5 Essential Pieces of Motorcycle Gear (And 5 You Can Really Do Without)

Some kit is essential, but don’t be fooled into thinking you need all of it

Riding a motorcycle is inherently more dangerous than driving a car and so you need a lot more protective gear. There is a huge amount of gear on the market, some of which is no-brainer essential, some is only applicable in certain riding conditions and some is really rather extravagant and arguably not needed at all. The great thing is, what you choose to wear when you are riding is entirely up to you - with the exception of a helmet which is pretty much law in most parts of the world - and no-one will criticize you for wearing too much: if that’s what makes you feel safe, then go for it. For those who aren’t too sure, here are some tips on what you really should have and what isn’t essential.

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Even if you live somewhere where helmet laws don’t exist, why would you not want to protect the most important part of your body? It doesn’t matter how short the journey, a helmet is literally the difference between life and death. There are now helmets for every manner and type of riding: road and off-road, modern and retro, sports and cruiser: open face, full-face and modular (or flip-up). Also, many helmet designs now come in varying shell sizes so it is virtually impossible to find a helmet that won’t fit perfectly. Some paint designs are gaudy, others restrained, and the only consideration is, ‘can I afford it?’. Luckily, there is a helmet that will meet safety standards for every budget.

Let’s get this straight: if you’re going to be riding a lot in winter, no matter where you live, if you can stay warm, then it is a huge advantage both in enjoying the ride and staying safe. However, before you invest not inconsiderable amounts of money - or are persuaded to by a keen salesman - think carefully about whether you will be doing any riding at all through the winter months. Many motorcyclists simply lay their bikes up for the winter which, given where they might live, is either a necessity or an unwillingness to put themselves through lots of damp or cold pain, meaning that buying lots of heated garments will be a waste of time. If you are new to riding, then go through a winter and see how much riding you actually do before spending the cash, as tempting as it is to have all the kit.

Two roles here: protection - from the elements, impact and abrasion - and comfort: the more comfortable you are, the better your concentration will be: the two go hand in hand. Nothing is worse when riding your bike than being either too hot or too cold (or too wet!) Luckily, modern jackets often have one or two zip-out layers - a thermal and a waterproof - to make them versatile, so you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on more than one jacket, unless that is your thing. Leather has largely been superseded by textiles - for the better - and many have built-in armor on the back, shoulders and elbows, as well as multiple pockets and flaps for ventilation. Leather is still the best for abrasion resistance, but jackets made from leather are relatively inflexible in terms of the weather conditions they can adapt to.

Sensibly, most motorcycle racing series now insist on the riders wearing inflatable airbag vests under their race leathers which, given the often violent manner of their accidents, has surely prevented many more serious injuries. Airbag systems are very slowly trickling down to road-riding and, while we would hesitate to say that anything that increases the safety of the rider is excessive, for casual everyday riding an airbag is possibly a step too far - and expensive - not to mention being cumbersome and uncomfortable to wear, especially when off the bike. In time, they’ll become smaller and less intrusive but, for now, you really don’t need one.

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Again, it is tempting in hot weather to forego wearing gloves, but it could be argued that, after your head, your hands are the most useful piece of your anatomy and to damage them beyond repair is to handicap the rest of your life. As with jackets, gloves come in many different styles to suit the type of riding you will be doing, or the climate in which you are riding. Leather and textiles are equally popular, and the best will have hard plastic pucks at the likely abrasion points, such as the knuckles or palm, while still being flexible enough to allow you to grip the handlebars. Wearing the right glove for the occasion can make all the difference to your riding day.

This might seem to contradict what we’ve just said, but you don’t have to spend $1,000 on a helmet when you can spend half, quarter or even less on a helmet, which will still adhere to the safety legislation of your country. There is a huge selection of helmets on the market to suit every budget and all will protect your head to a minimum degree which, in terms of helmet safety, is not minimal at all. Spending more on a helmet will increase the features, comfort and wind noise and even exceed safety parameters by some margin but, again, think of the type of riding you are doing and choose accordingly. Buying less expensive helmets means that you could buy two or three helmets, which is great if you do both road and off-road riding, or own a sports bike and a cruiser.

If most of your riding is in the urban environment, and you are in and out of work, shops, bars or restaurants, then you don’t always want to look as if you’ve just jumped off a motorcycle. Apparel manufacturers have caught onto this, and now you have a wide choice of denim jeans which have sewn-in abrasion resistant panels in the areas most likely to be affected when sliding down the road - backside, hips and knees. Because outwardly they look like normal, everyday jeans, they are acceptable to wear anywhere, so you don’t have to always carry a pair of jeans with you or scuttle off into the toilet to get changed before you can walk into your meeting. They are also great to wear while touring as they are so much more comfortable and cooler to wear if you want to get off the bike and walk around.

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All the items on this list are, of course, subject to personal preference: it’s your body and your life, live it how you want and doing so shouldn’t expose you to any criticism or ridicule. So, if you want to wear a set of full race leathers while riding your sports bike, then go for it, but it’s not only not necessary, it’s also not very practical when you pause your ride for breakfast or lunch. Modern riding apparel has huge amounts of protection built in, not to mention comfort and practicality, so why would you want to wear anything else? Yes, full race leathers can look cool but not if your average speed through a particular section of road could be beaten by a kid on a bicycle.

Almost every comment above is also relevant when talking about boots: style, impact and abrasion resistance, weather resistant and so on. If you can keep your extremities warm when riding in cold weather, your core will remain that much warmer, helping resist fatigue and aiding concentration. Again, the market has fragmented enormously, so you can tailor your purchase to the exact type of riding you will be doing. In the same way as riding jeans, there are many smart-looking riding boots that can easily be worn in a social setting while still offering the necessary protection in the event of an accident.

This one definitely goes with race leathers, but you’ll be surprised - now you know about it - how many road riders will have a set of knee-sliders attached to their leathers which will, in all likelihood, remain as pristine as the day they were unwrapped and stuck on. If you’re getting your knee down - or thinking about it - on the public roads, then you are riding way too fast in the wrong place. Riding on the track? Well, be our guest and protect your knees (and give yourself a pat on the back for getting your knee down in the first place) but we’ll break our rule about not ridiculing other riders for their apparel choice by calling out anyone who has a set on their leathers for the Sunday morning breakfast run.

Harry has been writing and talking about motorcycles for 15 years, although he's been riding them for 45 years! After a long career in music, he turned his hand to writing and television work, concentrating on his passion for all things petrol-powered. Harry has written for all major publications in South Africa, both print and digital and produced and presented his own TV show called, imaginatively, The Bike Show, for seven years. He held the position of editor of South Africa's largest circulation motorcycling magazine before devoting his time to freelance writing on motoring and motorcycling. Born and raised in England, he has lived in South Africa with his family since 2002. Harry has owned examples of Triumph, Norton, BSA, MV Agusta, Honda, BMW, Ducati, Harley Davidson, Kawasaki and Moto Morini motorcycles. He regrets selling all of them.