Off-Road / Motocross Riding Gear

Street riding gear is built around sitting down and looking through a visor. Off-road riding is built around standing on the pegs, staring through a set of goggles, and falling in dirt or gravel rather than on tarmac. That difference changes almost everything about how the gear is designed.

An off-road kit trades some of the weatherproofing and heavy armour of street gear for lighter materials, more ventilation, and a riding position that assumes you're moving your body constantly, not sitting still in traffic. It also assumes falls happen more often, just usually at lower speeds, so the gear is built for repeated impact rather than a single worst-case crash.

We stock a full range of off-road and motocross gear, from helmets with the extended chin bar and peak visor this riding style needs, right through to boots, gloves, jerseys and pants.

What's In a Complete Off-Road Kit

• Off-road helmet: Extended chin bar for better airflow when standing, and a peak visor to block low sun and roost from the rider ahead.
• Goggles: Worn instead of a visor, sealed against dust and mud in a way a street helmet's visor isn't designed for.
• Jersey and pants: Lightweight, breathable, and built to move with a standing riding position rather than a seated one.
• Off-road boots: Taller and stiffer than street boots, with reinforced shin and ankle protection built for repeated impact.
• Off-road gloves: Shorter cuff, more grip and feel for the controls, less bulk than a touring glove.
• Body armour: Chest, shoulder and knee protection worn separately, since jerseys don't carry built-in armour the way a street jacket does.

Off-Road Helmet vs Street Helmet

An off-road helmet's extended chin bar isn't just styling. It pulls fresh air across your face while you're breathing harder than you would be in city traffic, and it gives space for the peak visor that blocks glare and thrown-up debris. What it doesn't have is a built-in visor, since goggles do that job instead and seal more tightly against dust.

Street helmets prioritise wind noise reduction and a visor that handles rain and highway speeds. Wearing a street helmet off-road usually means overheating faster and losing the peak visor's sun protection, while an off-road helmet at sustained highway speed is noisier and less aerodynamic than it needs to be. Match the helmet to where you're actually riding rather than picking one to cover both.

FAQs

Q1: Can I use my street riding boots for off-road riding?

A1: You can, but they're not built for it. Off-road boots are taller, stiffer, and reinforced specifically for the kind of impacts and terrain trail riding involves, while street boots prioritise comfort and walkability over that level of protection.

Q2: Do I need goggles if my off-road helmet has a visor slot?

A2: Yes. The peak visor on an off-road helmet blocks sun and thrown-up debris, but it doesn't seal against dust and mud the way goggles do. The two are meant to work together, not as substitutes for each other.

Q3: Is off-road gear less protective than street gear?

A3: Not less protective, just built for a different type of impact. Off-road gear assumes more frequent, generally lower-speed falls in soft terrain, so it prioritises armour placement and mobility over the abrasion resistance a street jacket needs for sliding across tarmac at higher speed.

Q4: What size jersey and pants should I buy?

A4: Off-road jerseys and pants generally run true to size but check the specific brand's size chart on the product page, since fit varies between manufacturers. Pants should sit snugly enough that any armour worn underneath stays in position while you're standing on the pegs.

For a closer look at putting together a full off-road kit, our guide to off-road and motocross riding gear covers helmet types, armour, and sizing in more depth.