So you bought a motorcycle, and now you can ride your way through your country and enjoy the long winding roads leading to exciting destinations. The sound, the thrill, and everything else that make motorbikes are what make hundreds of thousands of people use their motorcycles every year.
But let’s face it, motorcycling isn’t as simple as driving a car. When it comes to the attention, you have to pay to everything, how well your reflexes must be developed, as well as the gear you’re supposed to wear to protect yourself and even those on the road from dangers, you’re bound to make a more serious investment than you might think.
Let’s look at some of those items that can keep you out of harm’s way when you’re out riding your bike.
Start with a quality helmet
It goes without saying that protecting your head (and your brain) from everything that might pose a threat to it should be your primary concern. Not all helmets are made the same. So, while you might be tempted to go for one of the eye-catching retro moto helmets you’ve seen in the window of a shop, you ought to know that these make poor choices for long-distance riding.
One of the cons is that they don’t provide you with adequate protection for the face area. With many vintage-looking helmets, you will have to wear a scarf and a pair of goggles, and that’s because many have an open-face design.
To choose the perfect helmet, you need to consider its size and your head measurements, as well as the type of riding you engage in. Full-Face alternatives are by far the safest ones, so if you know that a ride from one country to the next is what awaits you in the upcoming days, you definitely have to get one of those.
Other types of protection
Not just the helmet matters, after all. You also have to protect your elbows, your knees, and your hands. Why cover your hands with a quality pair of gloves? The truth is that your hands are bound to get cold when you ride at impressive speeds. The wind can affect them and lower the temperature of your whole body, as a result, but there are other things such as tiny rocks or insects that could hit your skin when you’re cruising at high speeds.
Elbow, knee, and even spine protectors can be found for average prices and they significantly increase your overall safety.
Regular clothing vs. motorbiking clothing
You’ll need a jacket and a pair of riding pants to feel comfortable and protected. However, if the weather is particularly warm, you might want to wear jeans instead of the riding pants. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that jeans can protect you in the event of a crash. Kevlar jeans are capable of doing so, but the regular ones you wear when you go shopping for groceries cannot.