MotoXSports The Garage

Riding gear

First-ride checklist

What a new rider needs before the first ride, and where to check the rules for your state.

Before the first ride

Head: a helmet with the DOT certification label on the back, sized from the maker’s chart.1

Feet: riding boots. Check the label for EN 13634 if you want a boot tested to the European standard.2

Body: a chest protector or roost guard, reading the label for EN 1621-3 (impact) or EN 14021 (stones and debris).34

Hands and eyes: gloves and goggles that work with the helmet.

The bike: a model that suits the rider’s size. Seat height is listed on every bike page in the Garage, and the seat height finder compares them all with the rider’s inseam.

Check the rules

Helmet and age rules for off-road riding vary by state. The before-you-ride checker and the state pages list what each state’s law says, cited to the statute.

Sources

  1. Choose the right motorcycle helmet, NHTSA (U.S. Department of Transportation). Read 2026-09-25.
  2. CE / European safety ratings, EVS Sports (protective gear maker). Read 2026-09-25.
  3. EN 1621-3:2018, motorcyclists’ chest protectors (standard summary), iTeh Standards (CEN catalogue). Read 2026-09-25.
  4. EN 14021: stone shields for off-road motorcycling, SATRA (test laboratory). Read 2026-09-25.

General guidance. Standards describe how gear is tested, not what it will do in a particular crash. Product picks appear only in buyer guides, where gear has been ridden and tested.