Buyer's Guides

–We’re constantly on the look for great deals on motorcycle gear. We’ll be updating this post each week with the latest sales on gear and accessories, so keep checking here for new deals.

When I find riding gear that I like, I tend to wear it quite a bit. With the exception of the discontinued waterproof Dainese boots, the items I wore at the 2023 Harley-Davidson Road Glide CVO and Street Glide CVO introduction are the current uniform I wear on almost all of my rides. It is comfortable, practical, and if I weren’t in the business of reviewing riding gear, it would keep me happy for years to come.

Crashing sucks, but getting hurt because you weren’t wearing the right gear stings just a little bit more. You all know to wear your helmets, jackets, pants, gloves, and boots – but what are you wearing under all that? If you’re not wearing at least a back protector then you’re missing out on a relatively inexpensive piece of kit that can make a big difference. Add in a chest protector, and you have two components that can further absorb some of the impact energy of hitting the ground before your body does. 

The first step in getting more performance out of an engine is to let it breathe easier, and if there’s one thing Harley-Davidson owners like, it’s the distinctive sound of their V-Twin rumbling beneath them. Achieving that sound and performance requires replacing a combination of parts, mainly the stock air cleaner and exhaust.

For generations, the image of bikers in black leather jackets and blue jeans has been a (somewhat accurate) stereotype of motorcycle fashion. Riders and non-riders alike donned this gear to portray this lone individualist image. In fact, the riding gear I wore during my first, formative motorcycle trip as a newly-minted rider was a black leather jacket and blue jeans. And for a long time, this plus boots, gloves, and a helmet were state-of-the-art for rider protection. However, technology has transformed motorcycling in more ways than just adding computers to bikes. Over the past five years or so, we’ve seen an entirely new market of riding apparel move from obscure to relatively commonplace. Riding jeans have moved from merely being denim jeans with a layer of abrasive-resistant material as an under layer to fully technical motorcycle gear with certified armor and a variety of styles and materials.

If the Google machine dropped you directly on this page without seeing the introduction to MO’s Massive Riding Jeans Buyer’s Guide, and you are confused as to what’s going on, you should click here to read the introduction and the full listing of jeans. If you’re the adventurous type who just wants to jump to our individual reviews of 34 pairs of jeans, the Table of Contents below will only give you a direct link to jeans on this page. So, we still recommend that you go to the introduction. There’s a lot of good info to cover.

If the Google machine dropped you directly on this page without seeing the introduction to MO’s Massive Riding Jeans Buyer’s Guide, and you are confused as to what’s going on, you should click here to read the introduction and the full listing of jeans. If you’re the adventurous type who just wants to jump to our individual reviews of 34 pairs of jeans, the Table of Contents below will only give you a direct link to jeans on this page. So, we still recommend that you go to the introduction. There’s a lot of good info to cover.

If the Google machine dropped you directly on this page without seeing the introduction to MO’s Massive Riding Jeans Buyer’s Guide, and you are confused as to what’s going on, you should click here to read the introduction and the full listing of jeans. If you’re the adventurous type who just wants to jump to our individual reviews of 34 pairs of jeans, the Table of Contents below will only give you a direct link to jeans on this page. So, we still recommend that you go to the introduction. There’s a lot of good info to cover.

If the Google machine dropped you directly on this page without seeing the introduction to MO’s Massive Riding Jeans Buyer’s Guide, and you are confused as to what’s going on, you should click here to read the introduction and the full listing of jeans. If you’re the adventurous type who just wants to jump to our individual reviews of 34 pairs of jeans, the Table of Contents below will only give you a direct link to jeans on this page. So, we still recommend that you go to the introduction. There’s a lot of good info to cover.

