Q. Hi Jordan,
My husband is a big motorcycle enthusiast, but I am still new to it. We have been looking into getting me some of my own “gear” and I wanted to know if you had any advice as you grew up around motorcycles. We both want safety first, but I was hoping you might be able to help suggest ways to combine fashion and function. I am looking for boots, gloves and a helmet, and would like to keep the whole purchase at $400 or under.
Madison
A. Love this question!
I don’t ride much these days, but motorcycles were a huge part of my life for many years. You could certainly say that I grew up around them.
See? (No, that’s definitely not legal anymore.)
And while I was always a bit of a whiner about my parents’ insistence that I wear proper riding attire – I remember driving the yellow Suzuki Savage 650 that I bought when I was 16 to parties wearing nothing more substantial than a tank top and jeans – I definitely learned my lesson when I got into a fairly serious accident on a road trip to Canada during the summer after my freshman year of college. I was wearing a leather jacket and helmet, thank god, but not gloves…and what happened to my hands was not pretty, or fun. In what was definitely one of the proudest moments of my life, I got back on my bike the very next day and made the 1,000 mile trip home all bandaged up…but I sold my bike shortly thereafter, and haven’t owned one since. Maybe I’ll buy another one someday, but for now I think I’m happier as a passenger.
Why tell you this story? To make sure that you understand – as I did not, but certainly do now – that falling is a very real possibility. Very real. And while safety gear is definitely expensive and sometimes uncomfortable and maybe annoying, none of those things matter a whole lot when your gear is all of a sudden saving your life.
In short: not having invested in the right equipment isn’t something you want to regret.
But back to the reality that motorcycle-riding gear can be expensive: since you’re not racing (racing requires a whole other category of attire), my recommendation to you is to invest in an excellent helmet (which can mean hundreds of dollars, but that’s your head we’re talking about), and save a little money on the rest of your items. Your helmet needs to be DOT and SNELL approved, and I absolutely insist you go for a full-face style (not one of those little bucket jobs you see Harley riders wearing; those do exactly nothing). Any of the name brands – Arai, Shoei, AGV, etc – are fine, but you’ll have to try them on to find the best fit for you (then, if you like, hunt around on the Internet for the best price).
For gloves go for kangaroo skin, which is lighter and more comfortable. I asked my dad (who owns a Ducati dealership called ProItalia out in LA) for some recommendations, and he said that Alpinestar and Held are great. He also recommended looking into Kevlar jeans, which provide an extra layer of protection should you fall.
When it comes to a jacket, leather is definitely the way to go if you can swing it (I love the vintage-y Ducati style pictured above), but for super-affordable and stylish faux leather options, check out this post.
For footwear, just choose an over-the-ankle leather boot (like the Steve Madden pair above), and look for a flexible sole so that you can comfortably place your feet on the pedals.
Hope that helps! (ProItalia is also sending you the t-shirt pictured above to get you started with your fabulous riding wardrobe; enjoy!)
x
J
