Do You Have to Wear Protective Clothing on A Motorcycle?

On a hot  day when you are about to ride on the street with your bike and the scorching sun is above you, you may hesitate to wear any kind of extra clothes or protection. Or say, you are adventurous and don’t want to cover your funky outwears under some protectors, you find it uncool and believe any kind of protective clothing can’t save you from major injuries. So the question arises is it necessary to wear protective clothes on a motorcycle? Do wearing protectors prevent bike injuries or minimize them. 

Protective clothing and guards are mandatory and necessary for your safety before riding a bike. Protectors reduce the chances of severe injuries to a certain extent and safeguard your body parts from collision, concrete abrasions, and other injuries. They also cover your inner wearings from dust, mud, and sand particles of air. 

What Protective Clothes And Safeguards to Wear Before Riding a Motorcycle :

There are different types of protective clothes and guards for your body parts. Starting from the head to your feet there are safeguards for every part. Some of the common protective wearings are :  

• Bike helmets
• Boots
• Armor
• Neck guard
• Eye goggles
• Knee/ankle protector
• Gloves
• Earplugs

Now the question arises how these protectors guard the body parts, the qualities of the best protectors, and which variety of them are suitable for your daily use. In this writing, I am going to talk about all these bike riding protectors and their work,  varieties, and how to identify the best quality protectors. 

5 Protective Clothing And Guards for Motorcycle Rides :

1. Helmet :

The helmet is one of the most important items to protect your head from severe accidents. The helmet works as a shield over your head and guards it against any unwanted clash. 

Types of Helmets: There are different varieties of helmets available in the market such as :

• Full face helmet
• Open face helmets
• Dual or hybrid helmets

Quality of a Good Helmet: A good quality helmet ensures your security most when you are with your bike. Let’s look at the qualities of a good variety helmet.

• Size of The Helmet: An accurately sized helmet fits in your head properly and provides breathable space. 

• Helmet Materials: A helmet is durable when it’s made from quality materials such as carbon fibers. These helmets are made of well rigid shells and absorption liners.

• Shield Protectors’ Quality: Shield protectors cover your face and eyes from a sudden collision. If your helmet shield is not of good quality it may break in pressure and harm your face. 

2. Gloves:

Gloves help to hold your bike properly and control movement and speed. It helps to retain the wetness of your hand to avoid any kind of slippery incident during a bike ride. 

Types of Gloves: You can find gloves made of different materials and shapes in the market. Choose your gloves according to weather and your riding style. Some of the types of gloves are :

• Moto gloves or street gloves
• Finger open gloves
• Gauntlet glove
• Leather gloves 

How to Identify Good Quality Gloves: When you are buying gloves for the protection of your riding, look for these qualities :

• Grip Condition: Put your hand inside the glove and see if you can move your fingers and palms comfortably. The grip should be accurate, neither loose nor tight.

• Glove Weight Distribution: High-quality gloves are made of lightweight materials so they put less pressure over your hands which is a crucial thing while driving. 

• Ventilation of Glove Fibre: Your glove pairs should be made of breathable materials otherwise your hands will sweat inside and cause trouble while holding handles. 

3. Neck Guards:

Neck guard works as a major protector under your helmet, holds it tightly,  prevents your neck and limbs from twisting during a major accident. 

Types of Neck Guards:  There are two common types of neck guards and they are different from each other :

• Open neck guards
• Chest attached neck guards. 

Quality of Long-Lasting Neck Guards: Good neck guards come with these following qualities :

• Adjustability: Quality neck guards have attachable compatibility with other protectors such as chest and armors, doing so balances the pressure distribution. 

• Material and Weight: Lightweight neck guards make your ride easy and high-quality materials save your neck by enduring massive pressure.

4. Armors:

The armor protects your middle body and arms from impact and collision or abrasion when you fall from a speedy bike suddenly. Armor reduces the severity caused by major bike accidents. 

Types of Armors: There are various types of armors different in designs, materials, wearing style, and attachments such as :

• Plastic/Polycarbonate armors
• Silicon bases armors
• Carbon fiber or kevlar armors
• Elastic armors
• Foam armors. 

How to Select Best Quality Armors: The armor’s durability depends on the materials it’s made of. Also the size,  fitting, absorption level of pressure these things matter. Some of the characteristics of quality armor are

• Fiber and Material: An armor is more durable and strong if it’s made of good quality materials.  Today most bikers use carbon fiber-based armors or kevlar armors as these clothes are more strong, long-lasting, and protect better. 

• Certification of Pressure Endurance: Armors have levels over their body. This label contains marks ‘ CE 1 ‘ and ‘CE 2 ‘ generally. CE 2 marked armors are more thicker and durable.

• Elasticity and Breathable Fitting: Armors need to be breathable so that your body doesn’t sweat. The elasticity of armor helps it to fit in your body easily. 

5. Boots And Knee Pads: 

Boots protect your feet against motor vibrations, hazards and give you a good grip to control the bike. Knee pads protect the knee caps of your both legs and provide stability in hard trails. 

Types of Boots and Knee Pads:  There are different Varieties of Boots and Knee pads available in the market such as :

• Riding boots
• Dirt boots
• Racing boots
• Tour and Trail boots
• Knee pads with a shell
• Foam knee pads

Identifying Quality Boots And Knee Pads: Following instructions will help you to identify the best quality and long-lasting boots and knee pads for bike riding.

Boots Qualities: An ideal boot pair should have the following qualities :

• The durability of the sole is important. Check if the sole is flexible or not.
• Boots bodies should be made of good quality leather.
• Boots should cover the whole ankle.

Knee Pad Qualities: Knee pad quality mostly depends on its fiber. Remember these things while you choose a pair of knee pads :

• Good quality knee pads are made of kevlar or carbon fiber fabrics.
• The materials are flexible and breathable for legs. 
• Check whether it’s durable to protect your patellar bones. 

How Can I Protect My Eyes on A Bike Ride? 

Your helmet shield works as a protector of your eyes. If you still want more protection for your eyes use goggle or sunglass under the helmet. 

Do Helmets Prevent Ear Damage on Road? 

Modern helmets can prevent at least 90DB which is not good enough to protect your ears. You can use earplugs to solve this problem. They are tiny so they fit easily inside your ear and prevent high decibel sounds. 

What Do I Legally Have to Wear on A Motorbike US? 

The Federal Government and most state laws of the US made it mandatory to wear a protective helmet when you ride a bike on the street. The age of using a helmet differs in each state. 

Final Words :

Protective wearings are important for your safety when you ride a bike as bikes are the most vulnerable vehicles and more exposed to accidents. Protective clothes can reduce the degree of injury and save your life too.