If you have a motorcycle, the last thing you probably feel like doing in the summer before riding is putting on your biker leathers. So, can you ride a motorcycle with shorts?
You can ride a motorcycle with shorts, as there is no law against it. However, it’s not advisable because you risk injury from road debris, road rash, and burning. Instead of shorts, you should wear armored pants or thick, high-quality jeans. Summer motorcycle pants are ideal for the summer.
Read further to find out what makes it unsafe to wear shorts while biking and what else you shouldn’t wear when riding a motorcycle. I’ll also suggest the most suitable clothing for motorcycling, and explain what pants to wear in the summer.
Is It Safe To Wear Shorts While Biking?
There’s nothing more satisfying than riding your motorcycle and feeling a cooling breeze rush against your legs on a hot summer’s day. But is it safe to wear shorts while biking?
It isn’t safe to wear shorts while biking as they offer no protection for your legs. Wearing shorts puts you at risk of getting injured from road debris or getting severe road rash in an accident. You’re also more likely to get burned by hot asphalt or the exhaust pipe.
I’ll explain why it’s not safe to wear shorts while biking in more detail below:
Shorts Risk Injury From Road Debris
Shorts are unsafe because, even if you’re not involved in a motorcycle accident, your leg’s exposed skin can get injured from flying road debris.
Below are some common examples of road debris that can injure you when wearing shorts on a motorcycle:
- Stones. On a motorcycle, you can sometimes get hit by stray pebbles, tiny pieces of loose asphalt, or concrete particles. This can cause a nasty bruise or cut.
- Tiny car parts. No matter how well roads get cleaned, there are always tiny pieces of car parts from accidents or falling off cars. These can have sharp edges and cut your legs badly if they fly into you.
- Litter. Litter, such as candy or gum wrappers, is pretty benign, but if there are glass bottle pieces or can fragments, they can cut your legs. Even if you don’t need stitches for the injury, you’d still need to visit your doctor for a tetanus shot, just in case.
- Vegetation. Riding your motorbike down a tree-lined street with shorts on puts you at risk of injuring your legs from falling twigs or acorns. If someone is cutting the grass close by, the fragments can also fly onto your legs and hurt them.
Shorts Risk Injury From Road Rash
When motorcyclists have accidents, road rash is a common injury. This happens when the motorcyclist is dragged along the asphalt, resulting in red and inflamed abrasions that can be quite painful.
If you’re in a motorcycle accident, you’ll most likely be dragged along the road. With the skin on your legs exposed, the resulting road rash can be severe. Severe road rash can get infected, and the recovery process can be lengthy.
While recovering from a road rash, you also might not be able to ride your motorcycle, so it’s best to just cover up.
Shorts Risk Injury From Burns
Another reason professional bikers wear thick pants while riding is because they protect their legs from getting burned.
Getting burned while biking isn’t common but can happen if you fall off your bike and land on the hot asphalt on a summer day. If you accidentally touch your motorcycle’s exhaust pipe with your bare skin, it also can burn you.
What Shouldn’t I Wear While Biking?
I’ve explained that it’s not a good idea to wear shorts while biking. But are there any other things you shouldn’t wear while biking?
While biking, you shouldn’t wear clothing that exposes your skin, such as shorts, skirts, tank tops, t-shirts, or sandals. Additionally, it’s essential to stay away from unsafe helmets and dark clothing, as they make you more vulnerable.
I’ll discuss why you shouldn’t wear these items in more detail below:
- Unsafe helmets. Your helmet is the most vital piece of safety equipment when riding your motorbike, as it protects you from head injuries if you fall off. Avoid wearing broken, expired, or novelty helmets because these won’t protect your head properly in an accident.
- Skirts. Unless you’re wearing long socks or leggings underneath them, you should avoid wearing skirts. Like shorts, skirts expose your legs to injury and burning when out biking.
- Tank tops or t-shirts. When riding a motorcycle, wearing a tank top or t-shirt is fine, as long as you wear something durable (like biker leathers) over them. Not covering your arms while riding your motorcycle makes them vulnerable.
