Motorcycle Travel Gear Guides

Budget versus premium gear is down to personal preference. Often, premium stuff is higher quality, will last longer and won’t let you down when you need it most. So, it’s worth spending a little extra when it comes to important things like helmets if you have the available funds.

It’s also handy to spend a little extra when buying camping equipment as you’ll be able to get lower volume kit that you can pack away easier.

But that’s not to say you have to go premium.

There are plenty of low budget options in all motorcycle gear categories that are more than capable of taking you around the world. On the other end of the spectrum, you’ll find a lot of premium kit is completely unnecessary and just clever marketing – making you think you need it because either a. everyone else on Instagram is wearing or using it or b. drilling it into your head that it’s the best.

Personally, I’ve used everything from an old pair of jeans, army boots a £20 jacket and old helmet to ride from the UK to Iraq, to testing £2,000+ bike suits for my old job at Motor Cycle News. And I often found the expensive stuff to be massively overkill.

Now, for our round the world motorcycle ride, I prefer a mix of equipment. I like cheaper clothing and riding gear because you don’t stand out as much and the gear gets battered anyway. Also, there’s no point in expensive pro-laminate anymore because I’m no longer in sub zero temperatures so I can have cheaper lighter kit. But then I like to spend a little extra on a good comfortable helmet and lightweight quality tent. It’s about finding a balance and finding gear that works for you.

No, definitely not. You can ride and travel in whatever you feel comfortable in. Adventure bike kit is simply a hybrid of touring and off-road clothing and gear.

So for example, an adventure bike helmet is a comfortable touring helmet with visor etc, but also has a peak and a little more ventilation so it’s suitable for off-road too. 

 Adventure bike boots are the same. They take cues from enduro boots with added protection, tough buckles and are taller, but aren’t as extreme as full on motocross or enduro footwear. 

And when it comes to adventure bike suits, they’re simply touring kit with loads more ventilation, peppered in pockets and sometimes posh ones have extras that you’ll find handy off-road like long sleeve vents, map pockets, hydration bladder pockets etc. 

So, many of these hybrid options are great for motorcycle travellers who mix both on and off-road riding. But, if you’re predominantly road riding then it’s unecessary, and if you’re hardcore off-road then it may not be enough. It’s about where you’re going, the type of riding you’re doing and what you feel comfortable in. 

Our How to Choose Your Adventure Riding Gear guide will help point you in the right direction and gives plenty of decent examples.