Riders and government agencies agree that the helmet is the most necessary riding gear. It protects your brain, which is the most vital part of your body.
Most government agencies only look beyond the helmet regarding riding safety gear laws. A pair of riding gloves is the second most crucial safety equipment, but not the helmet.
Why is this so?
If you are uninvited to meet with the tarmac, your hands may sustain severe injuries. These injuries can make them permanently or temporarily ineligible for many critical daily tasks, such as at work, home, and in everyday life. This makes it crucial to ensure they have the best protection possible.
What should you look for in riding gloves?
It cannot be easy to choose suitable gloves for motorcycle riding. There are many important factors to consider, including the cost of Karol Bagh and JC Road versions and your preferred riding. In the following sections, we will discuss the most important. Keep reading!
Gloves Fit and finish
This is the most crucial factor. Because the hands control the most critical parts of the motorbike machinery, such as the throttle, brakes, and clutch, gloves must fit properly.
Many people believe that bare hands can give you better control over your motorbike’s machinery. It is false. A pair of well-fitted gloves can increase a rider’s efficiency in many ways.
It is better to try gloves before you buy them. You should ensure that your fingers are short enough. Also, your hand movement isn’t restricted by the gloves when you reach for your thumb with your index finger. The inner liner should feel tight enough for the fingers. If you’re buying online, refer to the manufacturer’s size chart. Also, read reviews to find out how the glove fits.
The fit of gloves will vary depending on the material. Leather gloves are usually tight at first but loosen up as they wear more. The fit of textile gloves is perfect from the first time you try them on. They also tend to hold their shape better.
Types of Riding Styles & Climate
One can choose from different gloves depending on the riding style and climate.
A sports bike that is more tightly fitted requires that the gloves be ‘pre-curved’ to provide better control. It also needs thin but adequate padding to improve throttle control. Leather is the most preferred construction material because it has the best abrasion resistance.
Textile or a combination of textile and leather could be the preferred choice for adventure bikers as they are more resistant to Leh/Ladakh long-haul trip conditions. They are also a better match for other adventure ridings gear like jackets and trousers.
Sports riders and those who want to be protected from the elements prefer full gauntlet designs.
For those who ride in hot and dry climates, short gloves with all-around protection may be more suitable for city riders and cruiser riders.
MX and off-road bikers prefer textile gloves that offer minimal protection.
Design & Construction
The material of the glove is the first item on your agenda. It can be either leather, textile, or a combination of both.
Many types of leather are available, including cowhide, kangaroo, and lamb. Cowhide leather is tough, durable, and used primarily in track and sports gloves. Comfortable urban gloves can be made from lamb or sheepskin leather.
Modern textile gloves have been designed for rugged use and are the best choice for adventure riders.
The type of protection and location is the second most important design and construction factor. High-quality gloves are made from titanium, Kevlar, and Carbon fiber materials.
The cuff and the closure system are also important. They ensure that the gloves remain in place in the event of an impact and protect against the elements. The closure system will be used hundreds to thousands of times over the lifetime of gloves, so it must be reliable and durable.
What is wrong with the unbranded Rs 300 copy or a fake copy?
Both look almost identical, so why would you pay more for branded versions?
There are obvious reasons for this, such as the durability and support after the sale or warranty. But it’s also because the protection in cheap unbranded products could be more satisfactory. It’s not easy to find it once it’s too late.
This is the first fact to consider:
Branded motorcycles are based on years of rider feedback and extensive research into injuries sustained in motorcycle crashes. Sponsors of racers collect feedback from them, and then they carefully engineer the features into their motorcycle gloves. Although the glove may be slightly more expensive than a non-specialized glove, this iterative process allows us to use the best technology and research for our safety and benefit.
On the other side, fly-by-night operators have one goal: to make gloves look precisely like genuine branded gloves and use the cheapest materials. It is not possible to provide warranty or continuity support.
Other user-friendly features
The most important thing is that the glove has been purposely designed to fit a specific type of riding, such as track use, sports/track use, or adventure/off-road urban/cruising.
Smartphone-friendly features include finger slots compatible with smartphones, vents in crucial areas to allow ventilation, insulation for winter gloves, rain/waterproofing, helmet viper, and other valuable features.
