Bare Necessities

For a new rider, the cost of entering the sport of motorcycles, can seem overwhelming. You've got to get a bike, learn to ride, get a license, and make sure you have all of the gear you need. In our product reviews, we often recommend the best of the best for a variety of categories. A lot of new riders start on a cheap bike to see if they are going to enjoy riding and see if it is something they want to pursue. Most new riders do not shell out $30,000 for a new touring bike. So, it might be unreasonable to expect a new rider to spend a ton on the gear. It may seem ironic that often the least experienced riders have the least amount of protective gear. In this article, we are going to discuss the must have's for motorcycle gear.

There should never be a compromise for safety, but the reality is that there are areas where a new rider or a rider on a budget could save some money and still have adequate protection. To ride a motorcycle, a rider should have at minimum, a helmet, long sleeve shirt or jacket, abrasion resistant pants, over the ankle boots and eyewear.

Helmet

You can find helmets that range as low as $40 to over $1,000. Spending more for a helmet does not always make it safer. Often, you are paying for features of the helmet and not the safety aspects. These features might improve the comfort, the weight, or technology. If you are putting together your gear on a budget or seeing if it is worth a larger investment, a basic helmet should do just fine. At the minimum, you should be looking for a helmet that is DOT Certified. The DOT certification means that the helmet posses the qualities that the Department of Transportation has deemed meet minimum safety requirements. These requirements are at least 3/4" protective foam, a hard outer shell, and a chin strap secured by sturdy rivets. It doesn't take much to achieve the DOT standard and helmet manufacturers are pretty much self regulated. It is very reasonable that you can find a suitable helmet for under $200.

This is a great option for an affordable helmet. The New FF-98 features GMAX's New quick release face shield, has a drop down visor, removable interior (for cleaning), eight vents and speaker pockets if you decide to add bluetooth. It is ECE and DOT approved. So, it provides the protection you are looking for at a very reasonable price from a well known brand. Click Here to checkout current pricing for this helmet.

Outerwear

There is a saying in the world of motorcycles that says, "Dress for the slide, not for the ride." Though, I hope you never lay your bike down, we should always be prepared for that possible outcome. Typically, I would always recommend a quality riding jacket with included armor protection. Though there are some decent affordable options for riding jackets, if it is out of your budget, at the very least, wear a long sleeve shirt or jacket. If you choose to wear a long sleeve shirt, the heavier the material, the better. A heavier material will, at least, provide some level of abrasion protection. A jacket is probably better. Leather is great, but there are a lot of textile options that are very affordable as well. Basically, you just want to make sure your skin is covered by something.

The Outbreak jacket by Fulmer is a great choice for an inexpensive riding jacket. It has the armor protection you are looking for and provides abrasion protection as well. It has a breathable outer shell and a removable interior liner so you can wear the jacket year round. I also like that it features zippered cuffs. This makes fitting gloves over your jacket much more comfortable. For the money, this is a really nice option. Click Here to check out current pricing.

Along the same line as the long sleeve shirt, you want to make sure your pants cover your skin to provide abrasion protection. If you were to ever go down in a slide, your legs may take the most damage, especially if your leg winds up under the bike. Your track pants or shorts will not provide any protection in a slide. The obvious affordable choice is a good pair of jeans. They are probably already in your closet. The heavier weight the material, the better. The best riding pants include high quality heavy weight denim with Kevlar reinforcements and armor for impact. For a rider on a budget, basic blue jeans at least provide some level of abrasion protection.

Boots

The best riding boots offer a stiff toe box, lugged sole, and ankle support with impact protection. A stiff toe box is important, not only for protection in an accident, but because we use the toe box to shift gears. A lugged sole provides grip on the road when we come to a stop. Ankle support ensures sure footedness and provides protection in an accident. So, when looking for riding boots on a budget, you should at the very least, make sure the boots cover your ankle and that the soles have a good grip. Work boots or hiking boots are good alternatives if you are digging through your closet to see what you already own that might serve the purpose. They also typically have soles with adequate grip and are often slip resistant. Stay aware from cowboy boots or boots in that style. The bottoms are often slick and they provide little to no ankle support.

The Xelement 1506 Impact motorcycle boot is a great affordable choice. They offer a slip resistant lugged sole with a welt construction and are made from a heavy oil tanned leather. They also have zippers to allow you to remove the boots without untying them. If you are looking for a good set of boots on a budget, these are worth a look. Click Here to check current pricing.

Eyewear

Proper eyewear is very important when riding a motorcycle. Laws vary state by state, but there are states that do not require a helmet, but do require protective eyewear. It is kind of crazy to think of. The logic is that if you choose not to wear a helmet, you are endangering yourself. If you choose not to wear protective eyewear, you are endangering others. The good news is that protective eyewear can be really affordable. A cheap pair of sunglasses is better than nothing, but a pair of ANSI certified safety glasses do not cost much more. You can pick up a pair of safety glasses for less than $20. Usually, when you pay more for a pair of riding glasses, you are paying for the style so they do not look like safety glasses. If you opt for a full face or modular helmet, you can skip the eyewear, the helmet provides adequate protection.

The Bobster Foamerz 2 is a great affordable pair of riding glasses. They offer ANSI certified protection and have a foam insert. The wrap around style provides great protection from dust and debris. Click Here to check current Pricing.

Final Word

In this article, we discussed the basics of what you need to ride and be as safe as possible without spending a fortune on riding gear. Finding the right gear is about more than just safety. Finding gear that fits your style and is comfortable is just as important. Having gear that you don't or won't wear doesn't do you any good. As I mentioned, the items listed here are the minimum level of what a rider should have. Be sure to check out all of our articles to learn more!