We often get comments on our page and YouTube channel asking what kind of adventure motorcycle gear we depend on when we’re guiding motorcycle tours on long trips well off the beaten path.
We’ve put thousands of miles on more gear than we can even begin to remember since starting RIDE Adventures, so it’s safe to say that the list that follows is the result of some pretty extensive research and development.
Our philosophy has always been that if any piece of riding gear isn’t 100% dependable when we’re out guiding our tours, it doesn’t come along with us again, and there’s a good reason for that. There is just no room for failure when Customers are depending on us in these remote locations.
When choosing your adventure motorcycle gear, there are two main factors that you need to consider: Reliability and versatility.
Reliability is paramount because even the most expensive tech on the market won’t do you any good if it fails on you in the middle of nowhere, which is where you’ll spend a lot of time on rides like the infamous Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route.
Some routes, like the trips we operate down in Patagonia, can see conditions vary from freezing with snowfall to warm and sunny, all in the same 2-week trip, and sometimes in the same day.
When you’re putting together an adventure motorcycle gear list, your helmet is one place you don’t even want to consider compromising.
A well-made helmet from a reputable brand that fits you well is essential for both safety and comfort.
Eric has been wearing the Shoei Hornet for years, and is now riding with their updated model, the Shoei Hornet X2. It’s got all the features we look for in a dual sport helmet, with a streamlined sun visor, great visibility and ventilation, and a fit that feels tailor-made.
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Shoei Hornet X2
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Klim's Krios Pro
If you’ve ever watched any of our videos, chances are you’ve noticed we’re rarely seen without an Alpinestars Bionic Neck Support anytime we’re on a motorcycle.
And while helmets do a great job of protecting our heads in a crash, our necks really don’t have anything keeping them from overextending in any direction, which can lead to serious injuries even in the lowest speed tip-over.
Neck braces may look a little awkward at first, but they’re actually incredibly lightweight and comfortable, and are a cheap alternative to… well… neck surgery, for instance.
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Alpinestars BNS Tech 2 Neck Support
Even the best waterproof adventure motorcycle gear in the world can have an achilles heel when the rain really starts coming down, and that’s often the space between your helmet and the collar of your jacket.
Once water has begun to trickle down into your jacket, it’s only a matter of time before your entire core gets soaked, and once that happens, the rest of your day is likely going to be cold and miserable.
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Klim Torrent Storm Collar
Much like our lower body gear setup, we prefer to use standalone padding and armor for protection rather than relying on the normal foam inserts that come in the pockets of our riding jackets.
We’ve used the Alpinestars Bionic Tech jacket for years now, and it’s still got thousands of miles of life left in it, but we’re already eyeballing the updated version, the Bionic Tech-V2, which combines back, chest, shoulder and elbow padding into a single lightweight mesh garment that conforms to your body to ensure your protection stays where you need it.
With a separate body armor jacket like this, a rider can choose to ride without their main outer jacket on the hottest of days, while maintaining at the minimum, protection of their skeleton.
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Alpinestars Bionic Tech V2 Protection Jacket
We have had tremendous success with the Klim Badlands Pro jacket, which is built from the same durable materials as their pants and features beefed-up abrasion resistance where you need it and the proven waterproofing of Gore-Tex.
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Klim Badlands Pro Jacket
Because we ride through such a variety of temperatures and conditions on extended tours, we typically pack at least three pairs of gloves for a single trip.
At minimum, we pack cold-weather gloves like the Klim Badlands GTX, and warm-weather gloves, preferably made from perforated full-grain leather like the Alpinestars Celer V2.
Once your hands get wet, comfort goes out the window, especially when the temperatures start to drop.
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Klim Badlands GTX - AMAZON | REVZILLA
Alpinestars Celer V2 - AMAZON | REVZILLA
We like to keep an off road-style jersey in our gear rotation as well to serve as an extra synthetic layer between us and the elements.
Jerseys also come in handy by giving you maximum ventilation on a sunny day while still protecting the full length of your arms from the sun’s rays.
Knee injuries are one of the more common results of a motorcycle crash, and one of the slowest to heal.
For that reason, we always travel with a motocross-style knee protector as well.
