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The 390 Adventure Project: What’s the Best Gear for Adventure Riding?

Tue, 17 Dec 2024

Finding the right pieces to fit your plans

Photos by Alyssa Bridges.

One of the wonderful things about adventure riding, is that you can go from highways to trails in the blink of an eye – or a slight adjustment of your tire pressure and ride-mode. What may not be quite as easy is picking riding gear that can do the same. Adventure suits are great for distance and inclement weather, but may not be comfortable or light enough for strenuous trails or warm temps. I’m going to break down the gear choices that I made over the past year while spending time with the 390 Adventure.

Protection

Let’s start at the beginning. What you wear under your gear is arguably the most important thing when riding these big bikes off road, and there’s quite a few options when picking things like knee and elbow pads. Comfort for all day wear is important to me, so my go-to are the Leatt Knee Guard 3DF 5.0, they are wrapped in a super soft stretchy sleeve, and breathe exceptionally well in hot weather. I always wear them over a set of leggings and knee high socks, for a little extra padding. They fit snugly into the top of my Alpinestars Tech 7 boots, and once they’re in place, I can barely feel them under my riding pants.

When I am going to do more technical riding, like taking a class or choosing a harder trail, I’ll opt for knee braces instead of the knee pads. Knee brace style and brand is probably one of the most specific and personal gear choices you’ll run into in motorcycling, so when choosing which style works best for you, be prepared to be patient and do your research.

I went with the Alpinestars Bionic-7 Knee Braces, and my first time wearing them for more than an hour was during this past year’s Biltwell 100 race. Once I had them adjusted properly, it was easy to forget they were there, and I was grateful for the extra protection and support in every wipeout I had on the trail that day.

You can see the difference in the photo of how much more protection you get with braces vs. low profile knee pads – not to mention the added protection from twisting injuries that braces offer. Both fit into the top of my boot and the braces are not too bulky to keep them from closing on the same setting. Along with that, be aware that braces may need some more room under your riding pants is important, and I found that these Alpinestars Bionic-7 Braces fit well under all of the riding pants I currently have in my kits. If you’re unsure, I would size up to accommodate the braces and give them room to move.

Chest protector and elbows are another personal choice; I like to use the Leatt Women’s Body Protector that zips up the side and keeps the pads and plates in place, pairing it with Leatt Elbow Guard Contour. These are both fairly low profile, and mine have taken plenty of falls and scrapes over the past few years and are still going strong. I want to quickly mention that there’s no wrong way to protect yourself while riding, as long as you are choosing gear that fits you closely and doesn’t impede your ability to move on and off the bike.

Boots

Alpinestars Tech 7 Enduro boots are an excellent option for off-road riding, with a full range of colors and sizes all fitted with the latest technology to keep your ankles twist-free and preserve some range of motion while you are dancing around on your pegs in the sand. There are a few different options for more motocross or enduro focused riders, each with some subtle changes to adapt to the needs of the rider. As you can see in the photo above, these have taken a bit of abuse, but the only damage is some wear at the outer edges and a permanent coating of dust. This particular set is a youth size, since yours truly does not fit into the offered ‘unisex’ adult sizes. Thankfully, the youth line has all the same protection as the full size line, and is only slightly shorter on the shin than the larger sizes. I found the Tech 7’s were comfortable right out of the box and while it took me a few rides to get used to the flexibility of the boots while standing and shifting, it became second nature in no time.

Her Moto Motocross Gear

Full matching kit in the Sunset colorway, pictured over the Alpinestars Bionic knee braces. These pants left plenty of room for movement on and off the bike.

This kit from HER MOTO has been my first choice all year long for a variety of reasons. HER Moto is based out of Canada and offers a dedicated line of women’s motocross gear and accessories. I ordered the Sunset Jersey and Pants, as well as the Moonlight Jersey and Pants. I was initially drawn to the bright colorways, but once I had these pants in my hands I was won over immediately. The stretch panels, adjustability, high waisted fit and mesh panel on the back of the legs are all thoughtfully designed to be as comfortable as possible. I did not have to size up to fit my knee braces under them either, a huge bonus for those who may be between sizes or like to switch between pads and braces. There are leather patches on the inside of the thighs and knees, to keep a solid grip on the bike when you need it most, and laser cut airflow holes to keep you cool while moving fast.

I wore this kit out in the desert for a practice day and the lightweight material and vents kept me cool even through the toughest part of the day. The matching jersey fit perfectly over my chest protector and elbows, with plenty of breathability and stretch. The shape of the collar is comfortable and doesn’t ride up too high like most unisex jerseys, and the silicone strip inside of the waistband kept my jersey from becoming untucked, no matter how many times I fell off the bike. I would definitely continue to wear this for training days, trail rides, and any sort of hot weather riding I plan to do, but I would avoid all but the shortest of on-road stretches with this particular kit as there is no abrasion resistance.

REV’IT! Adventure Set

The Lamina GTX Women’s ADV set is my go-to for any long distance highway riding, as well as mixed-use on and off-road riding, going from surface streets to easy or moderate trails. There is a full review here that breaks down the features and limits of this set in all sorts of weather, but in this instance, we’re going to highlight why it’s a great option for adventure riding, when you’re switching from trails to transfers a few times a day.

