Wearing the right clothes when you’re cruising down the road on your motorcycle can make the difference between a few simple bumps, bruises and scratches, and a full-body road rash that may require medical attention. Personal injury will also raise your motorcycle insurance rates. If you want to be well-protected on the road, there are some important things you need to consider.

First, you need to think about the specific types of clothing you’ll need for riding your motorcycle. They can include things like:

• Motorcycle gloves
• A motorcycle jacket
• Motorcycle pants
• Motorcycle boots
• A motorcycle helmet, and
• Eye protection accessories.

When you go to pick out these specific items, here are some of the things you’ll want to keep in mind:

• Pick motorcycle pants and a motorcycle jacket that completely covers any exposed areas. Your legs and arms should be well-protected. Even if it’s warm out, you should still consider wearing your motorcycle jacket.
• Choose clothes that fit snugly. You want to prevent your clothes from flapping about in the wind, while at the same time allowing yourself a full range of movement. Watch out particularly for pants cuffs that will catch on exposed motorcycle parts.
• Get boots that are tall enough to fully cover and protect your ankles. You’ll want them to be plenty sturdy, as well, as you don’t want them to give out when you try to shift or when you’re balancing while stopped. The soles should be made of hard, durable material, and you want to have heels on your boots that won’t get caught on a rough road surface. Watch out for boots with laces that might get caught up on things.
• Your gloves should be heavy-duty. They should not only keep your hands warm, but protect them. They should keep you dry, and allow enough of a range of motion to be able to control the bike easily.
• Consider purchasing clothing specifically made for motorcycle use. These kinds of clothes are designed to be sturdy enough to not rip apart when you’re shooting down the highway at high speeds.

Photo via jgodfrey13