What Should a Woman Wear When Riding a Motorcycle?

In this century, women also want to explore the world with their motorbikes. And thus they must wear suitable gears which not only protect them but also make them comfortable. Now the question is, what should a woman wear when riding a motorcycle. 

Women should wear a motorcycle helmet with quality leather boots to protect their heads and feet when riding a motorcycle. Also, to protect themselves from abrasion and cold, a woman should wear a leather motorcycle jacket with extra padding on the shoulder, chest, and arms.

Let’s look at what it means for you and what you can do about it. 

While writing this post, I leave no stone unturned so you can get essential knowledge about riding gears that women can wear while riding motorcycles.

What Should a Woman Wear When Riding a Motorcycle?

Women aren’t longer want to sit at home ideally and wait for their spouse. In this century, they want to fly high and explore the world with their motorbike. 

And that a woman should know a bit about riding gears which they can wear while riding a motorcycle. 

Women should wear at least a quality helmet that will protect their heads from any significant injuries. 

Along with a helmet, a woman should also wear riding boots to protect their feet from any injuries. And if you’re living in a cold climate, then it’ll be better to buy a riding jacket too. 

It’s because a riding jacket protects the riders from injuries and protects them from cold air. 

And if you want to be a dirt rider, you must check out neck braces for motorcycles. It will protect your neck as well as the spine. 

Worry not! I’ve mentioned some gear check-out lists in the next section.

What to Include in Gears for Max Protection?

Many people don’t have much idea about adding things to include in motorbike gear.

Even many people still think motorbike gear only includes helmets. 

Although helmets are necessary for your head protection, there are other body parts that you should also take care of. 

Add motorcycle helmets, back protectors, motorcycle riding pants, riding boots, riding jackets, airbags, riding gloves, and glasses to your motorbike gear list. And make sure you wear all your riding gear before going for a motorbike ride for better safety.

You can find all safety equipment below, which you can include in your motorcycle gear. 

What to Include in a Motorcycle Gear Set.	Reason
Motorcycle Helmets	It protects you from any severe head injuries.
Motorcycle Back Protector	It protects your whole back and kidney from shock and severe injuries.
Riding Glasses	Riding glasses protect your eyes from harmful UV rays, insects, dust, and debris.
Motorcycle Airbags	It protects your ribs and neck from severe injuries.
Motorcycle Riding Pants	Riding pants protect your feet from any kind of abrasion.
Riding Boots	Riding boots protect your ankle from abrasion.
Motorcycle Riding Gloves	Riding gloves protects tumbling and numbing fingers while you ride for a longer time.

Motorcycle Helmets: 

Motorcycle helmets are probably the essential thing that you should include in your motorcycle gears list. 

Helmets protect you from any life-threatening head injuries.

But let’s not reach a conclusion yet; I’ve some studies to show which can clear any doubt you might have. 

National Highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) published a report concluding that helmets saved more than 1800 riders’ lives in 2016. 

In the same report, NHTSA claimed that 809 people could also save their lives if they wore a helmet, but unfortunately, they didn’t wear it while riding.

You can see the report here on page number 8.

Motorcycle helmets proved to be 37% effective for motorbike riders and 41% for motorbike passengers. 

Think in this way, every 37 riders and 41 motorbike passengers could have saved their lives if they wore helmets. 

NHTSA also published a report in 2017 concluding, the US alone can save more than $1 billion if all riders wear motorcycle helmets. 

And our government could use this $1 billion for better use. 

You can see the report here.

Another non-profitable organization combined more than 60 studies. The final result in 2008 concluded that helmets could reduce death caused by severe accidents by 42%. 

And can reduce the risk of severe injuries by 69%. 

You can read the study in detail on Pubmed NIH.

However, in the above studies, I didn’t find the effect of helmets on neck and cheek injuries. 

These studies also have insufficient data concluding the effect of helmet types on head injuries. More studies are still needed on the impact of helmet types on head injuries.  

In the ideal condition, your motorbike helmet shouldn’t block the blood flow going to your brain. 

Also, your motorbike helmet shouldn’t be so loose that it starts to wobble. 

You can identify the perfect helmet for you by wearing it. 

In ideal conditions, the motorcycle helmet shouldn’t start to rotate. But it should press your cheek area when you try to rotate it. 

Additionally, if you’ve long hair, you need to pay special attention while buying the helmet. 

A good helmet should give some space to your ponytail and shouldn’t squeeze the ponytail ever.  

Worry not! I’ve included the step for helmet measurement through which you can know your head size later in this post. 

I’ve personally experienced, most motorbike women all around the US still think the helmet should fit them tightly. 

Let’s see why your helmet shouldn’t be tight ever and what consequences you can experience if your motorbike helmet is too tight.

 

Back Protectors: 

Back protectors are probably the most underrated safety gear. 