Adding a motorcycle GPS to your riding repertoire can expand your horizons beyond your imagination. There are products on the market to suit every rider’s needs, whether off-road, on-road, or adventure. All the units covered here are specific motorcycle GPS products or units otherwise lend themselves very well to use on a bike. Your typical automotive GPS units aren’t built to the same standard as motorcycle GPS units and the often harsh environments we find ourselves in. While it’s important to compare features of the units themselves, two key elements to maximizing the benefit of motorcycle GPS units are the mapping products available and the computer or mobile device user interface. As you get deeper into this technology, you will find yourself spending more time on your mobile device or computer laying out your next ride, exploring with Google Earth, and ultimately, downloading and editing tracks you’ve actually recorded on the ground. Choosing a motorcycle GPS with the type of maps you want and the pre- and post-ride user environment are key considerations before purchasing a specific unit.

Motorcycles seem to invite their owners to tinker with them. Maybe it’s the fact that often the components are easy to get to once the bodywork has been removed. Regardless of the reason, we, as motorcyclists, tend to maintain and modify our own machines, leaving only the most highly technical items to the mechanics at our local shop.

In a perfect world, you’d probably park your motorcycle in your bedroom, where it’ll be nice and cozy, and well out of harm’s way. But, as we know, the world is not perfect, and many of us are left parking our beloved motorcycles outside, exposed to the elements and even the prying eyes of those with bad intentions.

For ages, we didn’t think much about the batteries in our motorcycles. When you only have one option, the traditional lead-acid battery, there’s not a lot to think about. As long as it cranks the starter over and fires up the bike, you’re good. If not, time to shell out for a new one. But like all components on a motorcycle, eventually, new technology emerges to improve the breed. The battery is no different. With the emergence of the lithium motorcycle battery the consumer now has more options.

In our Best Sportbike Tire series, we compiled a list of sportbike tires primarily suited for spirited street riding. In this, our Best Motorcycle Racing Tires series, we’re catering to the hardcore track rider, or even club racer, who still fancies the odd street ride. If you fall in that category, this list is for you. Here we’ve compiled some of the best track rubber you can find while still being approved by the Department of Transportation. In case you didn’t get the subtle hint, you won’t find any slicks on this list, but what we have here are nearly as good. As with many things in life, there’s a catch – some of these tires you’ll have to get through your local track vendor and can’t necessarily buy online. To put a positive spin on this scenario, at least you can feel good knowing you’re supporting a local business. Better still, your local track vendor will have the best advice as to what tire pressures to set for your local riding areas. Where possible, we’ve linked to Motorcycle.com staff member reviews of said tire(s), so here they are.

Updated March 2021

Updated March 2021

Sure you know Harley-Davidson is the goliath among motorcycle manufacturers. And in the back of your mind you knew The Motor Company has a huge apparel line. But have you ever stopped to think about how big the apparel line actually is? Probably not. It’s so big, H-D has its own Amazon store dedicated to just footwear. Yep, that’s more that just Harley-Davidson boots.

Updated January 2021:

For some, half the fun of motorcycles is wrenching on them, and for those who like to turn some spanners, having the assistance of pressurized air sweetens the deal even more. Let’s face it, who doesn’t like the sound of pneumatic tools?! Here we’ve gathered a list of the best motorcycle air compressors, as rated by the hundreds, if not thousands of, reviews on Amazon. And because an air compressor can be something as simple as a device to inflate some tires (or a beach ball), we’ve included a few of those in here as well. Clearly the list of compressors one can buy is far more expansive than what we have here, but we had to draw the line somewhere. Below you’ll find our choices, with the least expensive first. And remember, should you buy any of the compressors below, MO gets a kickback which allows us to keep making the motorcycle content you really came here for.

Updated January 2020

If you live for online shopping, you live for this day. Some call it Black Friday/Cyber Monday in July (it doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as “Christmas in July” does it?). All we know is you’re about to save a bundle on so many things you need. And a lot of stuff you just want. So go ahead, treat yourself; get shopping. But first, you’re going to want an Amazon Prime membership.

