How Important are "Proper" Motorcycle Winter Glove

[stiffi]

I'm thinking of buying some heavy waterproof liners from REI. I just got some heated liners for Christmas, and I think these would work well for an outer shell.

They have no padding or armor, whatsoever, as they are from REI and are probably made for snowboarding.

So, do I need "Proper" motorcycle gloves? I plan to have 2-3 layers of gloves on anyway, so in a slide, I would probably have enough to shred before getting to skin.

I usually ride with a pair of leather riding gloves complete with palm padding, and padding on each knuckle, so I'm a little nervous about going without padding in the cold.

[jmkjr72]

the probelm with isnt with the shred factor but the fact that the materials that most of those gloves are made of will melt instead of shread

so now when you crash and have to go to the hospital they have to pull the melted materail out of your hands

on top of it proper gloves will help with the windchills better the ones i have have gortex outerwear and being you have a leather armored glove under you dont have to worry about the melt factor

why not get the scooter mits (i actualy got the ones for snowmobiles as they are very common in my area)

[ericalm]

Pretty important, I'd say. If you're concerned enough about it to wear proper gloves in warmer months, then you might want to thin about other options for winter riding. It's not just the thickness—though nylon and filler will probably get shredded pretty easily. A good pair of "real" gloves (and there are plenty of bad motorcycle gloves out there) will have reinforcements and extra protection in the vulnerable areas (palms, knuckles), use stronger thread, be double stitched, and maybe have other features such as padded palms and reflective elements (harder to find, but very effective).

Riding with cold hands can be pretty dangerous, too, but with heated liners you may be able to get a multi-season glove that you can use in the spring and fall as well.

[michelle_7728]

Before I bought my Gerbings heated gloves, I purchased two different "good" pair of winter riding gloves, one of which was also waterproof. Due to my having Reynauds, neither pair kept my hands warm, though they were good for the reasons the others stated previously.

So, if you buy a pair of good waterproof riding gloves that your heated liners fit in, I'd say you will be good to go: good crash protection and warmth to boot!

[killbilly]

Think about the last time you tripped and fell, or lost your balance and caught yourself.

What's the first thing you did?

You put your hands out.

In a bike get-off, it's a reflex. You'll put your hands out.

Go with the best protection you can possibly afford for your hands. In my opinion, it's second only to the helmet. If that means getting proper, reinforced, abrasion resistant gloves, then so be it. Spend the money.

Because the cost of the gloves are probably cheaper than the deductible for skin grafts.

[BootScootin'FireFighter]

I waterproof treated (nikwax) my gerbings leather gauntlets (the heated ones), and so far, they hold up very well. I've been in light rain for longer rides, but don't really plan to ride long trips in long cold rains. I don't even need to plug in the heaters for short trips around town in the low teens, and they retain enough heat. In the summer, I'll go back to my usual kevlar gloves and if they soak through, no biggie as long as it's fairly mild temperature out, i can stop occassionaly on long trips for a coffee break and wring them out. I wouldn't worry about it too much, main thing is keeping them warm without losing dexterity. That's what could happen with more layers you add on. The mittens sound good, I haven't tried them yet.

[michelle_7728]

That's my rule of thumb when buying any gear, be it gloves, helmet, jacket or pants. The best may be expensive, but still cheaper than plastic surgery or hospital bills. I know, buying good gear is no guarantee to safety, but IMO worth the chance of either accident avoidance (with bright gear) or less injury if you do have an accident (good quality gear).

[trackpete]

I have weird shaped hands, very large palms combined with short stubby fingers. Most "motorcycle gloves" are uncomfortable for me because of the "claw" shape. I rarely wear gauntlets or armored gloves, preferring high quality reinforced mountaineering or snowboarding gloves (with leather palms and double or triple stitching). Especially at "scooter" speeds I don't worry about it much (I prefer full armor on a sportbike if I know I'm going to go fast though).

So far my North Face mountaineering gloves have held up find through a couple scrapes, only popped one stitch - about the same as my Icon armored gloves when I went down in them.

Perhaps ironically, I've broken one finger and gashed up another while messing up a flip wearing armored gloves, illustrating that even the "best" gloves aren't proof against damage - basically, there's always a chance you're going to get hurt no matter what you're wearing. (I still don't understand how I took a chunk out of that finger without even tearing the glove)

I guess that's a long winded way of saying that whatever you buy, make sure they are high quality gloves with high quality material. Hands & head are the key areas to protect.

[kneil67@yahoo.com]

ice fishing gloves a little bulky at first but nice warm fingers

[loodieboy]

One other consideration: ergonomics.

My wife bought me a beautiful pair of extra warm ski gloves for winter riding. I went out to ride and, guess what, not only couldn't I get a decent grip on the handles, but they were so bulky that the backs of my gloved fingers were practically bumping the backside of the brake levers - I had to pull my hand back before being able to grab the brake levers - and again, the grip was crappy. Worthless.

So I stick with army surplus leather and wool gloves for cold weather and dedicated motorcycle winter riding gloves for really cold weather.

[killbilly]

One other consideration: ergonomics.

My wife bought me a beautiful pair of extra warm ski gloves for winter riding. I went out to ride and, guess what, not only couldn't I get a decent grip on the handles, but they were so bulky that the backs of my gloved fingers were practically bumping the backside of the brake levers - I had to pull my hand back before being able to grab the brake levers - and again, the grip was crappy. Worthless.

So I stick with army surplus leather and wool gloves for cold weather and dedicated motorcycle winter riding gloves for really cold weather.

I just got some very nice RevIt winter gloves and had a similar issue. It is because of this that I believe I will be de-installing the grip puppies from my bike.