The Benefits of Wearing Motorcycle Pants
Riding a motorcycle on a hot day is an exhilarating experience; enjoy visiting beautiful locations and avoid the traffic when riding on your bike. Some motorcycle gear, including pants, can be restricting, hot and frustrating to wear. However, they provide essential protection for your legs and make a massive difference in the unfortunate event of a motorcycle accident. This article looks at the benefits of wearing motorcycle pants.
Joint protection
One key benefit of motorcycle pants is the joint protection they provide. Even basic motorcycle pants have thickened material or additional protection around the knee joint. In the event of an accident or crash, the knee protection will help keep the joint in the correct position and help prevent knee injuries. When falling off a bike, your knee can take a considerable amount of impact; motorcycle pants with added knee protection cushion your joint and minimize the direct impact on your knee. When selecting motorcycle pants, check if they include armor or if they have the space to add in armor for additional protection. The armor you choose should be of a good standard; it should allow flexibility and provide the required protection for an accident. Not all knee armor is the same; make sure you do your research and find out what’s inside your protective motorcycle pants before buying. Many manufacturers will advertise good knee protection, but those who only offer standard protection won’t include this information in their advertisements.
Road abrasion
Coming off your motorcycle and sliding down the road can cause severe road abrasion; pants that are not designed for such situations will immediately tear, exposing your bare skin to the road surface. When traveling at great speed down the surface of the road, your skin will tear in seconds; exposure to a road surface for any period of time can cause serious damage to your skin, muscle and tissue. The speed and the amount of time you spend sliding on the road will impact the level and depth of the road abrasion, also often referred to as road rash. Motorcycle pants offer varying levels of protection against road abrasion or road rash. Leather and specially designed textile pants provide the most effective protection against road abrasion. One common saying amongst bikers is to dress for the slide and not the ride; this refers to ensuring you have enough protection for sliding down the road. You may be an experienced biker, but unexpected road conditions or other drivers' actions can quickly lead to an accident.
Knee pads
Knee pads are an alternative or addition to motorcycle pants; they provide protection for your knee joint, which often extends onto the shin and calves. Some bikers choose to strap on knee pads instead of motorcycle pants. These will help protect your joint and the area covered by the pad, but any area exposed could still suffer road rash in the event of an accident. Many motorcycle pants have pockets where you can insert knee pads, so you don’t need to deal with uncomfortable straps. Make sure to check when buying motorcycle pants that the knee protection provided in the pants is of good quality.
Weather protection
Riding on the open road leaves your legs and entire body exposed to the elements. Sun, rain and freezing temperatures require different clothing to protect your body effectively. Motorcycle pants are great for keeping your legs warm in the winter months and stopping wind chill. Often bikers choose not to wear motorcycle leg protection in the warmer months as they feel hot and uncomfortable. However, certain styles of motorcycle pants are designed for all weather conditions. Mesh or textile pants can help bikers keep cool in the summer months. When cooler weather comes around, extra layers of material can be added to provide additional protection from wind and cold temperatures. If you live in an area which experiences cold and warm weather, you should consider buying motorcycle pants that can be adapted and worn for each weather condition. Some bikers only get out their bike in the nice weather, so protection from the cold isn’t a challenge they need to consider; breathable motorcycle pants would be more suitable for fair-weather riders.