The deals on motorcycle gear keep coming and going, but just today we received the announcement that Revzilla is further slashing its prices on closeout Alpinestars gear, and there’s a lot of good stuff in the mix to choose from. In total the list runs 83 items long, including boots, gloves, jackets, and even a handful of full race suits. Granted some of these items are lower on the discount totem pole—in the 10-15% range, but there is still a lot to choose from in the 30-40% range, including many items that are not limited in terms of sizing and availability. Here’s a quick look at some of our favorite pieces in the sale.

It’s safe to say you ride – or at least have an interest in – motorcycles, right? Of course. So by extension, the very fact you’re reading these words means you own an electronic device. Which also means you’re open to the idea of combining your ownership of motorcycles with the usage of electronic devices. Sure, we hear people say they ride their bikes to get away from the emails and phone calls and other electronic noise that bombards their everyday lives, but at the end of the day, technology is supposed to enhance our lives. If you’re one who believes in this idea, then read on, because in this motorcycle gadgets buyer’s guide we show you some cool and/or useful devices that will make your riding experience just a little bit better.

With the holidays fast approaching, some of which are in full swing, Motorcycle.com put together the following Holiday Gift Buyer’s Guide. Our comprehensive list of moto-related gifts is sure to put a smile on any enthusiasts face. Read on, for juicy gift ideas aplenty.

The Thanksgiving weekend is over, and people are heading back to work, but that doesn’t mean retailers are done offering big discounts. It’s Cyber Monday, but really, it’s just a continuation of Black Friday with many of the same sales still on-going. For Cyber Monday, we’ve compiled another list of some of the best deals for motorcyclists we could find.

We’ve been on Amazon all morning to find the best Cyber Monday Deals on TVs, tools, toys, home furnishings and more.

Thanksgiving means it’s time for family, football, turkey, and, of course, Black Friday shopping. While you’ve been scarfing down stuffing or watching the Bears down the Lions (spoiler alert!), we looked around and compiled a list of some of the best Black Friday deals for motorcyclists.

The deals are here early! We scoured Amazon.com and other sites to pull over 30 of the best Black Friday deals we could find. Scroll down for our curated list of over 30 of the Best Black Friday Deals from TVs and toys to pets and tools plus a few bonus deals at the bottom.

It’s not Thanksgiving yet but Revzilla’s Black Friday deal is already live, with savings from 20-50% on a variety of products. We’ve highlighted some of the deals that caught our eyes below, including a selection of Dainese gear, but you can see the  full list of Black Friday sales on Revzilla.

While some brands are just starting to ramp up their Black Friday activations, it looks like Revzilla decided to hit fast-forward, instead launching their new Holiday Gift guide featuring all things motorcycle accessories. Not everything is on sale just yet, but the extensive list does have some reasonable savings packed into the list on items that would make great holiday gifts, stocking stuffers, or even just gifts for yourself.

You can find a cheap motorcycle phone mount all over the internet these days, but pricing versus quality don’t seem to run entirely linear. After a bit of digging the evidence is clear; yes you can spend $50-60 on a higher end mount that will be rock solid, but there are also a few great well-built buys out there that don’t break the bank. Enter the  Roam Universal Premium Bike Phone Mount for Motorcycles—a simple and sturdy mount currently on sale for $12.98 with free shipping via Amazon. with over 4,700 customer reviews and an average score of 4.4 out of 5, this mount is tough enough to do the trick on a budget. If you do a fair bit of off-road riding, even if just on bumpy logging roads, we’d suggest going the heavy duty route, but if you’re a commuter/highway cruiser there’s no sense breaking the bank here.

This motorcycle helmet sale over at Cycle Gear is a big one, including a ton of our favorite helmet brands including Arai, Bell, HJC, Shoei, and many more. Literally hundreds of offerings are up for grabs for discounts ranging from 15% to over 60% off, covering a healthy mix of styles from full-face street helmets to helmets for motocross and ATV/UTV riders as well. Solid colors, race replicas, and bold graphic helmets are all part of the equation as well, and a quick skim revealed that a number of HJC’s Marvel Comics series helmets ( Captain America, The Punisher, Iron Man, and others) are up for grabs for a reasonable 20% off. If you missed the info on the Revzilla End of Season Clearout sale we covered a few weeks back (it’s still on!), here’s another chance to save big on new gear.

