Motorcycle safety clothing.

For riding a motorcycle, in many delevoped countries the wearing of protective clothing is also often mandated, especially a helmet. Other protective gear include jackets, gloves, boots, and pants. The jackets range from nylon to leather and, the more advanced, kevlar. Some jackets include heavy padding on elbows, spine and shoulder regions. Gloves are generally made of leather or kevlar and some include carbon fiber knuckle protection. Boots, especially those for sport riding, include reinforcement and plastic caps on the ankles, and toe area. Pants are usually leather, nylon or kevlar. One company even makes a pair of jeans with kevlar reinforcement. None of these items are required by law in any state (in the U.S.) but are recommended by many of those who ride. Trail-bike riders wear a range of plastic armour to protect against injury from falling off, hitting other riders and bikes and from running into track barriers protecting the public. The armour protects the extremities from breakage and disjointing and the back and chest from strain and broken bones. Although efficient it is not always effective.

Leathers

The term motorcycle leathers describes leather clothing worn by motorcyclists for two reasons, to protect themselves against the consequences of falling off their bike, and to provide additional weather protection that normal clothing would not offer when travelling at speed. A well-protected motorcyclist will wear boots with heels that fit on motorcycle pegs and provide good ankle support, leather pants or chaps to protect the legs, a leather jacket to protect the trunk and arms, gloves and a helmet with eye protection.

Originally motorcycle leathers were adapted from tank corps gear immediately following World War I. Dusters, which tended to catch in the wheels, were switched for short coats. Wide-pegged breeches were worn by some motorcycle police (and are still worn in Belgium) and by dispatch riders in World War II, but were largely abandoned in the post-war years, because of their Nazi associations.

Currently there are two major styles of motorcycle leathers, the tight colorful suits, based on traditional one-piece motorcycle racing leathers, which are worn by cafe racers and others following the European style, and the somewhat looser black leather trousers and jackets decorated with studs worn by American bikers. The latter style, the jackets in particular, are also worn by people who like the style but do not ride motorcycles. The classic American motorcycle jacket with epaulets and diagonal zipper, made famous by Marlon Brando in The Wild One, (1954) was invented in 1946 by Ross Langlitz, of Portland, Oregon and is still hand-made by his heirs today. Leather chaps, adapted from cowboy gear, were used by American bikers starting in the early 1960s.

In addition, biker styles have an appeal to some leather fetishists. See Tom of Finland.

A lot of modern leathers have armour on the inside at critical impact points such as elbows knees and the spine. The armour ranges from high density foam to foam backed hard armour. It is designed to spread the impact point to minimize injury.

Increasingly motorcyclists are choosing protective equipment constructed of man-made materials rather than leather due to their improved weather protection, from heat, cold and water, and the increased utility these garments tend to provide in terms of pockets and vents.

In all cases it is important to get the correct fit when purchasing riding gear. Incorrectly fitted garments may result in excessive injury if armour shifts out of position during a riding mishap.

Helmet

Main article: Motorcycle helmet

A motorcycle helmet is a type of protective headgear used by motorcycle riders. The primary goal of a motorcycle helmet is to protect the rider's head during impact, although many helmets provide additional conveniences, such as face shields, ear protection, etc.