Gloves

[EazyDuz]

When buying gloves, is the whole knuckle armor thing needed?
Or would it be just as good to buy some thick leather gloves with no special armor built in, or is leather only not good enough?
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To shreds you say? Tss tss tss

[Fifteen15]

When your arms are flailing about in a high side, they can whack the floor with some force. Wouldn't say they're needed if you don't want 'race spec' protection. Me, I always buy gloves with hard bits on the fingers and knuckles. It doesn't hurt to have that extra protection.
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"Pain is weakness leaving the body, and blood makes the grass grow faster...but I'll wear my gear anyway"

[covent.gardens]

It's down to your personal idea of acceptable risk, I've got both types and use both interchangeably. I can't imagine coming off the bike and my knucles hitting the road first, but I've seen pics of badly damaged knuckle armour so it obviously does happen. I find my knuckle protected gloves to be just as comfortable as my 'all leather' gloves, so I guess the knuckle protection wins really.

[DrSnoosnoo]

I was always of the opinion hard armour was the way forward. My summer gloves have the hard knuckles off my palm, but they have nothing other than leather bits over the other knuckles.

My winter gloves on the other hand have soft armour, so more padding where you're knuckles are more likely to hit the floor or something or rub along the road.

I've not had an off in either of the gloves but I feel just as comfortable in the idea they would both serve me well, and much better than no gloves at all!
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I'm Sam; Northern, Ginger, Lover
Did have: '95 ZZR600 '83 CG125 '97 ZZR1100 '15 Hypermotard 821 SP Do Have: '10 ZX10R

[Chalky.]

Very useful when punching car wing mirrors.

[Kradmelder]

I have 3 sets. All armoured knuckles
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2011 KTM 990 Dakar
2009 BMW 1200 GS

[fatjames]

[J.M.]

[Rogerborg]

You don't "need" any armour. Until you come off.

If you come off, there's no amount of armour that makes you safe.

It's entirely a personal decision, I can't think why you'd care about anyone else's opinion.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Kradmelder]

[Bomberman]

[positron]

I think knuckle and other protection is very improtant. There is a lot more to go wrong in your hand than say your calf or forearms. A lot of complicated joints, and damage to any of that could impact your dexterity - and as we now have it, our main interface to the whole internet / connected world is with fingers (although this might change in years to come).

PS: removing ref link, apologies.

[mentalboy]

I'm not that keen on the fully armoured gloves, personally find them a bit restrictive but there are plenty of good touring gloves out there that have some armouring without looking like something out of Judge Dredd. With todays modern materials leather is fairly redundant for winter gloves although you'll find that most synthetic gloves use it on the areas which get hard wear.

They're one of those items where you really do get what you pay for so go for the best you can afford and for winter use look for ones which incorporate goretex liners ( or the equivalent)
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