Helmets are a lot like shoes, and like a good pair of shoes, the right helmet can be incredibly versatile and can complement a variety of different outfits, or gear sets in this case, for an assortment of various riding disciplines. The Shoei VFX-Evo has been my number one go-to off-road helmet since the day I got it back in January, and I’ve been reaching for it almost exclusively anytime any sort of dirt riding is on the menu.

Adventure riding has no bounds. With a properly outfitted ADV bike, you can ride just about anywhere and everywhere so long as weather conditions and more importantly your riding ability allow for it. Speaking of weather conditions, you can find yourself riding in any number of them, and there are various gear options out there that will not only perform way better than your average dungarees and jacket, but will provide enhanced protection in the event of a mishap, too.

In our Motorcycle Camping Gear Buyer’s Guide – The Basics, we gave you some ideas as to what you need to start camping on a motorcycle. However, we only scratched the surface. Like with riding gear, you really only need a few things to get started, but once you’re hooked, a whole world of gear options becomes open to you. Now, you don’t need all of this stuff to have fun out in the mountains on your bike, but they all serve an important purpose. With a little thought, you can pack your bike with gear that makes your camping experience even more fun.

Motorcycles and camping go hand in hand, and it’s one of our favorite pastimes. There’s nothing like hitting the open road with everything you need to be self-sufficient strapped to your bike – it’s quite liberating in fact. It kind of makes you feel like a modern-day cowboy. Whether you’re camping overnight, for a few days, or an entire month, there are a few necessities you need to bring with you, and truthfully, not much else. When it comes to living off your bike, less is more.

Lately, motorcycle riding jeans have been popping up like mushrooms on a well-fertilized lawn after a spring rain. That’s good news for riders who want protection but don’t want to look like they’re ready for the track or are wearing a space suit when they’re off their motorcycle. While we have to acknowledge that riding jeans don’t offer as much protection as more technical riding gear, the inclusion of aramid abrasion panels and armor makes them significantly better than the Levis that riders have been wearing for generations. Where selection of denim motorcycle gear was once so limited that we could count the quality riding jeans available on one hand, we’ve now got no less than nine pairs of jeans in one buyer’s guide. We know we’ve barely scratched the surface, but we only wanted to include jeans that we’re actually wearing on a regular basis.

Sometimes manufacturers like to put most of their eggs in one basket. For example: Kawasaki has an awesome motocross model lineup, but there are no real comparable 250 or 450 cross-country or trail bike models to select from. Husqvarna (and KTM for that matter) is different because the company builds bikes for not only the avid motocrosser, but for the hardcore off-roader, too. And like the Husqvarna MX bikes, the cross-country bikes share all the same high-end componentry, though they’re tuned a little differently.

This past 2018 Monster Energy Supercross season, Husqvarna took home both the 450 and 250 East Regional Championship Titles, as well as the 2017 250 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. Clearly, Husqvarna is onto something and is building some of the fastest and best handling dirtbikes money can buy. So, how do you take already great performing machines and make them even better?

The news just keeps getting better. Alta has announced the latest addition to its growing family of electric-powered dirtbikes. This time it’s the ‘R’ version of the Bay Area-based manufacturer’s fully street legal dual-sport, the 2019 Redshift EXR.

With all-new model announcements and major revisions and upgrades to already great machines from various manufacturers so far, the 2019 new off-road model season has yet to disappoint, and has delivered good news to pique just about any rider’s interests. The latest manufacturer to pull the veils off of what they’ve been cooking up is Kawasaki, and their biggest news comes in the form of an all-new, completely-redesigned 2019 KX450.

The 2019 off-road new model bike season is in full swing, and Yamaha is the latest manufacturer to announce its full lineup of motocross and cross-country motorcycles. Over the past couple of seasons, Yamaha has made big steps in expanding its model range with the introduction of the FX models in both 250 and 450cc configurations. Additionally, it’s the only Japanese manufacturer to continue producing full-size two-strokes, including the YZ125 and YZ250 motocrossers, as well as the recently introduced cross-country oriented YZ250X.

