Did you just get a bike and don’t know what gear you need to wear? Or are you looking to buy someone an early Holiday gift for the rider in your family, but don’t know what to get? Look no further than the new BTO Sports Infographic! We have illustrated all the gear you should not ride without! This includes: a motocross helmet, goggles, jersey, pants, gloves, and boots. Furthermore, most riders take extra precautions by investing in a neck brace and or chest protector.
Motocross Helmet: Motocross helmets are extremely important to your safety. There are different kinds of motorcycle helmets, some for street riding, and some for dirt riding. For dirt bike riding, you want to get the dirt bike helmet that looks like the one pictured above on Andrew Short. He wears the FLY F2 Carbon Short helmet. The dirt bike helmets have a visor on them to protect against roost from other riders. Motocross helmets also feature a wider eye port for the use of goggles, and a vented mouth piece for more air flow when racing. Furthermore, most dirt bike helmets have removable liner and cheek pads so you can wash the dirt and sweat away after a long day of riding or racing.
Motocross Goggles: Keep dust, roost, dirt, rocks, bugs, and other debris out of your eyes and face with a pair of motocross goggles. There are many different variations of goggles, some are made for warm weather with maximum ventilation, while others are made to keep your face warm. There are goggles designed to work with prescription glasses, and goggles created solely for motocross. Motocross goggles have posts built in the lenses for tear offs. Most goggles have replaceables as well. You can get clear, colored, or mirrored lenses depending on the lighting you’re riding in or style you’re after. Be sure to read up on the goggles and lenses to ensure they’re what you need before making a purchase.
Motocross Jersey: Jerseys are made from a performance enhanced, lightweight polyester blend which offers maximum durability while keeping the jersey thin and light. There are dirt bike jerseys for all types of riding, including warm weather, cold weather, racing, and trail riding. Warm weather dirt bike jerseys are vented with mesh material to allow ample ventilation, while cold weather dirt bike jerseys are conversely lined with fleece to keep the rider warm. One may also consider wearing a riding jacket, or purchasing under armor. Racing dirt bike jerseys typically consist of the most simplistic design possible. Usually an athletic cut with mesh panels sewn into polyester with bright dye-sublimated colors. Lastly, trail riding jerseys typically have elbow pads sewn in, and contain extra stitching on the seams for more protection and durability. They’re a little bit heavier than your standard motocross jersey as well.
Motocross Pants: Motocross pants follow the same path as the jerseys mentioned above, and are usually sold together in a set containing jersey & pant. However, we’ll gladly point out some differences in the pants one should look out for to help differentiate between cold, warm, racing, and trail riding. Just like the cold weather jerseys, cold weather riding pants have more stitching around seams, and no vents. Some offer cold weather liners as well. Warm weather riding pants will feature plenty of vents, typically around the knee and thigh areas. Motocross pants typically consist of warm weather pants, and or incorporate vents into a more durable pant to optimize efficiency. If you plan on riding motocross, knee braces are a very common article one should consider. (Unfortunately we ran out of space on the graphic.) However, manufacturers will make motocross pants specifically designed to encompass a knee brace. Look for descriptions such as “knee brace compatible” or “ergonomically pre-shaped knee”. This will tell you if the pants are designed to work with knee braces or not. Trail dirt bike riding pants again have extra stitching and extra material for maximum durability. Look for over the boot, or inside the boot cuts, there’s no reason to go over the boot aside from added comfort while walking around after arriving at a destination. Lastly, trail riding dirt bike pants sometime come with built in cargo pockets for extra storage.
Motocross Gloves: Motocross gloves are essential as they provide protection while riding, and if you were to fall. Dirt bike gloves come in two styles, light weight, or protective. Lightweight gloves are usually made from a mesh material for ventilation. The top of the protective gloves are covered in TPR rubber adding a barrier between the top of your hand and outside elements. All gloves have multiple stitching on the palms for extra durability. When sizing motocross gloves, be sure the entire palm fits tight, or else you may be left with blisters after riding.
Motocross Boots: Motocross boots are an essential piece as well, protecting your foot, ankle, and shins from injury. High end boots also feature built-in metal plates to prevent the boot from flexing in a crash. Motocross boots are available with several different options including the sole, booty, and hinges. Standard motocross boots come with a sewn on sole. These are durable, and have been the standard in boots for a long time. The downside is that when the soles wear out, the entire sole needs to be replaced. New technology entered the boot market several years ago where the entire sole is molded to the bottom of the boot. They feature inserts that can be replaced when worn out. This way the entire sole doesn’t need to be replaced, just the insert. The booty function is offered on a few boots, like the Alpinestars Tech 8. The removable booty offers a comfortable fit, with a washable option. Moving on, since all boots are constructed of leather, they can be difficult to break-in. There are some boots that remove the break in period completely by adding a pivot joint on the ankle. This also offers a slightly different feel when riding.
Motocross Neck Braces: Motocross or dirt bike neck braces are the result of several years of medical research. Motocross neck braces are specifically designed to combat neck injury. They work by displacing load that would typically be forced onto your neck, out to other parts of the body, like the collar bone, chest, and shoulders. In a sport riddled with injury, it’s best to get all the protection you can get!
Motocross Chest Protectors: Motocross chest protectors offer great protection while riding and or crashing. They protect your stomach, chest, and shoulders from roost and rocks thrown up from another rider. Furthermore, they can block tree branches, rocks, and other debris while out riding on the trails. In the event you do hit the deck, chest protectors are really good at saving your body to an extent from bumps, bruises, and scratches. If you’re looking to get a neck brace and a chest protector, be sure to look at the neck brace compatible chest protectors on the BTO website.
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