Boots are an integral part of the safety gear you should be wearing while on a motorcycle. I've heard too many horror stories of riders just wearing tennis shoes or (*cringe...*) 'Flip Flops' when they crash. Shoes like that give you no ankle support or abrassion protection which can leave a downed rider missing half a foot. I have worn and tested everything from motorcycle racing boots to moto specific riding shoes, but this was the first opportunity I had to test something a 'cruiser' rider would wear. www.RidersDiscount.com provided me with a test pair of the River Road Ranger Harness Leather Boots to run through their paces. {C}
I believe the most important parts of our body is our hands. We use them for everything, driving, fixing things, writing, even opening a jar. We are constantly using our hands everyday, all day; so they should be protected, right? Shift has kindly asked me to reveiw the Women's Dynasty gloves for them. For the past month I have been trying them out while street riding in all conditions. {C}
I am a very big fan of ICON brand gear. I love the quality, the look, and the fact that most of it is tailored in a way where it can comfortably fit those of us who are--well, not exactly built like professional athletes. That being said, however, some of their products don't seem to be thought out all that well. Usually it's a simple case of a design that works well on paper but not in practice. The ICON Field Armor leg guards are a perfect example of one of these products.
Shift Racing has a whole line of women specific riding gear that I had the privilege to review for Best Beginner Motorcycles. As an average body female rider, finding a jacket that fits me well is a task unto itself. I have larger hips and a short waist and I've tried other riding jackets which just choke me because my hips are too wide and they have no adjustments for it to fit properly. I recently tested the Shift Envy which is a full textile riding jacket and it has renewed my confidence that a manufacturer can make great fitting womens gear.
Motorcycle Leather Jackets
A jacket is a type of sleeved hip or waist-length garment for the upper body. Some jackets are fashionable while others serve as protective clothing. Motorbike riders use a special designed jacket with padding on the shoulders and elbows, chest and back for maximum protection of the body. Motorbike jackets designed for protective use are safety equipment and thus are heavier, thicker and often equipped with armor, becoming a very practical item of clothing.
In my experience there are two types of motorcycle riders. No, I am not talking about Harleys VS sport bikes, or even dirt bikes VS street bikes. What I am talking about is weekend warriors VS 'Real' motorcycle riders. The former likes to take out their bike when its between 75 and 85 degrees, any hotter or any colder and they take the car. Their bike is always in pristine condition, perfectly waxed, large chicken strips on the tires, and not a scratch or a insect corpse anywhere to be seen. There is nothing wrong with being a rider like this, in fact I would venture to say that they probably have as much fun as any other motorcyclist.
I purchased a pair of the Joe Rocket Nitrogen Gloves in early November. Personally I would call these a "two season" glove for Spring and Fall. While they do have 80g of DuPont Thermolite insulation, they are not as warm as a full fledged winter glove. On a naked or unfaired motorcycle I would say they provide adequate warmth down to about 50F. Peoples tolerances are different and depending on the length of your average commute YMMV.
The glove provides what I would say is adequate protection. It has a Chamude (synthetic leather alternative) reinforcements on palm. I haven't seen any hard and fast evidence as to how it Chamude compares to leather for abrasion resistance. The glove also has high density knuckle protectors. No carbon or kevlar reinforcements. No protection in the wrist where the glove is soft.
USER REVIEW BY TWOWHEELS I was looking for a jacket that would provide good protection and be comfortable from 80F down to 32F and hopefully waterproof. From this criteria I decided to look at 3/4 length jackets. The 3/4 length has a slight advantage in the colder weather or rain as it is less drafty and keeps the rain out of your pants. I ended up narrowing my search to the Joe Rocket Ballistic 7, Tourmaster Transition 2, Scorpion Commander and the Olympia AST.
When it comes to carrying things on a motorcycle sportbikes have gotten the short end of the stick for a long time. Cruisers are almost always seen packing around saddlebags, in fact it just seems natural for a Harley or similarly styled bike to have a luggage system of some sort. Cortech has come to the rescue of all of us sportbikers and put together an excellent saddlebag/tailbag system that would make even the most diehard cruiser rider jealous.
SHIFT is well known for producing great gloves, jackets and suits for racing or the street. What about all those women that want to rev their engines high and lean into the curves? SHIFT has got you covered with their great line of gear designed specifically for women. If you are a girl with motor oil running through her veins then read on to see how the SHIFT Empire glove holds up!
