What I wear
When riding a motorcycle, everyone has their own opinion of what to wear. I firmly believe many people who are into the whole Harley-Davidson “lifestyle” do it because of the uniform just as much as the bikes themselves. My back-door neighbors often stand around on their back deck in full H-D black-leather regalia, canned beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other. I seldom ever hear them even start their bike up, let alone hit the road and actually ride it somewhere (other than to the nearest tavern).
Riders also have strong opinions about helmets. Some see them as the single most important piece of mandatory safety gear, others view it as an infringement on their freedom by an oppressive government intruding in their personal lives.
Let me set the record straight on how I view motorcycle gear: I’m an All The Gear, All The Time (ATGATT) kind of guy.
To me, it’s about safety first, comfort second.
From top to bottom, here is a list of the gear I often wear when out on two wheels:
- Helmet: HJC SyMax II modular
- Jacket: Aerostich Darien with optional back protector
- Pants: Fieldsheer Mercury
- Gloves: Alpinestar Drystar
- Boots: Sidi Canyon
On rides above 75 degrees I’ll often wear Draggin Jeans kevlar denim riding jeans instead of my Fieldsheers. They don’t have any padding, so I’d probably get bruised up a bit more in an involuntary get-off, but they do offer remarkably good abrasion resistance. Also when it’s hot, I’ll remove the polar fleece liner from the inside of my Aerostich and open the vents in the arm pits and across the back for increased airflow, which works surprisingly well.
I can wear this combination of gear in rain and sunshine and in temperatures ranging from 9 degrees up to 100 Fahrenheit. I wear bandanas on my head to absorb sweat and around my neck to cut down on air hitting bare skin. I wear Merino wool socks all year — they’re surprisingly comfortable even when it’s hot.
