If you already bought a motorcycle, or have already read the previous post, Advice for new riders- Part 1, Getting the Bike, let's talk about getting set up with some gear essentials. You'll want to get some basic gear that will keep you safe, and comfortable, while you're riding. I'll try to keep this one as simple as possible for now because there's no need for you to go out and spend a ton of money up front on a bunch of stuff you may not need right away. So, let's talk about the absolute basics for now.
For starters, you'll need a good helmet. Even if you live in a state that doesn't require safety helmets, get a good helmet while you're learning how to operate that machine. When I say a "good" helmet, I mean a quality made helmet that is, at the very least, DOT (Department Of Transportation) certified. You'll know it's DOT certified because it will have a label on the helmet (usually on the very back). Snell is better, but you're likely to pay a good bit more for the Snell rating. Now, you don't have to spend a bunch of money on your lid, okay? Shoei, AGV and Arai helmets are top-notch dome protectors, no doubt, but they aren't cheap, either. Treat yourself to one of these high-end brands after you've been riding a while and have settled nicely into the motorcycling lifestyle (i.e., you are laying down a lot of miles and/or are spending copious amounts of time behind those handlebars). You can usually find a good quality helmet for around, or sometimes under, $100. HJC, Bell and Biltwell are some of my favorites and all are really good helmets but they are certainly not the only ones out there. My best advice for you is to go to a local motorsports shop and try some on. Every head is a little different, so make sure you find a helmet that you can wear comfortably on yours so that you don't mind wearing it.
Helmets come in a few different varieties- full face, modular, 5/8, 3/4, half shell and beanie. Full face helmets offer the best protection for your head and face; Modular helmets look like full face, but the chin bar lifts up to reveal a 5/8 helmet. They are comfortable, but don't buy one thinking that you have the protection of a full face helmet because you won't- it's a 5/8 helmet with a chin bar for comfort not impact protection; The 5/8 and 3/4 helmets are often lumped together and referred to commonly as "open face" helmets. They offer good protection for your head and give you some ear protection. You can also install a communication system or speakers to these- but that's a topic for another day. The last two helmets offer the least amount of protection- the half shell and beanie helmets are usually the lightest and most comfortable helmets to don on a sunny summer day, but they don't cover your ears, so you'll get a lot of wind noise while wearing them and you will get limited protection in a crash, so think about this before you settle on one because of the price tag, as these are also the least expensive of all of the helmet styles. Ultimately, the choice is yours, but if you were going to indulge on anything, this is where you should do it. Personally, for a new rider, I would suggest getting a full face, or at the minimum, an open face helmet.
You'll also want some good boots. I've been riding for a long time and I do a lot of riding, so I don't mind spending a little more money on motorcycle specific boots (click here to read my 6 month review on my TCX X-Blend boots). By "a little more money" I mean $200 or less... I'm a cheap ass and don't want to blow all my gas money on gear. You can find good boots, perfectly fit for riding, for well under that $200 price tag though. Places like Leatherup, Bikerleather and Sheplers (online stores, links below) are all good sources for riding boots for under $100 and many of them even have helmets, rain suits, jackets, chaps and gloves.
Helmets come in a few different varieties- full face, modular, 5/8, 3/4, half shell and beanie. Full face helmets offer the best protection for your head and face; Modular helmets look like full face, but the chin bar lifts up to reveal a 5/8 helmet. They are comfortable, but don't buy one thinking that you have the protection of a full face helmet because you won't- it's a 5/8 helmet with a chin bar for comfort not impact protection; The 5/8 and 3/4 helmets are often lumped together and referred to commonly as "open face" helmets. They offer good protection for your head and give you some ear protection. You can also install a communication system or speakers to these- but that's a topic for another day. The last two helmets offer the least amount of protection- the half shell and beanie helmets are usually the lightest and most comfortable helmets to don on a sunny summer day, but they don't cover your ears, so you'll get a lot of wind noise while wearing them and you will get limited protection in a crash, so think about this before you settle on one because of the price tag, as these are also the least expensive of all of the helmet styles. Ultimately, the choice is yours, but if you were going to indulge on anything, this is where you should do it. Personally, for a new rider, I would suggest getting a full face, or at the minimum, an open face helmet.
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| From left to right, we have a full face, a 5/8 and a half shell |
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| On the left is a 5/8 and the one on the right is a 3/4 |
Speaking of gloves- get some gloves. Personally, I wear Mechanix brand gloves. They aren't the safest glove for riding, but they are light, have good airflow and best of all, they are inexpensive (under $20) and they still offer some protection. You can find a good pair of leather riding gloves for around $25-30 if you do some diligent shopping around. Don't overspend, but don't short yourself on safety while you are still learning how to keep that new machine upright.
You don't need to wear chaps or leather pants and you don't need a riding suit that is fit for the Isle of Mann race circuit to get started. Just be smart. A good pair of denim jeans will do a nice job of protecting your legs from burns or slides. Chances are, you already have a pair, but if you don't, a good pair of Levi's will only run you about $35.
The jacket situation is totally up to you. I live in the Deep South, USA and for those that live in the southernmost areas of Eastern Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Georgia, we can all attest that living along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, while it offers plenty of sunshine for riding, it also gets hot and it gets humid. The older I get, the lower tolerance I have for colder temps, so in the late fall, winter and early spring, I wear a convertible leather jacket, meaning, it has a leather outer shell, but has a removable cotton hoodie liner, and it has vents that zip open and closed on the front and back. In the late spring and summer months, I hang the jacket up till the weather starts cooling off again. There are several varieties of summer jackets though, if your'e so inclined to wear one. If you feel more comfortable in a jacket, then by all means, find one that is comfortable and offers some slide and/or impact protection.
Finally, get some decent riding glasses. Some people will argue that if they have a full-face helmet with a shield, then they don't need glasses and, while that might be true for some situations, what if you have a clear shield and it's really bright and sunny? You're going to need shades. What if you opted for the super cool dark tint shield on your full face helmet... then you get caught after the sun goes down? You'll need some clear lenses. If you're saying "it's cool, I've got these super awesome, really expensive sunglasses from that company that sells really expensive sunglasses, so I already have that covered." Well to that I would ask two questions- do they have glass lenses? If so, leave them at the house. The last thing you need is for a rock to sling up, hit that fancy, expensive lens and shatter glass into your eyes. And the second question is- if they have polycarbonate lenses, are you prepared to drop, or lose those $100+ shades while out riding? Look, there are several companies that make excellent, motorcycle specific eye wear that is both inexpensive and durable. My all-time, number one favorite is Epoch Eyewear and Bobster Eyewear (yep, you guessed it, links below). You can pick up a great pair of foam lined frames for around $30. The foam reduces the wind across your peepers and helps seal out road debris.
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| Pick your frame and pick you lens. I love the Foam 2's, I have them in smoke lens for daylight and clear for night. |
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| Just a few of the options at Epoch Eyewear |
Inexpensive gear to get you started:
If you found this post useful, please let me know by either posting in the comments or sending me an email. If you want to add anything that I missed, please feel free to share it with everyone in the comments.
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