3 Essential Motorcycle Gear As A Beginner

When it comes to riding I would never EVER go out on my bike without wearing full gear. I just don't think it's worth the risk to have any exposed skin when you're on a motorbike, whether you're the rider or a pillion. Even during the (limited) hot summer months we have here I would never ride my motorbike any distance without protection. And let's be real, when you ride a motorbike you have all the right reasons to buy gear that makes you look super cool.

In the UK, the bare minimum you need to legally ride a motorcycle on public roads is a helmet on your head. The reason I say "on your head" is because you need to be wearing it on your head and protecting that noggin of yours, i.e. you can't just be carrying the helmet and expect to not be stopped by the police. So a helmet is a MUST, but I will also share with you the other two items I would strongly recommend you have a motorcycle-friendly version before you start your riding journey.

The reason I'm recommending top three riding items is because, as beginner, not everyone has the funds to splash out on full motorbike gear straight away. Also, using a bike as a mode of transport is cheaper than owning and driving a car, but there are still a lot of costs involved in this hobby (or essential day-to-day vehicle), including spending money on the actual bike itself, plus tax and insurance etc, so that's why I'm sharing the three absolute minimum piece of bike gear I would recommend you buy.

1. Helmet

Your head is probably the most important thing on you that needs protecting, so I strongly advise getting a good helmet that does just that. All helmets sold in reputable shops and online should comply with the minimum standards to keep you safe. Most current helmets would be ECE 22.05 compliant and some newer helmets will have ECE 22.06 on the back. My AGV K1 and some other helmets sold in the UK have a gold sticker stating it is A.C.U. approved, which stands for Auto Cycle Union. Only helmets with this sticker can be used on track.

There are many brands, designs and price points to suit everybody, but brands like Arai and Shoei are one of the best helmet brands out there in terms of safety, but with that also comes expensive price tags. I've been interested in one of the latest Arai helmets (ECE 22.06 certified), called Quantic, currently retails for £499.99 on the Sportsbikeshop website.

At the other end of the scale there are plenty of full-face helmets as cheap as £60 which have the necessary safety ratings you need to keep you safe. Brands like Scorpion, LS2 and HJC offer competitive prices for good helmets. I personally recommend full-face helmets, as they are the safer option out there compared to open-face or flip-up helmets.

The Scorpion EXO 390 has various colour options and is a decent helmet for the price you pay.

And of course I have to mention my favourite helmet, which I purchased recently - the AG KV1. Again, this helmet has many different colour options and AGV has a big selection of sizes, including XS, S MS, ML, L XL and XL. I love that there are two options for medium.

2. Jacket

The next piece of clothing I would recommend getting as a beginner is a motorcycle jacket with protection. There are many different options to suit your preference and style, but in my opinion, having protection on the head as well as the upper body is important. If you get unlucky and happen to fall off a bike, your upper body is further away from the ground, so having armours that protect obvious contact points (shoulders and elbows) will hopefully save you a lot of pain.

The two different types of jackets I would recommend are textile ones and leather jackets. These generally come down to personal preference and whether or not you would want to have a jacket that is waterproof, which there are a lot of choices if you decide to go with textile. I recommend Oxford Products for textile jackets, because they have good price points for what you get and a lot of their clothing are very waterproof.

The other option is leather. I have purchased the Alpinestars Stella Kira V2 last year, which I am loving. However, leather is not waterproof when you ride in bad weather. I would say they are drizzle-proof, but you will most definitely get wet if it's hammering it down. My solution is to get a waterproof over-jacket (and trousers if you wish) or an overall to cover your whole body if you have a leather jacket and don't want to spend more money just to have a waterproof textile one as well. Leather also has a higher sliding rate than textile, but nowadays a lot of motorcycle gear are really good with safety, so you can't go wrong with either options. Picking one over the other is a whole lot better than not wearing riding gear at all.

Generally, most jackets come with elbow and shoulder armours. Some jackets have a back protector included, but that's quite rare. The one I know of and have been interested in is the Motogirl Valerie, which includes level 2 shoulder, elbow AND back protectors. Do check out individual ratings on motorbike clothing. Ideally, in the perfect world, you would have gear that's rated AAA and level 2, but again - any protection is better than none.

3. Gloves

The third item on the top of the list will have to be gloves. Hands are very delicate and if one's to fall over in any situation, your natural instinct is usually to protect yourself from landing or hitting something WITH YOUR HANDS, so having them at least covered would make a huge difference if you were to come off the bike. If you are able to invest in a pair of gloves that have protection around the knuckles then that's a big bonus in keeping your hands safe. I have a pair of RST gloves for the summer, which I love, but there are so many options to choose from. Have a look online and I'm sure there will be something that catches your eye.

Another reason I personally will always wear gloves when I ride is that my hands get quite cold (even in the summer) when I am going at faster speeds, so it would be really uncomfortable to have cold fingers while riding. And if you are going at a faster speed like national speed limit of 60 or 70mph then you're going to get bugs, little stones or debris from the road being flicked up and hitting you, so your precious little hands will thank you for protection them from getting hurt.

Conclusion

If you are able to then definitely spend some money to have full riding gear. It just isn't worth going out riding without protection. Most of the times I find that it's not me doing silly things and getting myself into trouble, but it's other drivers on the road who are careless that cause accidents, so stay safe and do what you can to protect yourself.

I would also recommend riding jeans, leathers or textile trousers to protect your legs, but if you are slowly adding gear to your wardrobe then a good pair of denim jeans that cover both legs is your best option. They won't be able to protect you for very long if you happen to slide, but it is still better than wearing shorts or other trousers made of more delicate material. Another item I would recommend purchasing is a pair of riding boots that have reinforced protection around your feet. If you are unable to get motorcycle boots yet then any sturdy boots would be a good option. Make sure they are tied up properly and that your laces don't end up getting caught on anything on your bike, which can also be very dangerous.

Please be mindful in protecting yourself and ride safe!!

Disclosure: There are some affiliate links in this post and I may receive commission for purchases made through links in the description, but these are products I have personally tried, own(ed) or would highly recommend. You, as a consumer, do not pay extra if you choose to make purchases through these links.

MY CURRENT MOTORCYLE GEAR 2022