Honda just stepped its game up big time for 2019, with the release of the ‘CRF Collective.’ There are three all-new models to look forward to including a CRF250RX, a CRF450RWE (Works Edition), and get this, a long-awaited and only dreamed of before, CRF450L dual-sport. (!!!) If that wasn’t exciting enough on its own, Honda just about completely redesigned its ‘King of the Trail’, top dog, Baja-dominating CRF450X. The rest of the CRF lineup got the full treatment as well, with significant upgrades and improvements to the CRF450R, CRF450RX, CRF250R and CRF150R models.

Just like anything else, motorcycles are continually evolving and getting lighter, faster and more powerful with each passing year. Despite improvements to how well bikes handle and perform, having an accident and crashing is always a looming threat that can never be eliminated, only mitigated – especially off-road. Fortunately for us riders, there are engineers working hard to keep our heads and bodies as safe as possible so we can continue to enjoy riding motorcycles – both on- and off-road – with confidence in knowing that we have the best chance in decreasing the amount of damage a potential crash can cause.

Hands down, Husqvarna has the most complete line of off-road bikes of any manufacturer. Whether you’re a track, trail or dual-sport rider, Husqvarna has a bike tailor-made to your needs. The company has already pulled the veils off its 2019 minibikes for the up-and-coming youngsters, and now they’ve just announced their 2019 big-boy lineup. Ranging from the 125cc TX 125 and the all-new 150cc TE 150 two-strokes, all the way up to the 511cc FE 501 thumper – these new Huskies are the most technologically advanced enduros and dual-sports on the market. To top it all off, Husqvarna just won both the 450 and 250 East 2018 Monster Energy Supercross Championships. Needless to say, Husqvarna knows how to build a darn good motorcycle.

Updated August 2020

There comes a point in every motorcyclist’s life when they reach a certain level and realize that tires aren’t all created equal. I’ve owned and ridden on just about every major manufacturer’s off-road offerings, but I never really gave too much thought to tire selection beyond condition type and price point. I always figured, if the knobbies still had a decent edge, I was getting about as much traction as I could get. I just chalked the faster guys up to being better, more skilled riders – which is true of course – but I didn’t realize how much of a difference a particular tire could make until one of my riding buddies, an ex-Factory Honda rider from the late ‘80s/early ‘90s, told me to check out the Dunlop Geomax MX3S.

Entering turn one, the new Dorsoduro 900’s wide handlebar would allow me to easily point the big supermoto toward the apex and then quickly afterward, get it pointed toward the next. Out of the corner of my eye I saw coach Can Akkaya wheelie-ing through the shortcut on the track to make his way in front of me. Can would tap the rear fender of his KTM 450 supermoto shod with race slicks, indicating I should follow his lines closely around the track. As we made our way around the tight little Stockton 99 Kart and Motorcycle track, coach Akkaya would point to each apex and then up to the outside of the track and then back to the next apex while, in between, motioning to keep my eyes up and moving from corner to corner.

Much as there is a difference between the performance of an Aprilia V4 and a Royal Enfield single, donning the proper timepiece is a necessity in the world of professional motorsports. Certain watch elements are handy for spectators wishing to monitor laptimes, including accuracy, durability and readability. Stopwatch functions (which most non-moon phase chronographs have integrated), sapphire crystals (for the scratch resistance necessary in harsh trackside environments) and reliable illumination (for night and/or endurance races) are critical. Whether sprinting the quarter mile or tackling a 24-hour attempt, here are the top 10 watches for motorsport enthusiasts.

Despite all the holly-jolly, ho-ho-ho, and being the most wonderful time of the year and all that, you’re still stumped as to what to buy for that motorcyclist. That’s the bad news. The good news is that you’re flush with cash. So, money is no object, meaning that, while the 98% is looking down in the bargain basement for moto-products, you can play the field. In the spirit of the season (and with hopes that, if money really is no object, you’ll buy some of these for me), I present to you the annual Holiday Gift Guide for presents $250 and up.