If you’re a professional rider, you must know how important it is to wear a back protector.  

The back protector covers your whole back and kidney area and acts as a barrier by absorbing all energy at the time of impact, thus protecting your back and kidney. Additionally, the back protector makes your posture straight and reduces back pain, making it worth it. 

You covered your head with a good helmet, but what about your spinal cord? Isn’t the spinal cord essential for you too? 

And that’s why manufacturers made back protectors for people who care about their spinal cord.

Biomedical.com, in 2016, combined more than 180 studies on back protectors, concluding that non-standard clothing and foam-filled motorcycle jackets may be the two leading causes of severe back injuries. 

In the same study, researchers found that standard or hard shell back protectors may be associated with a reduced number of severe back injury cases. 

Also, according to Biomedical.com, riders who wore solid back protectors while riding faced 3X less severe injuries than riders who wore foam-filled jackets. 

However, these studies still lack proper evidence, and more proper studies are still needed to reach any solid conclusion. 

Until then, I think no one will wait for further studies instead of wearing a solid back protector. 

Please note that the back protector only works on full gears from the head to the leg. It would be best not to take your safety casually.

Proper fitting of the back protector is essential for your safety as well as comfort. You just can’t place a back protector on your back and expect protection.

Nowadays, most jackets come with an inner pocket in which you can place your back protector. Always make sure the back protector logo should be on the exposed side. Additionally, make sure the back protector fits your motorcycle jacket well enough before buying it. 

The above way works best for regular or off-road back protectors, but you can place the back protector through bands or straps in the case of a back protector for a track. 

Air Bags: 

Have you ever seen motorcycle airbags? 

No, I’m not talking about airbags that open in the car at the time of the accident. 

Motorcycle airbags protect your ribs and neck area from any severe injuries at the time of the accident. Airbags work the same as car bags which involve the explosion of the airbag at the time of impact. But unlike car airbags, the motorcycle airbag doesn’t explode because of a chemical reaction. 

There are many different types of airbags, and the effectiveness of airbags varies from category to category. 

For instance, an intelligent motorcycle jacket is seven times more effective than an ordinary airbag. But an intelligent motorcycle jacket can’t protect your neck and upper rib cage from impact.

You’ve seen how important the motorbike airbags are, now let’s see how motorcycle airbags actually work? 

Airbags work the same as car bags which involve the explosion of the airbag at the time of impact. But unlike car airbags, the motorcycle airbag doesn’t inflate because of a chemical reaction. Instead of chemical reaction, most manufacturers fit the smart sensor or a hook attached to you. 

The intelligent sensors or hooks save much more space in the motorcycle airbag, thus helping to prevent you from any severe injuries. 

Airbags come with a gas canister of compressed gas; thus, the gas canister opens at the time of impact, and the compressed gas releases. 

Please remember that the opening of a gas canister is instantaneous, and after exploding, the pressure decreases slowly, so you don’t suffocate. 

Motorcycle Riding Pants: 

I’ve covered all safety equipment that can protect your upper body well. But you still need solid protection for your lower body too. 

Riding pants are made of thick fabrics which can protect your feet from any abrasion at the time of the accident. Motorcycle riding pants are generally loose so you can wear them over ordinary pants. The riding pants also facilitate the comfort which you need while riding the motorbike.  

Many riding pants also come with knee protectors, which protect your knee if you collide unintentionally with another motorbike. 

Make sure your motorbike pants aren’t too tight or too loose. Generally, people always order riding pants just one size bigger than their ordinary pants. 

Motorcycle Riding Glass: 

Probably your eyes are the most crucial organ you used while riding. After all, you might not want to lose your vision for even a second. 

And that’s why you need riding glass if your helmet doesn’t have a clear visor.  

Motorbike riding glasses are essential for protecting your eyes from dust, debris, UV rays, and insects. These may cause vision loss for a few seconds. Riding glasses are even more necessary if you ride in a dry climate.

Always choose riding glasses that could easily fit in your helmet.

Neck Braces: 

Motorbike neck braces are made from material that can absorb almost all the shock that your neck has to absorb. 

Though this shocks absorbing material, the neck braces protect your upper back, collarbone, and few nerves from any severe damage. 

But let’s not reach any conclusion yet; I’ve some studies to show you to help you understand how essential the neck braces are. 

Through 10 years, Action Sports Ems did great work by subjecting approximately 8000 injured riders for their studies. 

According to them, out of 8000 injured patients, only 3,803 riders wore neck braces while 4,726 riders didn’t. 

This small observation proved that the absence of quality neck braces could be one of the main reasons why 4,726 riders had to face severe collarbone injuries. 

You can see or even download the PDF of the observation here. 

In another set of studies, they found the same.

As mentioned above, the quality motorbike neck braces are made to absorb the shocks, which otherwise your collarbone and upper back have to absorb.

