Whether you think/admit so or not, safety gear is the most essential part in any kind of motorcycle riding. You may want to live the life on edge and push it to extreme for adrenaline rush. Chances are that nothing would happen to you in most of the times when you are riding without riding gear. But for something to go wrong, only that once becomes the ultimate chance. You may be a very good rider following all the rules and not riding at speed, just enjoying the leisurely ride through evening near by city, and imagine a dog suddenly appearing from no where and crossing, or some truck driver who decided to change the lane at last moment and you saw them rushing towards you. The chances are still that you may survive such odds. Yet, you know it well that it takes only once for something to go wrong and you will lose your life. If you are lucky, you may get away with just few bruises and little serious injuries, if not then you may actually die. Now, sure you don’t want that to happen, right? You would rather want to enjoy the ride on your motorcycle and worry little less about such possibilities. Living on the edge is cool, but not wise. Specially if you love what you are doing. It would be rather ridiculously naïve for you to dream to be on two wheels and live an adventure without respecting the road, the co- riders and your own life.

What happens when you are not wearing riding gear? Chances are that most of the times you would return back home with great memories. Chances are you would continue riding and stay safe everytime. But what it takes is just one dog to pass by, some uneducated person making right turn without giving indicator, someone crossing lane at last moment, something happening that it should not have happened and that will cost you your life.

How does safety gear protect?

1. Impact

Riding gear gives you protection at your important portions of body which are more exposed to injuries. Like your joints, Wearing elbow gaurds or jackets would protect your joints on elbows, shoulders, your ribs. Knee gaurds would protect you from any fall and even times when some vehicle may dash at you. Helmet, its function is to take the impact which otherwise would have been your skull which would go in pieces. Yet these helmets are designed in the way to not make riding comfortable but protect us from silliest things like flies which may just hit you at the speed of bullet and that one second of loss of control is enough for you to lose the balance. Protection is better than cure. You must have seen those riders who take out helmets and keep it on fuel tank while enjoying low speed and having one of those cigarettes, you can’t deny the possibility that its matter of only a split second for something to go wrong. So precaution is better than cure. Protection is the first step towards sensible riding.

• Abrasion

Many times while riding, whatever intensity that you get fall with, even at low intensity what you are going to hit are your palms. At slow speed when you are skidding, your full sleeves t-shirt or leather jacket aint going to protect you from the skin getting burnt. The jackets are made up with material that can take heat and abrasion.

• Tiredness

You might have heard many saying that just few 100 km of riding to another city and the person got tired. Then how is it that these riders do 500 – 700 and sometimes 1000 km in a day? Apart from its primary function of giving protection, riding gear makes riding very comfortable with its well designed jackets which takes the wind and smoke from front. The strong cross wind doesn’t get directly hitting on your body making you less tired and you can cloack more number of kms and hours on the road.

• Confidence

When you know you love your sport and now that you have the riding gear, its fun to be enjoying those speeds and curves not worrying so much about the fall. It gives you that extra edge. You know you are well prepared if anything happens.

• Protection against climate

The handgloves would prove very handy while riding in terrains like ladakh. It keeps your hands warm, it makes it easier to change gears.

Its better to have wear one and not need it rather than needing one and not have worn it. All you need is that one chance out of infinite to make things go horrible. There is no later for investing in good riding gear. And if you love riding on two wheel and want to continue it further, that has to be the on the top of your priority list.