Whoever said you can’t put a price on love obviously hates America. Of course you can, and the more you spend, the more love you can get. But why fight the holiday crowds when you can sit there on your laptop and gather unto yourself pallets of love by giving your favorite motorcycle aficionado one of the following superb gifts? The true spirit of the season begins kicking in right at the $100 threshold. Set jinglebells to stun, Mr. Sulu.

Looking for the perfect moto-gifts to give your loved ones this holiday season? Your trusty MO crew is here with some ideas for your motorcycle-loving friends and family. We start with stocking stuffers priced up to $50 and go up to higher price points each week.

Can you believe it’s holiday season again already? This time of year always seems to creep up on us unexpectedly, and this year’s no different. But as always, your trusty MO editors are here to help you with gift ideas for the moto friends and family in your life. Last week, “Big Guns” Roderick brought you some gift ideas ranging from free-ninety-nine to $50. This week we continue the list of ideas, upping the prices from $50-$100. You know, for those people you like enough to buy something nice, but not too nice.

It’s time once again for the annual conundrum of what to gift to the motorcyclist in your life. As always, we begin our annual Holiday Gift Guide on the affordable end of the spectrum with a selection of some practical, and some not-so-practical gift ideas. This year’s list begins at $5, and ratchets-up in incremental dollar amounts to our $50 limit. If you don’t find something here, and are willing to bestow a more financially substantial gift on your beloved biker, other MO editors will be following this list with $50 to $100, $100 to $250, and above $250 lists in the coming weeks. Happy shopping!

If our two previous Father’s Day buyer’s Guides ( $25 And Under, $25-50) didn’t have quite what you’re looking for, maybe this price range does. From beverage bags to gift baskets, there’s a little something on this list for motorcyclists of all kinds. If you don’t find that perfect Father’s Day gift here, next week we’ll be publishing our big spender guide of gifts above $100. Happy shopping and Merry Father’s Day!

You’ve been given one of the greatest gifts there is if your old dad’s a motorcycle guy and passed the gene onto you. If you’re lucky enough to still have him around in all his grouchy glory, bestowing some small token of your esteem upon the paterfamilias is the right and customary thing to do.

Mother’s Day is fast approaching – it’s this Sunday, May 8, in case you didn’t know – and if you’re still struggling to find that perfect momma’s day gift for the moto-riding mom in your life, Tom’s got you hooked up with 10 gift ideas.

Well, if people are in the habit of bestowing gifts worth more than $500 upon you, please friend us up on the Facebook and evite us over for the festivities, won’t you? For us at MO, it’s generally a lump of coal or nothing (which we’ll also like). We get most of our gifts spiritually, from the love that pours in through our USB ports from our loyal readers and Dick Ruble. In the dream world of online shopping though, here’s a short list of great motorcycle gifts for those of you lucky enough to be lounging on the dock – your ship or oil well having “come in.” Good for you. Say hello to the Donald from us.

If your fiscal power of gift giving exceeds our previous $0-$50, $50-$100, and $100-$250 Holiday Gift Guides, we want to be your friend. For the platinum crowd, John Burns is providing the above $500 Gift Guide next week, and I’d like to preemptively befriend those folks, too. The following is more than just some random gift guide, it’s my personal Christmas wish list, so I put more effort into this than I would for a gift guide I didn’t stand to benefit from. I hope my current and future family and friends are paying attention.

If you’re willing to spend at least a C-note on someone this holiday season, we’ll take it to mean you probably like them, at least a little. But if you’re willing to go the extra mile and spend two and a half C-notes on them, we’ll guess you really like this person… or you owe them big time. Either way, Motorcycle.com is here to help. Here are a few items spanning the $100 – $250 price range to either repay your riding buddy you convinced to help you move, or to give as a gift to butter your friend up to help you move again. If you act quickly, you might even be able to take advantage of extended Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals, too.