Motorcycling in the heat – tips for the summer

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Motorcycling in the heat - tips for the summer
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Driving experience & Driving tips

Motorcycling in the heat – tips for the summer

Motorcycling in heat and hot temperatures
Tips for the summer


Motorcycles ride well and safely

Extremely high temperatures can be dangerous for motorcyclists. But what can bikers do against extreme heat?? And what can happen in the worst case? Sports doctor and motorcycle racing doctor Dr. Christoph Scholl gives some useful tips. In addition, we will show you which equipment can provide at least a little cooling in summer.


Thorsten Dentges,


Slawomir Niewrzol,

Thorsten Dentges, Slawomir Niewrzol

06/29/2019

Admittedly, there are not many useful tips for driving in extremely hot temperatures. Nevertheless, we have one or the other piece of advice here that could be quite useful in the heat. First of all, Dr. Christoph Scholl, sports physician and racing doctor from Oschersleben, what to watch out for in high temperatures. This is followed by a few equipment tips that can bring at least minor improvements for riding a motorcycle in the heat. We provide the most valuable tip in advance: drink as much water as possible between trips!

Interview with Dr. Christoph Scholl

MOTORCYCLE: What is the most common clothing sin that motorcyclists commit in summer?

Dr. Christoph Scholl: Clearly: textile clothing with a membrane. They believe that the clothes are breathable, but that’s only true when the outside temperature is just over 20 degrees, because above this the function of this clothing fails. When it is hot, the moisture gets stuck in the jacket and pants like in a plastic bag. It becomes uncomfortable for the driver, he is severely limited in his comfort and no longer fully focused. Functional underwear, which, due to its construction, increases the evaporation surface and distributes the sweat over a larger area, can help. So please always wear functional underwear even in summer!


Motorcycling in the heat - tips for the summer


Scholl

Dr. Christoph Scholl, sports doctor and racing doctor from Oschersleben.

MOTORCYCLE: How much is the health endangered in such situations?? 

Dr. Christoph Scholl: Leave the church in the village! But the natural thermoregulation is disturbed, and that should definitely be avoided. It only becomes critical to health at temperatures over 30 degrees, direct sunlight and stance phases of more than 20 minutes. City traffic and motorway jams on real dog days are also not to be underestimated. Under extreme heat conditions, the body temperature of a motorcyclist wearing standard safety equipment can rise to a fever level (38.5 degrees). The so-called hyperthermia, i.e. overheating, can lead to a loss of concentration, dizziness and even clouding of consciousness. The risk of accidents is then dramatically high. From a body temperature of 40 degrees there is a danger to life, but then you feel so bad that you have reasonably got off your motorcycle long ago. Fortunately, medical research has shown that people who die of sudden cardiac death during exercise and in the heat are the exception. In 90 percent of the fatal cases, there was a previous cardiac disease, for example if the heart muscle was inflamed and weakened due to a viral disease that had not been properly cured.

MOTORCYCLE: So how best to behave in the heat on the motorcycle? 

Dr. Christoph Scholl: Drink a lot! Five milliliters per kilo of body weight and per hour (e.g. 80 kilos of weight => 0.4 liters per hour). And actually wear airy clothes, but for safety on the motorcycle the line is very fine here. Wearing protective equipment is good, but you should open the helmet visor at least a little when driving in the heat, ditto the jacket sleeves and trouser legs, as well as pull down the zipper in the chest area so that air can get to the body, but the jacket is still tight enough.

Motorcycle clothing tips for hot temperatures

First of all, it should be said that the following equipment was not selected for its safety features. We have chosen clothing that, due to their material or texture, is more suitable for hot days than textile clothing with a membrane or a leather suit. The fact that a jet helmet is more airy than a full-face helmet shouldn’t be a big secret either. And that a full-face helmet offers better protection in the event of a fall, probably not either. Functional underwear suitable for summer can also provide valuable services. 

Helmet: Almost every manufacturer has at least one open face helmet in their range. The selection of different models is correspondingly large. As mentioned above, full-face helmets offer better protection in the worst-case scenario. However, the heat development inside is also significantly greater. 

Motorcycling in the heat - tips for the summer

Helmets


Motorcycle open face helmets in the test


The feeling of freedom on the motorcycle – despite the loss of safety


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Motorcycling in the heat - tips for the summer


Manufacturer, Amazon, mps-Studio

Some items of clothing that are also suitable for warmer days.

Clothing: Textile clothing with a membrane is not recommended, at least on very hot days. Many clothing manufacturers also offer clothing specially developed for summer. Textile jackets are made particularly air-permeable. Often such “summer jackets” are only equipped with soft protectors, at least on the elbows and shoulders. Back protectors also usually have to be retrofitted. Suitable air-permeable textile jackets can be found, for example, from Held, Alpinestars and Rukka. You should also pay attention to ventilation slots and generally more air-permeable material with the pants. 

Gloves: Not all gloves are the same. Shorter gloves, which are also equipped with air inlets, are ideal for summer. Here, too, there is a suitable variant from almost every manufacturer. In terms of price, such “short gloves” are also often a little cheaper. 

Motorcycling in the heat - tips for the summer

gloves


18 summer gloves for motorcyclists in the test


Never without!


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Boots: True is the last “City boots” comparison test It’s been a while, but there are still numerous boots that are suitable for hotter days. Although many of the models do not offer quite as many safety features as high-quality motorcycle boots, they are definitely better suited for motorcycling than ordinary sneakers. The so-called “Ride” from BMW did particularly well in the aforementioned comparison test.

Motorcycling in the heat - tips for the summer

Boots


11 sneakers for motorcyclists put to the test


City slippers in comparison


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Functional underwear: Various manufacturers offer special and breathable functional underwear for the summer. The Vanucci Coolmax combination, for example, is recommended. We were also able to find other solutions in the functional underwear test under this link is found, quite convincing.  

Motorcycling in the heat - tips for the summer

clothing


Functional underwear and sports bras put to the test


The right climate for every season


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Rain suit: Hot temperatures often result in thunderstorms. Accordingly, it can’t hurt to have a rain suit ready if it does get damp. There is a huge selection on the common sales portals, where you are virtually spoiled for choice.

Motorcycling in the heat - tips for the summer

clothing


12 two-piece rain suit in the test


Which offers the best protection?


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