The Lamina GTX, or any similar option of adventure suit and pants, is built for all day comfort along with some of the most protective features you’ll find in riding gear on the market. Built-in knee, shoulder and elbow pads, along with abrasion resistance and weather proofing check all the important boxes for adventure touring. For a long distance trip, assuming you’ll be encountering different sorts of weather or terrain, it’s going to give you the best bang for your buck in terms of versatility. The trade off of course, is it may feel a little bulky or hot when you get into more technical riding, and for someone used to strictly dirt bike gear, the weight and lack of maneuverability may take a while to get used to. Simply getting more seat time with the gear will help it get broken in, so it feels better when you’re in the thick of it.

The Lamina Pants have a wide hem with velcro closure at the bottom, to allow plenty of room to get your dirt boots on, then close them up tight against water and dirt.

I sometimes like to mix the Lamina Jacket and Pants with other offroad gear, for example, during my training weekend at ATX Moto Adventures, I swapped my Lamina Jacket for my Leatt protection and a Rev’It! Dirt series jersey as the temps climbed and our skills were put to the test. The built-in protection in the knees of the Lamina Pants did a great job of keeping me safe, and I tucked the bottom of the knee armor into the top of my Alpinestars Tech7 boots to keep it from shifting around.

Helmets

Photo by ATX Moto Adventures

The two helmets I used throughout this project were the Bell MX-9 ADV helmet and the Bell Moto-9S dirt helmet. I preferred the MX-9 ADV when I was primarily on-road, as well as while I was taking training classes, the wide field of view and clear visor made it easy to spot obstacles on new trails and be hyper aware of my surroundings when riding with others off-road. The MX-9 ADV has plenty of vents to keep you cool, however they are unable to be closed in the event of wet weather or colder temps. My temporary solution to this was to slap a few stickers over the vents when I got caught up in a storm on the road, and I found that this also quieted the helmet considerably at higher speeds. The wide opening also makes it easy to use with goggles. If you are switching to a trail, flipping up the shield and popping them on over the peak visor, is easy.

The Bell Moto-9S helmet on the other hand is a lighter weight dirt-specific helmet that is my go-to anytime I know I am only riding offroad. I’ve used it for dual-sport and dirtbike riding in the past, and prefer it when I am going to be in fast paced and dusty conditions for the duration of the ride. I chose this while I was racing the Biltwell 100, and paired it with 100 Percent Strata 2 goggles with a mirrored lens to help cut the brightness of the sun in the desert. I like how lightweight this helmet is compared to the MX-9 ADV, and how easy it is to pop out the interior padding to clean in between desert riding sessions.

Honorable Mention

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention these Atwyld Adventure Pants here, because they’ve seen more off road miles than both my HerMoto and REV’IT! kits combined. These pants are the perfect blend of dirtbike flexibility and adventure toughness, with multiple pockets, stretch panels, vents and mesh galore. If I had to pick the ideal adventure pant and live with them for the rest of my off-road career, these would be it. Unfortunately the Atwyld brand is no longer around, but there is a chance that one of its retail partners had stocked up on these gems before they closed their doors.

Choose Your Adventure

There’s no right or wrong way to pick gear for adventure riding, it really comes down to your game plan and what you’re willing to trade off to be the most comfortable and protected while you’re riding. There have been times where I will wear my REV’IT! suit on the highway for a few hours, and pack along the lighter HerMoto kit to change into once I’ve reached my campsite or trailhead, so don’t be afraid to get creative with it!


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Cait Maher

Cait is a motorcycle enthusiast first and foremost, often spending weeks at a time crisscrossing the country on her Moto Guzzi V7. She got her start in the industry running a women’s moto gear market that travelled the country, and has been able to see the women’s moto community grow from the inside out over the last 10 years. She is typically found on pavement but has been eagerly diving outside her riding comfort zone for the sake of a good story, previously riding her TW200 through two Biltwell 100 races and one very well intentioned LAB2V. While not glued to her motorcycle, Cait lives a secret life as a hairdresser and quilter.

More by Cait Maher

3 of 4 comments
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Keith on Dec 17, 2024

Actually your gear isn’t bad and you look great. Usually moto gear dresses up riders to look like klownz.

I apologize for jumping to conclusion . I am glad I reread the article.

maybe the trend is for more modest appearances. Good.

I still think riders are getting fed a bunch of “needs” they don’t need.

-hacksaw

  • Cait M on Dec 19, 2024

    Hi Kieth, I’m glad you re-read the article too, as the point wasn’t a sales pitch, but to help new ADV riders determine the nuances between the gear options for dual-sport riding. Everything pictured above was worn extensively, most notably the REV’IT! ADV suit which is not even 1 year old and has about 10k miles clocked. I hope you make a ‘second read’ your new normal moving forward, and wishing you happy riding in the new year!

  • Rid77893846 on Dec 18, 2024

    I wish I could wear knee protection that tucks into the tops of my boots. I haven't found any moto boots that provide that much circumference in the shaft to accommodate my calves.

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