Our personal preference is a full-on bionic knee brace like the Alpinestars Bionic-7 or Bionic-10 because they provide both impact protection and may provide protection against hyper-extension in the event of a crash, which looks even more painful in person than it sounds.
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Alpinestars Tech 7 Knee Brace - AMAZON | REVZILLA
Alpinestars Tech 10 Knee Brace - AMAZON | REVZILLA
Full motocross boots are our weapon of choice here. Normal leather “work” boots just won’t cut it.
That’s because your typical leather work boots don’t provide the rigid protection you need to prevent torsional injuries or to protect you from the full weight of your bike should you happen to find it sitting on top of your foot or ankle after a crash.
The level of protection provided by full motocross boots like these is important off road because broken bones can happen even at the lowest speeds, and typically occur below the waist.
Most of us would gladly pay large sums of money to keep rocks off and debris off our shins at 50mph anyways, so don’t skimp on the foot and ankle protection.
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Klim Adventure GTX - AMAZON | REVZILLA
Alpinestars Tech 10 - AMAZON | REVZILLA
Another factor to consider with your adventure boots is going to be waterproofing.
Most motocross boots aren’t going to be waterproof or even water-resistant, so while you could opt for an oiled-leather “adventure” boot, or even a full Gore-Tex adventure boot like the new Klim Adventure GTX, we prefer the safety of a motocross boot and just adding a waterproof liner like the Klim Covert Gore-Tex Sock to your gear.
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Klim Covert GTX Waterproof Sock
Similar to the knee protection above, we like to beef up the protection for our hips and tailbone with a separate pair of mesh shorts like the Leatt 3DF 5.0 Impact Shorts, which feature padded armor for the hips, tailbone, and thighs.
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Leatt 3DF 5.0 Impact Shorts
It’s no secret we love our Klim gear, and we have been using their Badlands Pro riding pants for quite a while with zero complaints.
We love the rugged construction of these pants and their reinforced panels in heavy-use areas like the knees, which comes in handy when we’re off the bike doing repairs in the rocks and dirt.
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Klim Badlands Pro Pants
Whether you’re rocking a full head of hair under your helmet or none at all, throwing on a sweat cap will make any helmet much more comfortable in any weather.
That’s because sweat caps work by wicking sweat away from the skin and allowing it to evaporate, rather than just soaking the padding inside the helmet and staying there for the rest of the day.
As an added bonus, wearing a sweat cap like the Sweatvac inside your helmet will help keep your helmet from getting too funky, and will considerably increase the amount of time you can go between, if not completely eliminate, the need to wash your helmet’s liner..
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Sweatvac Ventilator Cap
We like to throw a nice synthetic neck gaiter/warmer into our pack as well.
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Klim Tek Sok All-Season Neck Gaiter - AMAZON | REVZILLA
Alpinestars Neck Warmer - AMAZON | REVZILLA
Even in mild or cooler conditions, adventure riding can be physically taxing.
That means there’s plenty of sweating going on underneath any layers you may be wearing, so staying hydrated is important for staying focused, safe, and properly hydrated.
All that air moving around you further evaporates your body’s moisture, and we often we may not even notice how severe this can be.
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Klim Nac Pak Hydrapak
Depending on where your trip will take you, bringing along extra base layers or heated layers will ensure you’re able to stay comfortable at any temperature.
Personally, we prefer to pack good old-fashioned performance base layers made from a combination of merino wool or synthetic materials, because we know they work, and don’t have to worry about them potentially failing halfway through a long tour, as electrical options sometimes do.
Instead of keeping you wet and cool, this one keeps you dry and cool,, something to consider on trips like our 10 day “Baja On Down” adventure from California to Mexico if you tend to run hot.
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Gerbing 12V Heated Vest - AMAZON | REVZILLA
Macna Cooling Vest - MACNA'S WEBSITE
We’ve tried a ton of gear throughout our time guiding adventure motorcycle tours, and all of our suggestions come from experience both on and off the road. That being said, we certainly haven’t tried all the adventure motorcycle gear out there,
so if you’ve got a favorite boot, jacket, or helmet that you didn’t see on our list drop it down here 👇