In the world of motorized transport, motorcycles hold a rather special place as machines that allow you to cover vast expanses of land on one tank, scale mountains with curvy roads, and navigate through narrow streets of a metropolitan city, all the while retaining the freedom to hop on and off your bike whenever you feel like it and experience your surroundings in a unique way.
The trouble is, of course, that this freedom of movement comes at a cost. For example, should you ever fall off your bike in the middle of nowhere, there really is no guarantee as to what may happen to you afterwards.
For all their ease of operation and that unique feeling you get from cruising along a mysterious road, motorcycles are notorious for being perhaps one of the least safe means of transportation of them all.
This, of course, doesn’t have to mean they’re outright dangerous, as taking steps to protect yourself while riding can dramatically reduce the likelihood of experiencing an accident. Moreover, even if you do end up in a traffic accident, wearing protective gear can reduce the chances of getting injured.
In some cases, it may save your life.
Now, in this article, we’ll talk about motorcycle safety equipment – pieces of apparel and specifically –designed protective gear that represents the cornerstone of motorcycle safety.
Without further ado, here’s the lot.
The Most Important Pieces of Motorcycle Safety Equipment
Helmet
Similarly, how a steel helmet keeps a soldier’s noggin safe and sound while on the battlefield, a well-made motorcycle helmet can be a lifesaver for an avid biker.
Since head injuries are the most dangerous ones of them all, ensuring the safety of your head should be the first go-to step when it comes to building up your motorcycle-related protective arsenal, so to speak.
Now, considering the fact that the appearance of a motorcycle helmet is not a subject of standardization (like military helmets are), there are a number of designs out there on the market. From those pointy models modelled after the German military helmets from the World War I to some of the more contemporary solutions, you can pick and choose from a wide pool of helmets all of which can do a great job of protecting your head.
Mind you, when buying a helmet, make sure it is officially approved by the health and safety folks, as looks alone won’t do much in an accident. Also, make sure that the model you opt for fits you well, as having a wonky object on your head that wobbles about when you move can do more harm than good in a hard crash!
Boots
Footwear, in general, is an area where health and safety regulations aren’t really as strict as with headwear.
This, however, doesn’t mean you should just buy any pair of boots that catch your eye. There are still some parameters you want to take into consideration when obtaining a set of boots.
Most importantly, you want to ensure two things:
- That your ankles are well-supported, and
- That the sole is tough enough to support a possible crash.
One of the biggest concerns when it comes to motorbike crashes and your legs is that you may land awkwardly and sprain your ankles. Therefore, ensuring this area of your boot is tight and sturdy is a must!
Other than that, you may also want to consider buying boots that are tough all over and possibly waterproof. As any biker can tell you, rain is one of the biggest enemies of a leisurely ride and no one really likes soggy socks, that much is sure!
Gloves
Often overlooked as an essential part of a biker’s protective arrangement, gloves are a piece of equipment you definitely don’t want to miss out on when you’re out there on the road.
Whether you’re riding through biting cold weather, rain, or never-ending swarms of flies and God knows what, a pair of gloves is going to do one hell of a job protecting your hands and keeping them tight on that throttle.
Something as banal as losing your grip on the throttle due to, say, heavy rain, can result in a disastrous crash, so having a pair of gloves on with specially designed gripping palms will eliminate this potential peril.
Also, if you end up in a crash, there’s an almost 100% chance your hands will come in contact with the road in some way or another, so some tough and resilient hand wear should save you a lot of pain and some pretty horrible injuries.
Jacket
This is a department when you’ll probably have to compromise here and there.
The thing is, as attractive as those black leather jackets from Grease may seem, they may not offer the optimal protection when it comes to crashes.
Then again, modern-day manufacturers surely have their own way of combining attractiveness with safety, so who knows, maybe you don’t really have to compromise after all!
The point here is a motorcycle jacket needs, first and foremost, to be safe. So, don’t ever buy a jacket for this purpose by solely going for the looks.
Look for models with the reinforced elbow, back, and chest areas, as these are the parts of the body that tend to bear the brunt of the force when a crash occurs.
There’s a tonne of places you can get these jackets from, so take your time and pick the proper piece of gear for yourself. You may want to check out a store dedicated to selling bike equipment only such as MX Store, for example, as these folks tend to have the latest safety and other products in this particular department.
All things considered, riding your trusty two-wheeler doesn’t have to be a gamble every time you leave your house. While risks are always present when you head out to the open road, possessing and wearing specialized safety equipment is without a doubt going to make your experience much safer and more fun. Hope this article helped you in creating your starting safety kit. Be safe out there and cheers!