Right motorbike gear makes the difference

Larry Tate

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

That first motorcycle ride of the season won't be too far off in spite of the way things look outside at the moment. "In like a lion, out like a lamb" they say of March's weather, so I'm looking for a little fleecy critter to usher us out onto the roads again in April.

Before you get yourself out there, however, think about what you plan to wear for the season – not fashion-statement time necessarily, but at least the minimum requirements to keep you comfortable and safe.

Legal requirements are simple: you need a helmet in all provinces and most states. Realistic requirements go considerably further than that, however. You wouldn't go skiing without the appropriate jacket, gloves and boots, so why would you think about jumping on a motorcycle without equal care for your well-being?

Starting at the top and working down, your basic list includes a helmet, eye protection, jacket, gloves, pants and boots. There are a bewildering variety of all those items out there, so as with most purchases, it's important to define what you need and want before you start looking.

If your riding is restricted to balmy summer evenings, your needs will be a bit different from the adventure rider who wants to get to Tierra del Fuego or Hudson Bay during his summer vacation.

Helmets come in three basic styles: the full-face type that completely encloses the head; the open-face type that's more like a football helmet and leaves the face open to the wind, bugs and all that; and the less common flip-up or "modular" style, which has a hinged front section – up and you have an open helmet, down and it's a full-face.

Any helmet sold for use in Canada needs a certification sticker. DOT is the most common; others (Snell, ECE, and BSI) are required for racing purposes, and are generally considered to be more protective in the event of higher-speed accidents, although there's lots of argument about that.

Prices range from under $100 to breathtaking heights; more than $1,200 for some top-line Arai or Shoei racer replicas, for example.

My personal choice is full-face. They are quieter, certainly are more protective in the event of the unthinkable, and provide better eye protection. Flip-ups also provide good eye protection and better crash protection than open helmets, but they're noisy and heavier due to the hinges.

Open helmets are certainly the lightest and easiest to don and doff, but can't provide the same level of protection, are quite noisy on the road, and require you to add some sort of additional eye protection – goggles or some sort of visor. Believe me, a June bug in the eye or nose at 80 km/h is no fun at all.

Whichever way you go, the absolute most important thing is fit. You're much better off with a well-fitting cheap helmet than a high-priced one that's driving you nuts or is too loose to help in a crash.

A new helmet should be snug to the point of tight, as it will break in a bit; it should almost but not quite hurt when you first get it on. Any good shop will let you wear one for a few minutes while you browse the rest of the merchandise on offer; watch out for pressure points and the like.

If it really hurts, go up one size. If you can move it around easily on your noggin, go down one. And if you have the misfortune to find some old-school idiot who tells you that a good fit "lets you get two fingers inside the lining," run, don't walk, to the next shop.

A corollary here is earplugs. On the road, even the quietest helmet creates terrible wind roar, enough to damage your hearing permanently over time. Don't sweat it around town, but on the highway wear earplugs, always. Lots of good brands out there, find one at your local safety supply store that's comfortable and has a high Noise Reduction rating (high 20s, for sure).

Jackets? Personally I still favour leather with a zip-out liner and some zippered air vents, but for most people a three-season fabric jacket makes more sense. They're light, washable, water-resistant if not completely waterproof, and have built-in crash armour plus zip-out liners for cold weather use.

Prices start around $200 and again can head into the four-figure area, but any decent brand between $200-500 should work well and last many seasons. Fashion leather? Forget about it. Too light; won't last a season and won't help at all if you crash.

Gloves? Fit and comfort are key. Don't use fashion gloves (see above). Look for quality stitching, padding and preferably armour, and some sort of gauntlet that'll reach up and over the jacket sleeve on the highway. I've seen reasonable ones for under $50, but closer to $100 will get you quality and you can certainly spend lots more if you want – Icon, for example, has an armoured baby with gold plating that you could use for security for your next car loan.

Pants? I mostly just wear heavy jeans, myself, although if I'm on a long trip I'll generally use a set of armoured fabric pants similar in construction to the jackets mentioned above. More rain and weather resistance, plus of course much more accident protection. They'll start around $100 and can go as high as $800 or more; usually cheaper if you buy in a set with a jacket.

Finally, boots. There are almost as many different boot styles out there as riders, from sneakers to road racing items that can easily break the $500 level.

For general use, I prefer synthetic leather like Lorica (more waterproof than leather and just as comfy) in boots that come above the ankle and have padding and/or armour on both sides of the ankle, plus an extra layer of leather over the toe of the boot.

A good set like the Triumph-branded ones I have now will run you about $200 or so, look good enough to wear to a fancy restaurant, and last forever with minimal care.

Once you have basic kit, you can start looking at extending your season with all sorts of rain gear, mesh jackets for hot weather, special one-piece touring gear like the Aerostich suits, electrically heated gloves and jacket liners, trick boots, and of course gloves, gloves, and more gloves for every occasion.

I require a separate storage unit for mine, to my wife's eternal disgust.

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