Wearing gloves while riding a motorcycle should be as natural as grabbing a baseball glove to play catch. You don’t want to ride long without a good pair of gloves. As the saying goes – dress for the slide, not the ride.
Personally, I love gloves. I have all kinds of gloves for every type of activity – whether I’m skiing down a mountain, brushing snow off my car, wrenching on a bike, or riding one. They all have their purpose and most of the time they shall not be intertwined.
Riding gloves in particular are important, not only for protection from the elements but also against the pavement. Our natural reaction when we start to fall or slide off the bike is to put our hands out to brace against any hard impacts. That also means your hands are just as vulnerable to the dangers of road rash as our heads (I always wear a helmet, too).
But choosing a motorcycle glove isn’t a one-size-fits-all endeavor. I have several styles of motorcycle gloves for different types of riding. I wouldn’t wear my MX gloves to ride on the street (although I have) because they don’t offer enough abrasion resistance. They are comfortable, though.
For most short rides, I prefer something comfortable and easy to stash in my jacket. The fingers must fit snugly but not overly restrictive and the palm should be soft but also have some protective material for a potential fall. I like gloves with some knuckle protection, too, whether it is some sort of CE-type armor or a carbon fiber cover.
Keep these things in mind whenever you’re selling gloves to customers. You need to first ask what type of riding they do most and then narrow it down to the best glove for their hand.
While we prefer to wear all the gear all of the time, at minimum, gloves and a helmet are must-haves. Plus, good gloves with nice aesthetics make it seem like you’re doing something important like riding a motorcycle.
A final thought about gloves is that they are also a conduit to your bike and all hand controls. You should be able to operate your controls with ease. If you have to push the horn twice to make it work, then what happens if you really need to use it?
