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Motorcycle Gloves
Motorcycle gloves are important - you have more nerve endings in your digits (fingers and toes) that elsewhere on your body. Cold, wet or over heated fingers
really can ruin your ride. These days the materials used to make motorcycle gloves are so high tech that there really is no excuse not to have
water resistant, well ventilated and well protected gloves. Those extra few pounds on good gloves will make all the difference – trust me!
Read on to find a glove that "fits like a glove":
- The types of motorcycle gloves
- Motorcycle glove buying tips
- Where to buy NOTE: You can actually buy your gloves in this section!
- Safety Check List
- How to find that perfect fit
Types of Gloves
In the UK you really need two sets of motorcycle gloves: winter and summer.
Winter Gloves
- Winter gloves are designed to keep out the cold and wet, providing extra insulation
- It is important to look out for the padding of the glove. If it is too padded you will end of loosing feeling in your hands, but if your glove is not padded enough your hands will freeze and you’ll loose feeling as well. Balance is key, so when choosing a glove, leave it on for a few minutes to get a better idea of fit
- I would recommend finding winter gloves with extensions as this keep the cold air out
Summer Gloves
- o Summer gloves you will give you added protection and ventilation to keep your hands cool. Always go for leather summer gloves or medium weight gloves as any other material without padding will just tear in the case of a fall
- o I always keep rain gloves with me when I go out riding, and I would especially recommend this with summer gloves as they have hardly any water resistance at all. Just be careful though, as rain gloves can get slippery on the controls
Motorcyle Glove Buying Tips
- Leather has got to be the only material of choice as there is nothing that offers as good abrasive resistant protection
- Gore-Tex is the most effective material for the membrane
- You will generally find that the more you spend on gloves the better quality they will be as they tend to use stronger materials
- When shopping around for gloves ensure that there is double stitching at the seams, hardened protection on the knuckles and that there are tops on the fingers
- If you can afford it go for gloves with additional protective features such as tiny metal studs on the palms or carbon shells covering high impact areas like your knuckles
- Make sure your gloves are the right size. If they are too small they will really irritate you and if they are too big it will be harder to maintain control on the bar
- There is also the option of gloves with a lining that you can take out and wash – if you are going to be touring – this IS A MUST! My gloves often smell worse than my boots! But – make sure that the lining is fixed and does not pull out when you take the gloves off
- Check that the stitching is done well, as this is the area where you loose the mot insulation
- A rubber strip on the index finger is there to wipe your visor clean, but watch out for suede effect pads as they will quickly become saturated
- Think twice about claw-style gloves, as although they keep you warm, they make one finger breaking tricky
- Finally, try and go for gloves with a wrist strap as this not only improves the comfort and protection but it also preserves the ergonomic design of the glove
- Motorcycle gloves cost between £20 - £150
Where to Buy
- SPORTS BIKE SHOP have a great selection of mens and ladies gloves and you can search their product listings by make
- Weise Mens (Prices range from £29.99 - £59.99)
- Weise Ladies (Prices range from £27.99 - £189.99)
- Alpinestars Motorcycle Gloves (Prices range from £59.95 - £119.95)
- Texport Motorcycle Gloves (Prices range from £44.99 - £54.99)
- GET GEARED also have a diverse selection of gloves. They offer the following makes; VANUCCI, PROBIKER, CAFE RACER, MADHEAD and HIGHWAY. You can search their product listings by the following categories:
- Sports Gloves (Prices range from £31.95 - £99.99)
- Touring Gloves (Prices range from £21.95 - £59.95)
- Offroad Bike Gloves (Prices range from £14.99 - £19.99)
- Cruiser and Custom Gloves (Prices range from £12.95 - £29.95)
- Winter Gloves (Prices range from £22.49 - £69.95)
- Commuting Gloves (Prices range from £10.99 - £24.99)
Safety Check list
Check to see if your gloves are marked with the European standard EN 13594. If they aren’t follow the check list to make sure you’re not being ripped off!
- Do they extend at least 50 mm beyond the wrist joint? And do the cuffs go over your riding jacket?
- Do they provide impact protection over the knuckle?
- How are they fastened? If you just have to pull them on, then imagine what they will do in a crash. Wrist straps are there to keep your gloves on when you fall off the bike and they should be non-elastic
- Are they marked with ISO 11642? This ensures that your hands won’t get stained when your gloves get wet
- How do they fit your hand? Test them by holding a motorcycle handlebar
- If your glove has armour, is there padding between your hand and the armour?
- Is there concealed stitching to ensure the gloves does not come apart if you fall?
How to Find that Perfect Fit
To find the right fit get a tape measure, and using your right hand, place the tape measure under your palm and measure from the index finger to the pinkie finger. If your measurement falls in-between two sizes, always try the larger size first.
| Motorcycle Glove Size Conversions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Glove Size | Width of Palm (cm) | Width of Palm (inches) |
| XS | 7 | 2 1/8 - 2 5/8 |
| S | 8 | 2 5/8 - 3 1/8 |
| M | 9 | 3 1/8 - 3 5/8 |
| L | 10 | 3 5/8 - 4 1/8 |
| XL | 11 | 4 1/8 - 4 5/8 |
| XXL | 12 | 4 5/8 - 5 1/8 |
DON’T FORGET! that leather motorcycle gloves stretch after they have broken in!