- Sandals and flip-flops. The only footwear worse than sandals is flip-flops. Flip flops can easily slide off your feet when riding your motorcycle, making your feet even more vulnerable than wearing regular sandals.
- Dark clothing. When car drivers accidentally crash into motorcyclists, a common excuse is that they didn’t notice the biker. You can avoid this by wearing bright and lightly-colored clothing to make yourself more visible. Dark clothes also absorb sunlight and make you feel hotter during the summer.
What Is the Best Clothing for Motorcycling?
Now that I’ve explained what you shouldn’t wear while biking, what clothing should you wear?
The best clothing for motorcycling is a durable leather jacket, thick biker pants, gloves, and a safe helmet. Wearing waterproof clothing, especially pants and jackets, is also recommended for rainy days.
I’ll discuss in more detail which clothing is best for motorcycling (and explain why) below:
Durable Leather Jacket
Professional bikers wear durable leather jackets because leather is incredibly abrasion-resistant and can provide excellent cushioning for your upper body if you fall off your bike.
Wearing a durable leather jacket also protects your upper body from the cold and can protect you from UV rays on a long ride.
Armored Pants or Thick Jeans
Did you know that you can buy armored or biker pants? Many biker pants are reinforced with kevlar, making them tear-resistant and providing additional protection for your legs in an accident.
Some armored pants have built-in knee pads and hip guards to provide additional cushioning if you fall off your bike.
HWK Motorcycle Pants for Men (available on Amazon.com) come with a lifetime warranty, a testament to their high quality. They’re made from highly-durable Cordura fabric and are also waterproof, making them convenient in rainy weather.
Armored pants can be pricey, and if you don’t feel like buying some, you could consider wearing thick, high-quality jeans instead.
Durable Gloves
Wearing a pair of durable gloves might feel unbearably hot during the summer, but they could protect your hands in an accident.
When falling, most people instinctively use their hands to try and break the fall. If you’re involved in a motorcycle accident and not wearing decent-quality gloves, your hands could get badly injured or broken.
Safe Helmet
Every biker knows that you should always wear a safe and compliant helmet. Decent helmets protect your head from injuries and act as wind and noise barriers.
It’s best to buy a new helmet, as you might not know the full history of a used one.
Suppose you’re struggling to find a decent helmet. In that case, ILM Full Face Helmet from Amazon is an excellent choice as it has received almost 10,000 praiseworthy reviews and comes in various sizes. It also complies with DOT and FMVSS-218 safety standards and will give you peace of mind while biking.
Waterproof Pants and Jacket for Rainy Days
One of the only downsides to owning a motorcycle is exposure to all the weather elements.
On rainy days, your clothes can quickly become soaked, but wearing a waterproof jacket and pair of pants can help protect you from getting wet.
Some bikers find that rain suits offer excellent rain protection, but rain suits also offer additional cushioning when the roads are wet, and you’re more likely to slide and fall off your bike.
What Are Safe Motorcycle Pants for Summer?
I mentioned that wearing armored pants or thick jeans is ideal for motorcycling in the previous section. But what if these make you feel too hot in the summer? Are there safe motorcycle pants for the summer?
Safe motorcycle pants for summer are regular motorcycle pants with mesh panels. The mesh panels should be in the inner thigh or rear calf area as these are low-impact areas in a motorcycle accident.
You can buy summer motorcycle pants online and from motorcycle stores. The mesh panels allow airflow into the pants, helping your legs feel cooler on hot days.
MAXLER JEAN Summer Biker Jeans from Amazon are made from lightweight but durable fabric. The knee section features a zipper that allows you to attach your knee pads. When you’re not using these pants for motorbiking, you can remove the knee pads and wear them for regular use.
Conclusion
When riding a motorcycle on a hot day, wearing shorts feels great, but it isn’t the safest option. Wearing shorts while motorcycling puts you at risk of:
- Getting injured from road debris
- Getting road rash
- Getting burned
Armored pants are the most suitable attire for motorcyclists, but you can wear lightweight summer motorcycle pants on hot days.
