and driving safety.

Other qualities are decisive for the more touristy motorcycle boots: however, they have to be at least ankle-high in order to earn the attribute “motorcycle-compatible”. A long zipper that disappears under a Velcro flap is a comfortable and durable solution. Quick lacing with a latch and Velcro tab is also a good mechanism. Loose shoelaces, on the other hand, are hardly a good option – regardless of whether they can be hidden under a tab. A membrane against rain is not a luxury; a removable inner shoe does. A reinforcement on the left upper foot makes it easier to shift gears, the sole must be able to withstand a good step for the same reason, but can be a little softer than on a sports boot.


Basics of motorcycle clothing


Sdun

Special requests such as motorcycle boots with heels endanger safety.

No, there is no Mario Barth punchline about women here. Even very few gentlemen in creation are completely indecent and value the fact that the equipment looks like something. Anyone who drives a 48-PS all-world machine and wants to look like a double world champion at least in terms of their clothes, investing in a tailor-made leather one-piece, 200-euro racing gloves as well as helmet and boots from the GP replica collection – please be very, against it nothing objectionable. Anyone who, after their personal risk assessment, comes to the conclusion that a jet helmet, sturdy shoes, a leather jacket, jeans and short gloves are safe enough for the 15 Sunday kilometers to the ice cream parlor and back – that’s fine. Foregoing safety features is one thing, deliberately adding mischief (and that includes the boot heel on the right) is quite another. Fingers and feet off.


Basics of motorcycle clothing


manufacturer

Full-face helmet: Whether sporty with spoilers or touristy with a sun visor: the full-face helmet with a fixed chin part is still the most widespread concept among motorcyclists.

The times when full-face helmets had to be labeled as “aquarium” or “astronaut stuff” are long gone. Sport and normal drivers have recognized that an intact lower jaw is a good thing. Quite apart from that, such a completely closed headgear keeps wind and insects away from the wearer’s face when riding a motorcycle. However, some people feel so uncomfortable with the bar in front of their chin that they consciously forego the safety gain and reach for a jet helmet – with glasses or a visor.


Basics of motorcycle clothing


Sdun

Jet helmet: cruisers and scooters are probably the usual environments for a jet helmet. Not that you would fall on your chin less easily from these vehicles, but you drive much more defensively and with less risk than on a super sports car.

Some old-timer and young-timer drivers also consider it a breach of style to combine modern motorcycle helmets with classic vehicles. To cut a long story short: there are reasons to wear a jet helmet. However, it cannot be said that a jet helmet is more comfortable to put on than a full-face helmet and that it is more comfortable for people who wear glasses. The hybrid form that combines these advantages with the safety of a full-face helmet is called a flip-up helmet. In the first few years of his existence he, too, had to struggle with irrelevant comments and disrespectful nicknames (the author does not want to excel from the ranks of blasphemers). But at least the design of modern specimens hardly gives cause for malice.


Basics of motorcycle clothing


mps photo studio

The flip-up helmet connects two worlds: the comfort of a jet helmet with the security of an integral one. In return, the folding and locking mechanism make it a little heavier.

Some even give the driver the choice of whether he wants to drive them open as a jet helmet or closed as a full-face helmet – recognizable by the “P / J” mark on the approval badge. Die-hard sports freaks who haggle over every gram will happily do without it. Everyone else is increasingly reaching for full-face, jet and flip-up helmets with sun visors. No wonder – somehow you have to defend yourself against backlight.

Tinted visors are dangerous in the twilight, and a hinged visor is always easier than fiddling with the temples. Whether it is activated by a slider on the chin in the Schuberth style, a la Shark by a lever at the level of the right ear or, as with HJC, against a spring along the top of the head, is of secondary importance. The main thing is that it is compatible with the driver’s nose and any glasses on it.


Basics of motorcycle clothing


Sdun

The inner lining is also decisive when choosing a helmet.

 Do you wear shoes with integrated socks? Probably not. Would have surprised us too. But when it comes to helmet lining, people are sometimes not quite as consistent and make do with upholstery cleaners and odor killers. If your helmet is equipped with a removable lining, then use this option from time to time. And don’t leave it at the removal, wash the lining thoroughly. Afterwards, dare to take a look at the wastewater. You’ll never buy a helmet with a tightly glued lining again, word of honor.

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