When you’re a rider, scrapes and bruises are part and parcel of the deal. Most riders even wear their scars with pride. However, it’s always better to be wearing quality motorcycle gear rather than riding around in Converse, jeans, and an old helmet. What you wear can make all the difference between walking away with just scratches or with broken bones. When it comes to riding gear, the casual ones don’t always deliver quality results, while the full leather ones turn out to be effective but uncomfortable. Here are a few top-notch gear recommendations for the ultimate safe and comfortable riding experience.

Scorpion EXO-R1 Air Helmet

A helmet is the first safety gear when it comes to riding a motorcycle. This particular helmet is a Moto-GP replica helmet with a budget edition. Considered the world’s highest form of motorcycle racing, Moto-GP includes riders geared up with the best quality helmets and other safety equipment. The professionals particularly appreciate the ‘AirFit’ inflation system of the EXO-R1. It lets the rider dial in the best-suited air-cushioned fit one pump at a time.

Racer Mickey Glove

A comfortable motorcycle glove always starts with the right grip and fit. Australia-based company Racer Gloves is famed for taking glove fitment seriously like nobody else. With a trademark best-fitting quality, their short-cuff Mickey Glove is a stellar favorite in the Racer lineup. The palms and knuckles of the glove set feature comfortable Superfabric panels, providing an impressive five times the abrasion resistance of leather with half the weight.

100% Armega HiPER Goggles

Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned rider, adding quality goggles to your motorcycle riding closet is always a smart investment, and these Armega goggles are the best in the market. The massive intake ports around the perimeter keep air flowing to the rider’s face, while the 2mm injection-molded lenses protect the eyes and improve visual clarity. Additionally, its sweat management system effectively collects and disperses face moisture to prevent fogging.

Dainese Sport Master Gore-Tex Boots

Be it a racing track, short distance journey, or a miles-long ride, this particular jack of all trades boot is the one to rule them all. For the aggressive riders, there are track-ready toe, heel, and ankle protection along with replaceable toe sliders. The proven Gore-Tex waterproofing and the Sport Master’s plush microfiber upper highly impress the long-distance touring crowd. Also, its under-the-pants fit and subdued styling make the pair perfect for running your errands too.

Since the invention of cars and motorcycles, drivers have been drag racing them. We can’t say the same about snowmobiles, at least not on asphalt, but it turns out that drag racing ski-doos are a thing. There’s also a Snowmobile Asphalt Drag Racing Association, which holds competitions regularly, and the yellow snowmobile you’ll see below belongs to Brian Lamb, who recently won an MSDRA race. He took his updated 1999 BRP snowmobile to Byron Dragway and raced a Suzuki Hayabusa in a pair of 1/8-mile sprints.

Probably the Fastest Snowmobile Ever

This isn’t your typical Ski-Doo, as you might have guessed. It’s been updated to run on asphalt and has a rebuilt engine that’s ready to go quick on the drag strip. The 0.8-liter (49.3-cubic-inch) two-stroke three-cylinder engine runs on racing fuel and nitrous oxide. It’s also impressively quick.

Before taking on the Hayabusa, Brian ran a test 1/8-mile in 6.88 seconds at 95.30 mph (153.37 kph). While this snowmobile competes in quarter-mile races, Byron Dragway was forced to run 1/8-mile races due to strong winds and bush fires in the area.

With a 6.54-second ET in the first race against the Suzuki Hayabusa, the bike wins. In 6.86 seconds, the Ski-Doo crosses the finish line. Given that the Hayabusa’s trap speed was nearly 20 mph (32 kph), the disparity makes sense.

Brian wins the second leg, this time with a 6.63-second sprint at 97.39 mph, which is significantly faster than the first (156.73 kph). The Hayabusa rider completes the 1/8-mile in 7.42 seconds at 84 mph (135.18 kph), but the rider is struggling to keep up with the powerful wind.

Snowmobile Racing Surely Is Worth the Attention

It’s certainly the strangest drag racing video you’ll ever see, but we believe snowmobile asphalt racing deserves a lot more attention than it currently receives. Sure, they’re not as fast as a funny car and top fuel racers, but it’s a sport that everyone can participate in.