Summer Motorcycle Gloves for Men

Joanne,

I came across your GearChic blog & Moterrific podcast after listening to either the Wheelnerds or (more likely) The Pace Podcast.  I've caught up on all the podcasts & really appreciate all the great info & engaging interviews you & Christi have with people in the industry.  I listen quite a bit through my Sena while commuting to & from work & often on rides elsewhere (I'm a podcast addict, so I have something playing just about anytime).  

I have a gear question I've been trying to nail down for a while, since I ride mostly Kawasaki bikes - an '02 KLR650 (now 685) and an '09 Versys - both green.  I'm trying to find a comfortable summer-oriented glove for riding in the usual 80-100 degree summers we have here, and it would be a real bonus to find something in a Kawasaki green.  I currently wear a Sedici medium gauntlet style glove in the spring & fall, as well as some insulated Joe Rocket gauntlet gloves or Tourmaster heated gauntlets for winter.  During the summer, I will usually wear the Sedici gloves to work, but on the hot ride home, I will either wear some cheap dirt gloves or Mechanix gloves.  I know these won't give me the same protection as good street gloves in the event of a crash, so I'm hoping you can steer me in the right direction.

Thanks & I hope to boost your email count just a little :)

Cheers,

Aaron in Yuba City, CA

Hi Aaron!

Thanks for breaking my email record and making it 6 emails in the last week. I'm stoked to help you out. I'm going to warn you, these will all cost more than your budget gloves, but they are going to offer lots of protection, ventilation and comfort.

As far as Kawi Green, that's a tough one. As most of my recommendations aren't available in that color. Try not to think about that too much, you're not looking down at your hands while you're riding, right? :D But I found you one option below that is offered in green, just in case.

Here are my favorite men's summer gloves which also offer plenty of abrasion protection on the palms for street riding. They look like dual sport gloves, and they definitely work well for that but the protection on these are sweet for street riding.

1/ Rev'it Dirt 2 (my fave)

$109.99. These are extremely well ventilated and have a strong goatskin palm, reinforced palms and hard knuckle protection just in case. Like all Rev'it gloves, the fingers tend to run a tad longer.  A really neat feature about these gloves is that there is mesh above the thumbs, so if you have trouble with gloves that are too short over the thumb, these may work better. They're also touchscreen friendly, but please no texting and driving~!

Fitwise, they are a bit narrow at the wrist so if you have really wide hands/palms, go up a size. But they will stretch out in the palms after you break them in.

2/ Held Sambia

$108.00. The Sambias are very similar to the Rev'it, with different construction but the same general purpose/features. Lots of abrasion resistance in the palms for street protection, and ventilation for summer. They also have my favorite, kangaroo palms!

Fitwise, they're also a bit on the narrow side so if you have really wide hands then order a size up. Finger lengths are average, not too short, not too long.

3/ Alpinestars SMX-2 Air Carbon

$79.95 These were actually on my mind as I read through your email. What a coincidence they come in kawi green! These also have a nice leather/mesh construction with carbon fiber hard protections. Lots of air flow with lots of protection. They also happen to be touch screen friendly.

Fitwise, I have found that these will have slightly shorter fingers and accommodate a wide palm without going up a size.

Women's Gore-Tex Motorcycle Pants for Summer? Fall?

 

The Travelguard Gore-Tex pants are one of the newest options for women from Dainese. Could these work in warm, wet summers? 

$379.95 MSRP, Sizes 38-54 (~US 0 - 16), Revzilla.com

I really like the features they offer including adjustable knee armor (haven't inspected in person but that's what the description says!) and the ProShape armor in the hips. I also dig the thigh vents. For this reason, I think they might work in summer/spring too. Especially if you're living in a wet summer climate like I am.

AND they're available in 38!! Euro 38 is basically a US 0. The smallest possible size for petite women. If you've been searching for extremely petite ladies pants, these are one of the best options aside from any of Revit's Size 34 pants. The Euro 54 is approximately a 16, which is definitely a difficult size to find in women's Dainese gear.

I've never had to deal with warm, wet summers before. I have my Revit GoreTex suit, so I'm hoping it won't suffocate me with the heat/humidity I'm going to be dealing with. We'll see.

