small talk - Vol.07 Assuming that it corresponds to the day of running and the nearby area

small talk - Vol.07 Assuming that it corresponds to running days and nearby areas

In this article, I would like to introduce equipment suitable for long-distance touring in winter or daily riding around the area, based on my own experience, for those who have been riding motorcycles for one to two years. We hope that this article will pique your interest in specialized products in general.

Photos and text/Kensaburo Kikuchi

Do you know the degree to which the harshness can be alleviated?

Even after a short distance, I would get so cold that I would usually take a bath when I got home, even in the middle of the day. This is not surprising since the first winter I started riding a motorcycle, I didn't have the equipment or even the knowledge to protect myself from the cold.

``Dedicated products are relatively expensive, so I want to choose something that I'm really satisfied with,'' but on the other hand, I'm faced with a situation where ``There's so much information out there that it's hard to decide what's best for my motorcycle life,'' and I find myself thinking, ``It's tough. It was also true that they lacked awareness of the need for this, as they did not know the extent to which it could be reduced.

Those reading this article may also be able to relate to some aspects. If you are in a similar situation, this article may be useful. We would like you to compare various clothing and enjoy the motorcycle life that is best for you.

It is generally known that many specialized outerwear are made of windproof materials and can be equipped with protectors. However, here I would like to explain in more detail the outerwear that suits your riding position.

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Outerwear tailored to the riding position tends to require less room when moving than regular clothing, and its basic structure reduces fatigue during high-speed driving and flapping in the wind. .

However, when I first started riding bikes, I didn't understand this concept. This is because I thought it was normal to feel wind pressure on the highway. At that time, I may have needed the words, "It's useless to withstand wind pressure."

As many of you probably know, when the wind pressure is significantly reduced, you may feel a strong flow of wind from the left and right, but you almost no longer feel the wind pressure from the front, and it feels like you are cutting through the wind. You may feel that way.

The cold protection effect of outerwear is generally thought to be easily noticeable. However, just as important as outerwear is innerwear to protect you from the cold. Windproof innerwear is recommended, especially in winter. Windproof innerwear helps prevent wind from entering through gaps in your outerwear.

However, when I first started riding motorcycles, I didn't really understand the windproof properties of innerwear. This is because I had never experienced a situation where the wind did not penetrate through the gaps.

This may be a side note, but I once experienced the strange sensation of the wind slipping between my outer and inner clothing. It was surprising to see the strange wind pressure pushing against the innerwear inside the outerwear.

I don't know if you can believe this explanation, but I think you'll understand once you try out the top and bottom of this high-performance, windproof innerwear.

Pants are probably the least understood piece of equipment. I would like to focus on and explain some aspects that I think are not well known.

With regular clothing, it is normal for your ankles to be visible when riding a bike, and is not considered a problem. However, many specialized motorcycle pants alleviate this problem by taking into account the leg angle. Naturally, the more overlap between your pants and boots, the less heat will be lost.

Furthermore, some pants are designed so that the back area does not become empty when the user is seated, either by tweaking the overall structure of the waist or by making small changes to the design.

The content introduced above often maintains a fine balance between functionality and design to suit actual use.

It is important to optimize cold protection and consider appearance and fit at the same time. Clothing should not only reduce coldness and fatigue, but also be designed to suit individual body shapes and preferences.

You may need to experience it firsthand to know how much it reduces cold and fatigue, but it's also important to have fun when choosing equipment.