Bikers love their leathers for a reason !!!

There’s something sexy about a man or a woman sliding on some well-fitted leathers.Granted, well-fitting leathers can be visually tempting; however, more importantly, they also provide some of the best possible protection from the elements, flying debris, and possible road rash.

Strange things can – and do - happen on the road and more than once a rider has shared that well-fitted leathers are what ensured they were able to walk away from a situation instead of dealing with extensive road rash or worse.

There are three basic items that every biker should wear: Chaps, jacket, and gloves.

A riding friend of mine recently had an unpleasant situation riding along the Pig Trails in Arkansas. A farm trailer didn’t have working brake lights and when my friend rode around the bend in the two-lane road, he didn’t realize immediately that the vehicle and trailer were in fact at a stop – this delay lost precious reaction time for him.

In situations like this, it’s amazing how the brain instantaneously processes so many options and that was the case for him too. With a school bus approaching him in the opposite lane and the bike’s back end beginning to slide to the left, he quickly realized that he didn’t have enough time for the bike to re-adjust itself and that if it slid into the back of the trailer he could very well lose his left leg. The only other option was the gravel shoulder to his right so that’s what he aimed his bike for.

The bike ended up leaning toward the right upon hitting the gravel and my friend’s knee took the brunt of the impact with enough force to throw the bike back into the upright position before it went back down. With his hands extended in full leather gloves and torso protected by his leather motorcycle jacket, he was sore but there was no road rash. The worst of his injuries was his right knee where the initial impact occurred; it was bruised and swollen.

He shared with me later that he had been very close to taking his chaps off a little while earlier because the day had warmed up a bit. A sixth sense told him to keep the leather chaps on, so he did – he realized later that if he did not have his chaps on, the damage to his knee would have been dramatically worse.

Leather chaps are often worn during the colder months but not always during the warmer temperatures, and yet, accidents don’t care if it’s warm or cold outside. A great pair of chaps will envelope the legs with a few minor adjustments to the thigh and waist.

And then, there is the leather motorcycle jacket. Only premium leather will do and it’s always nice to have options as some riders will prefer a looser feel to accommodate the layering of clothes beneath the jacket while others want a snug and fitted jacket that will embrace every contour of their body.

Finally, the leather motorcycle gloves. It is human nature to extend ones hands to break a fall but when a rider does that result could be devastating without gloves. A pair of well-fitting gloves will allow a riderto easily work the clutch and brake while still providing ample protection from the elements and most any type of road hazards.

Keep the shiny side up but never underestimate the power of quality leather motorcycle gear. After all, motorcycles can be replaced a lot faster than your skin healing from serious road rash!