How To Pick The Best Motorcycle Gloves For You
Gloves are gloves. How hard it could be to choose, right? Wrong. Your regular daily gloves are different from motorcycle gloves. Hence, they are a little expensive that your regular gloves.
It could be true that in all motorcycle apparel, choosing the gloves is probably the easiest task. You can try as many as you want in a span of few minutes. But this doesn’t mean, you need to be complacent is doing such.
Think that your hands directly touch the controls in your bike, not to mention your palms are usually the first thing to touch down during impact. For these reasons alone, you have to make sure that your hands are comfortable and protected at all times.
Here are some considerations you should take the time to think about when buying gloves.
Fit
Fit in all your motorcycle gear is crucial since all of these should stay in place during a crash. An excellent fit for gloves means it should snug perfectly and comfortably. They should be tight but still have enough room for your finger movement. The inner liner should not also impede the movement of your fingers.
You should always be able to feel the throttle when riding.
The length of the gloves should also precise and no excess material at the tips. Textile gloves should fit perfectly right from the first day you use it. But if you intent to buy leather-made gloves, they should start out a little tight, as they will loosen with time.
Also remember that manufacturers have different glove sizes. Sometimes, even gloves with the same brand have different sizes. Check for manufacturer’s sizing guide before you purchase a pair.
Feel
According to expert, you should consider the type of bike you own and the time of year you are going to be riding when buying a pair of gloves.
For instance, if most of the time you are only on a cruiser and more relaxed type of ride, you need a pair that has all round protection from the elements and the road. If you are on a sport bike, pre-curved gloves offer good support. This type of gloves tends to have less material in the palm grip and feel a bit like when you put leathers on. But once you are riding, you will realize why they are shaped like they are.
The weather is also a factor here. If you often ride in a harsh weather, you may want to use an all-weather or waterproof touring gloves. It can be made of textile, which tends to stand up to extreme weather a lot better.
If you ride in mostly dry weather, you can stick with leather. Generally, leather has much better abrasion resistance and will fit more comfortably because it molds to your hands.
Construction
Keep in mind that motorcycle gloves are designed to protect your hands and finger during impact. Hence, you need to scrutinize what is made of and how it was done.
Is your pair of gloves has the seam or outer stitching on it? What type of material is used in the construction? Is it cow leather, kangaroo or man made?
The material used in your gloves is also important. Cowhide is heavy and quite rigid. However, it can withstand high levels of cuts. Kangaroo skin is lighter and it can withstand quite a lot of abrasion too. Goatskin is soft and flexible. A good compromise in a glove sometimes can be a hard shell of cowhide with a kangaroo skin palm.
You may also want to check the closure of your gloves. These should be strong enough to keep your hand protection secure on long rides and in the event of a crash. Glove closures usually use buttons, D-ring straps, hook-and-loop or Velcro.
Most importantly, check for the padding. Your gloves could have EVA foam padding for protection from impact and scraping.
Sources:
https://rideapart.com/articles/how-to-find-the-right-motorcycle-gloves
http://www.bikebandit.com/blog/post/the-ultimate-motorcycle-glove-buyers-guide
