IT DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU’RE AN OLD HAND AT MOTORCYCLING, OR IF YOU’VE JUST BOUGHT YOUR FIRST BIKE. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF BRANDS AND STYLES OF MOTORCYCLE GLOVES TO CHOOSE FROM.
Having so many choices can be confusing!
Are you a touring rider?
Do you ride the trails as an adventure rider?
Are you an sport rider, pushing your skills to the limit?
Regardless of your preferred style of riding, this guide is designed to help you make an informed choice. No hype. Just honest talk about motorcycle gloves
Read on, and happy riding!
Hands are vulnerable while riding. A good motorcycle glove will ensure:
Accidents do happen. Most new riders experience an accident within their first 3 months of riding. Your natural instinct is to throw your hands out in front of you to protect yourself in a fall. The right gloves provide s kid protection and prevent abrasion injuries on the palms and fingers.
Sun, wind, rain, cold and hail … Mother Nature is unpredictable during a ride, and underpasses can be few and far between. But if you have the right gloves and gear for the elements, life hardly gets any sweeter than that.
When following a truck or other type of vehicle, small rocks, retread from tires, nuts, bolts and a limitless variety of road hazards get thrown at you. On the trails and on the track, well-placed padding on your hands makes all the difference.
Some gloves incorporate gel, padding, curved fingers and other features for comfort around the grips. With these features, hand fatigue and numbness can virtually be eliminated during your ride.
Great TACTILE SENSATION for the throttle and other hand controls are a must. Some motorcycle gloves have strategically textured palms and fingers, for improved grip and control.
Selecting a glove is a personal choice. Everyone’s budget -- and need for comfort, style, and safety while riding -- is a little different.
Make sure to choose a glove with the features you need for the type of riding you do, and the protection you need to keep hands safe.
At it’s most basic level, there are three basic considerations: Budget, Weather Conditions, and Personal Factors.
Do suffer from vibration? Do you ride on rough terrain? Ride at night?
Here’s a summary of special features you might look for, depending on your personal requirements
Ill-fitting gloves are not only uncomfortable, but also a safety hazard because they can cause your hands to become fatigued more quickly. They can also cause cramping of the hand, and numbness that can get in the way of a quick hand response.
Every brand of gloves fit differently. It’s important to try them on, to see which brand and style feels best on your hands.
It really depends on the rider. Motorcycle gloves are not like a tire that you can reliably ride on for 20K miles. Some riders change their gloves every year, while others clock 40K miles with a single pair of gloves, and they’re still going strong. Also, some gloves take more abuse than others (sport riders, company looking at you!).
As a general rule:
At the end of the day, only you can be the judge of whether your gloves hold up to your type of riding as expected.
Company routinely get letters from riders who have used the same pair of Olympia gloves for years without wearing them out. As they say, your mileage may vary!
Not every company has been making gloves for over 70 years like we have, but there are many fine brands to choose from.
Things to look for before you buy a high performance motorcycle glove:
Guarantee:
Motorcycle glove styles are usually defined by the cuff length that covers your wrist and lower forearm. No cuff or “shorties” cut off right at your wrist, while others provide varying cuff lengths up the lower forearm. Your jacket’s sleeve length will most likely factor in the decision of which cuff works best, as you may want your gloves to tuck in under or cover over top of your sleeve. You may also want a gap in between your glove and sleeve, to allow a bit extra ventilation up the sleeve. Have two different pairs of gloves – one “shortie” pair for summer and one pair with a mid-length cuff to cover sleeves is a good idea.
While most gloves include coverage for your fingers, you may find your finger movement is restricted. To overcome this, you may consider a pair of fingerless gloves, where the ends have been cut off from about the first or second knuckle down from the finger tip.
The correct glove fit is critical. Proper close fit and sizing is a combination of carefully selected glove patterns, shell, lining materials and meticulous stitching along with the rider’s accurate hand measurement.
Like most other motorcycle gear, motorcycle gloves come in leather or textile. The one you choose usually boils down to personal preference. Leather is the choice of many riders because of its form-fitting comfort, durability and breathability. Textiles are chosen for weather protection and their light weight comfort and performance.
Gloves should allow your hands to breathe while preventing sweaty hand. Some gloves come with perforated holes along the back of the hand, palm or along the knuckles and some will offer both.
A riding glove needs to have enough armor in the right spots to protect against impact, yet still offer a good amount of flexibility to freely operate the bike. In the unlikely event you go down while riding, your instinct is going to be to throw your hands out to brace for impact. The fundamental purpose of your gloves is to protect your hands from terrible road rashes that can seriously damage your hands. Your gloves must also be tough enough to protect you from the elements.
You might want to think about motorcycle gloves offering extra padding along the palms. Particularly for a sport bike rider who leans forward while riding. Much of your upper body weight is pressing down through your palms on the handlebars. Plus, it cuts down on the vibration from the front wheel. We highly recommend extra padding in the palms for anyone, especially those who prefer the “crotch rocket”.
More important than what a company says about itself, is what other riders say. Do your homework, check online reviews … and be sure to leave reviews, too, so other rider’s can benefit from your experience.
So shop around, see what’s new, read reviews.
Then, make an informed choice. Select a glove that fits your needs and budget, make sure they feel good on, and …