Pros vs Cons of gloves...

[lzbthcny]

So I know you guys are all really big on ATGAT and I couldn't agree more. But After a couple of test runs I'm beginning to think I'm safer without the gloves. I got a pair of pretty nice leather, armored knuckle gloves but I don't have the dexterity to do anything including be able to feel where I am on the throttle. I don't want to lose my hand when a cement truck kicks a rock up at 65 mph but I don't want to lose all control because I couldn't tell I was still on the throttle when I wanted to brake. I wore leather baseball gloves in the MSF course and those were fine but would they be a safe enough medium?

[Bibendum]

Originally Posted by lzbthcny

...I got a pair of pretty nice leather, armored knuckle gloves but I don't have the dexterity to do anything including be able to feel where I am on the throttle...

Then you have the wrong gloves. If you can't tell what you are doing with your gloves on, you need to keep shopping.

Just my $.02,
Kharon

[GS-RON]

I agree, wrong gloves.

Gloves are like stereo speakers.... You get what you pay for. A $40.00 pair of Chinese made "Bilt" gloves from Cycle Gear (or any other low end gear) can't compete in any way, shape or form with my $200.00 Kangaroo hide Held Road Race Gloves and I wouldn't even consider putting them or any other cheap Chinese glove on my hand.

As far as feel and dexterity? I seldom take my gloves off for normal things like refueling, flipping the map over or most other ride related activities...... I don't use my phone, my GPS (anymore), have or use an I-Pod or play with any of the other distractions that seem to be req'd these days so they're button pushing abilities are unknown.....

Money wasted? Not by any stretch of the imagination. After at least 6 years of constant use, countless washings by myself and mother nature and almost no formal maint they still fit, function and protect like new. I see no reason I can't get another 6 years out of them. People I know with $50 gloves have gone through 3 or 4 pairs in that time.

Gloves should be hard to get on but feel like a 2nd skin once they're there.

YMMV RON

[CanadianBird]

Originally Posted by Bibendum

Then you have the wrong gloves. If you can't tell what you are doing with your gloves on, you need to keep shopping.

Just my $.02,
Kharon

Plus One. I can't imagine riding without gloves, gear or a helmet.

[Thumbuster]

The may sound too obvious but do your gloves fit properly? Not too tight to numb your hands?

You should be able to tell right off if you are on or tapering off the throttle by the sound and speed of your engine even with ever so slight throttle position changes if your bike has good throttle response. The more you ride, the more in tune you will get with the sound and movement of your bike and learn what inputs you need to get your bike to respond to how you want within its limitations. This goes for braking and steering as well.

You will be able to tell if the engine is missing or sluggish and needs a tune up by its sound and performance. Same with throttle control. Every situation is different but in time you will know just how much or little input you need and do it instinctively while at the same time gaugeing the feedback and responding accordingly all within a fraction of a second.

Don't give up on the gloves. You'll get use to them.

[pawprint2104]

There are all sorts of styles and materials for gloves. You need a high quality pair (doesn't have to be $$$) which will provide adequate comfort and protection. Your hands are your lifeline to continued successful riding. If they're injured from a "get off" or flying road debris, you can't ride. So, protect them at all costs. Go to any local motorcycle supply shop that has a large (not just 3 or 4, but a large) selection of gloves. Try all of them on. Test them for craftsmanship (good material, good design), comfort ( no uncomfortable seams on the inside and not so stiff that you can't bend your fingers), and grippiness (will the extended fingers grip the clutch and brake levers comfortably).

Then, wear the h311 outta them to break them in, so you're comfortable in them. Wear them while driving your cage, while raking the backyard or sweeping the floor. It won't take long before your hands and gloves get accustomed to one another.

To test your baseball gloves, put a bag of beans inside them and drag them along the pavement for a short while to simulate a "get off". Then picture your skin as the bag holding the beans. See what happens. Lecture over, go buy some good gloves, get out there and ride.

[xmailman]

1st instinct when you go down is to stick out your hands to protect yourself. You need gloves. With no gloves your hand hits and you pull it back because it hurts next to touch down could be your helmet. I think the Drs. call it abriding, it is when they scrub the snot out of your road rash to get the debris out. I was riding with gear it just couldn't hold up to the pavement. Road wore a hole completely through my glove at the wrist. Hands were OK still a scar on the wrist.
Shop around until you find some that fit. Make sure they have a strip with velcro (sp) that goes across the back of your hand to make them fit tight. In the movie On Any Sunday it show a road racers glove flying off during his crash. Yard work leather gloves don't cut it. If your gloves are really worn and smooth get a new pair. I had a heck of a time one trip and it was because the gloves and the grips were both worn smooth as a baby's butt. I had been gripping the throttle way to hard to make it work.

[Patman916]

Agree with all. Whether you crash or not, sooner or later some debris, or a bug, is gonna whack your hand. You DEFINITELY want to have gloves on when that happens... trust me on this!

[Gojira]

Yep, good advice all. Find the right gloves.

[rideonXX]

One of the best and longest wearing pair of gloves I have had in many years of riding were made of deerskin. Easy to buy snug and 'break in'---and wear, and wear, and wear, very good abrasion resistance. All the knuckle and finger extra padding is not nearly as important (for general street riding---not poser MotoGP stuff) as having super comfortable, full finger gloves that you will want to wear and feel somewhat naked without.

Happy trails, kel

PS: Lee Parks (Total Control) has some very nice gloves certainly worth checking out. Top notch stuff. Here is the link----check it out and click on the gloves after reading the features and will will take you to other styles probably more fitting you your riding style.

http://www.leeparksdesign.com/