Thus the below study can be the factor for the effectiveness of neck braces. 

In the 10 years of their studies, only 239 severe cervical spine injuries are recorded without neck braces.

And only 26 cases were recorded with neck braces.

In other words, riders could face 89% more cervical spinal injuries without neck braces.  

In those 10 years, they recorded five deaths from severe cervical spinal injuries, and only one wore neck braces.

According to the study, the one rider who lost their life has a past medical cervical history. 

In other words, riders who don’t wear neck braces would likely lose their lives by 69%. 

Although there are three more studies that researchers included in the PDF, I disagree with those remaining studies. 

But it doesn’t change the solid concussion they found, which I mentioned above. 

If you want to protect yourself from severe cervical injuries, it would be best to buy one pair of neck braces. 

Undoubtedly the neck braces work perfectly to protect your cervical spine. But have you ever wondered how motorbikes need braces? 

Neck braces limit the motorbike helmet and your head movement, which causes the helmet to touch and transfer the impact energy to neck braces. Neck braces are made from the impact-absorbing material, absorbing almost all impact energy, thus blocking the energy from transferring to your neck. 

Unfortunately, as with other safety gears, the motorbike neck braces also show some risks and cons.

Motorcycle Jacket: 

Motorcycle jackets with foam paddings at the chest, back, and kidney areas are most likely to be made for absorbing the small impact. 

The six months-long studies on 212 riders showed us something interesting. 

The riders faced life-threatening accidents while riding. And out of 212 riders, some wore protective units around their upper body, and some weren’t. 

Although all riders were subjected to hospital treatment. 

But riders who wore protective units around their upper body were found to be fully recovered after six months of impact. 

More interestingly, fully protective riders recovered even after two months and encountered less complicated internal injuries than those who didn’t wear any upper body protection. 

You can read more about the study here on NCBI. 

Although we still need some more studies to reach any hard conclusion, small-scale studies are enough to give us small indications about results. 

Most motorcycle jackets come with chest, shoulder, and kidney foam paddings that cover all your impact area from burn and abrasion during impact. 

And that’s why some riders who wear motorcycle jackets face burn and abrasion in these impact areas. 

Last but not least, most motorcycle jackets come with reflective units that reflect light during the night, thus indicating your presence.

Not to mention further, the quality of motorcycle jackets impacts hugely on your safety. 

The Functions of motorcycle jackets are exciting but straightforward.

Motorcycle jackets come with foam padding at high impact areas, absorbing all kinetic energy during impact. The jacket also comes with a reflective unit which indicates your clear presence at the highways, thus protecting you from impact from your back. 

Interestingly, you can also increase your safety by wearing a jacket under your back protector or airbag from high-intensity accidents. 

Motorcycle Jersey: 

You may see soccer players wearing jerseys while playing; just like soccer jerseys, motorbike jerseys look the same. 

Motorcycle jerseys are not so popular mainly because they offer less or negligible protection while riding. But it doesn’t mean no one buys this.

Even after being not so famous, motorcycle jerseys are among the number one choices to wear under the back protector and airbags. 

It’s because it’s made from light fabrics which are highly adjustable and can fit in almost all motorbike gears. 

Let’s see what the role of a motorcycle jersey is in the next section.

So far, you got the right idea about motorcycle jerseys, but have you wondered what the role of a motorbike jersey in the rider’s life is? 

Because of lightweight material, motorcycle jerseys help the riders to be comfortable while wearing heavy protective gear. It also helps the riders to make them cool while riding through sweat evaporation. Even motorcycle jerseys help the rider’s skin to breathe easily. 

Suppose you ever wear an upper protective unit. In that case, you must know how painful and uncomfortable it is for riders to wear them for a longer time. 

And to make riding a bit comfortable, manufacturers are making motorcycle jerseys that help the rider’s skin breathe when wearing protective units. 

Another reason why some riders still prefer motorbike jerseys is because of protection. 

Wait! Do motorcycle jerseys offer you protection? 

To save the sinking motorbike jersey market, manufacturers came up with the new idea to add some padding on the shoulders and chest. 

And fortunately, their marketing tactics seem to be working.

Casual or city riders who don’t want to wear heavy protective units for the sake of protection are buying jerseys widely. 

Jersey not only protects them from minor injuries but also provides the comfortability that they deserve. 

Also, read my previous post where I’ve discussed how motorbike gear can save your life. Click here to read.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Final Verdict:

What Should a Woman Wear When Riding a Motorcycle? Women should wear a motorcycle helmet with quality leather boots to protect their heads and feet when riding a motorcycle. 

Also, to protect themselves from abrasion and cold, a woman should wear a leather motorcycle jacket with extra padding on the shoulder, chest, and arms.

I’ve mentioned some gears in the above section, worry not, you don’t have to include all gears in your checklist. 

Just choose gear that is more essential for you and your riding life.