Motorcycle Gloves: The First Thing to Hit the Ground

In almost every fall, your hands are the first to go down. That makes gloves the component with the smallest investment and the biggest impact. At the same time, they determine how much feel you retain on the throttle, clutch, and brake. A glove that is too thick or too stiff will cost you control.

A Different Glove for Each Season

Summer: perforated or with mesh, like the Leatt X-Flow and the Alpinestars SPX Air Carbon. Air permeability takes precedence over waterproofing here. Spring and Autumn: a closed glove without thick lining. The Alpinestars SP-9 and Furygan Styg are in this segment. Rain: a membrane, such as Drystar in the Alpinestars XT-3 and Tourer W-7, Gore-Tex in the WR-X and WT-8, or HydraDri in the Leatt ADV series. Winter: insulated and waterproof, or heated if you truly keep riding.

A short glove stops at the wrist and is worn under your sleeve. Pleasant in the city and quick to put on. A long glove has a cuff that closes over your jacket sleeve, so no exposed piece of wrist remains and no water or wind can get in. For touring and sporty riding, long is the safer choice.

Look beyond just the knuckle protector. The palm is the point where you slide during a fall: there should be a reinforcement there, often made of leather or aramid. Also pay attention to the closure; a glove that can slip off your hand during a slide provides no protection. Gloves should fit snugly without your fingertips pressing against the end. New leather stretches slightly, textile almost not at all. In doubt? Use our size advisor. In this collection you will find brands such as Alpinestars, Leatt, Furygan, Knox, and LS2. Everything comes through official European distributors.