If you like the idea of a slim fit pant v. a bootleg pant, then I would suggest any of the pants that Dainese has to offer.

As far as what else you could wear if it's hot and humid and raining, I would also recommend something like the Olympia Airglide Jacket and Pants (for a fuller, curvier cut) or the Revit Sand Pants and Jacket (for a more slender, athletic cut) or any Gore-Tex suit like this one or Klim's Altitude for the dual sport crowd.  For a brief overview of these outfits, check out the links from this blog post back in February.

My Favorite Women's Leather Motorcycle Jackets for Summer

 

A couple weeks ago I posted my favorite summer textiles, but here are some leather options if that's what you need this summer. All of these have perforation or breathability of some kind to get you through the heat. Of course, remember to always wear your favorite full sleeve hot weather baselayers with any of these recommendations!

Keep in mind that even perforated leather won't save you if it's 90-100 degrees, especially with humidity. These are probably more useful to those of you on the west, or southwest where summers are a bit more bearable. Or for mild temperatures, between 70-80 degrees. The summer leather jacket that I wear is also listed below, with a link to the review so you can see how well she did in 90-100 degree dry California heat.

I know there aren't very many options for us when it comes to leather, especially perforated/ventilated ones. Hopefully one of these will work well for you.

Laguna Evo Perforated

$499.95 MSRP, 4 colors, Euro sizes 40-54 (~US2 - 16)

First up, the white jacket above by Dainese. Don't worry, it's also available in black. Aside from all the lovely perforation you can see on the chest and the back of the jacket. The entire surface isn't perforated, but key panels on the chest will provide airflow. Fitment wise, it's your classic hourglass, with a length below the waist. The bust isn't that generous, so if you have a larger than average bust size for your height/weight, then you may want another one the options below. I would still wear a Euro 42 (US 4), but the chest space is definitely a bit snug for me, it doesn't fit anything like the now discontinued Cage.

GP Plus R

$399.95 MSRP, 2 colors, Euro sizes 38-50 (~US 0 - 12)

The GP Plus R also has a typical hourglass fit, but starts down at a full size smaller than the Laguna Evo.  I like how this one fits, not too slim, not too broad. If you have a fairly proportionate body type, then this should fit well. The length is nice, also sits right above the hip. I'd say it has a more generous bust fitment. If I needed another leather jacket, this would be one of my top choices. There is no removable liner with this one.

Galactic

$499.95 MSRP, 2 colors, Sizes Euro 34-46 (US 2-14)

The Galactic is my favorite and current summer leather jacket. Ventilated with a removeable waterproof liner. Read my full review here.

Ignition 2

$499.99 MSRP, 2 colors, Sizes Euro 34-46 (US 4-16)

The Ignition is a relaxed, touring / sport touring fit with a more generous and curvy fit. Read my full review here.

Xena

$449.99 MSRP, 3 colors, Sizes Euro 34-44

The Xena is the sportiest option for those of you looking for a full race cut leather jacket. This one has a smaller than average fit, I usually wear a 36 in Rev'it and I needed a 38 for this one to accommodate my bust (37").

Motorcycle Gear for Very Petite Women

We got an email the other day via Moterrific.com, regarding a listener who's searching for gear for a very, very small woman. She weighs 80lbs and is 4'8". Unfortunately, at anything below 100lbs, there are no options available off the rack. If you or someone you know weighs less than 100lbs, then I would recommend one of the following options:

1. Youth Dirt Gear

Something like the Youth Protection Jacket above with this Tourmaster Youth Jacket. For the lower half of the body, I would recommend knee guards like these over jeans.

2. Kinder Rider

Kinder Rider offers a 2 piece jacket and pants suit, as well as gloves. The outfit is constructed of real Cordura and fully armored from head to toe! There are also a few different color options for the jacket as well. The size chart doesn't have any measurements, but hopefully contacting them will help you choose the right size.

3. Custom Gear

There's always the option of getting a custom 1 or 2 piece suit from one of the brands on my directory.

4. Youth Racing suit

Who knew? Dainese makes a Youth Racing Suit! The sizes are defined on the size chart here.