What Gear Do You Need for a Rider-Training Course? A Kit Checklist for MSF and Similar

For a beginner rider-training course you normally need a DOT-compliant helmet, eye protection, full-fingered gloves, a long-sleeved shirt or jacket, long sturdy pants and over-the-ankle footwear, with no skin showing. Training providers in Michigan, Texas and Pennsylvania publish that same core list. The exact rules belong to the course, state or country, so read your confirmation email before you buy or borrow anything.

Part of our motorcycle riding gear guide. This page is a checklist of what courses ask for, not a shopping list.

Key takeaways

• Rules differ by course, state and country: the lists below come from separate providers and a government page, not one national rule.
• Many courses supply a motorcycle and sometimes a loaner helmet, but you bring everything else.
• Arriving without required gear can end your day: one California site refuses range entry and drops the student, and the UK page says the course can be stopped.
• Rain gear is optional at the Michigan site, and training continues in all weather.

What the published lists say

The Michigan site also says gear must give full skin coverage during riding exercises. The MSF's own protective gear page is general advice for riders rather than a course rule sheet, but it points the same way: a DOT-compliant helmet, full-fingered gloves, over-the-ankle boots and jackets and pants in leather or abrasion-resistant fabric.

Required, advised and borrowable

Required almost everywhere in these lists: helmet, gloves, long sleeves, long pants and ankle-covering footwear.

Advised rather than required: a Pennsylvania rider coach recommends motorcycle-specific gear whenever you are unsure, and says boots are the safe choice. Texas lists boots as preferred footwear. The MSF page lists extras such as armor, rain suits, visibility aids and hearing protection for riders in general.

Often borrowable: the motorcycle, and sometimes a helmet. The Michigan site provides both for its basic course, the California site has a limited number of loaner helmets, and the Texas provider offers loaner helmets only. In the UK, check whether the school provides a helmet. Everything else is usually yours to bring.

Details that get students turned away

One Pennsylvania rider coach lists what sends students home. The details below are that coach's description of Pennsylvania rules, and they may change.

• Half-shell helmets, and helmets judged unsafe because of age.
• Half-finger gloves, garden gloves, or gloves with holes or rips.
• Lycra or low-cut tops, and jeans that are ripped, holed or distressed, or yoga, running or thin khaki pants.
• Tennis shoes or other low footwear, and loose laces; tuck them in.

A Pennsylvania rider coach explains what to know before a state-program class, including gear. Watch it for a worked example of how one program applies its list, and remember that your own course may differ, as the Michigan, Texas and UK lists above do.

How to use your own gear

If you already own pieces, check each against your provider's sheet, not only against this page. The fit checks in how motorcycle gear should fit as a set apply on the range: pants should overlap the boot tops and sleeves should cover the glove cuffs, with no gaps when you sit in the riding position. Our guide to motorcycle boot sizing covers measuring and fit.

On helmets, a provider may check the DOT label: a US helmet carries the symbol DOT, FMVSS No. 218 and the word CERTIFIED. See helmet standards explained for what the marks mean. For cold or wet class days, how to layer motorcycle gear for cold rides shows how layers sit under a jacket. Rain gear is optional at the Michigan site.

Before you spend money

1. Read the confirmation email and any gear page from your provider.
2. Ask which items are loaned and which you bring.
3. Wear what you already own if it meets the list: sturdy pants and over-the-ankle footwear may be enough for some courses.
4. Buy for your longer-term kit only after the course, once you know what you will ride in. budgeting a complete motorcycle kit sets out a buying order, and ATGATT explained covers what a full kit means.
5. Arrive 20 to 30 minutes early with your licence or permit if the provider asks for it.

Rules for riding on the road, including helmet laws, are in required motorcycle equipment. For choosing a complete kit, see how to choose proper motorcycle riding gear.

When you are ready to look at leather pieces for your own kit, start with Leather Collection's motorcycle riding gear section and read each product page for what it includes.

FAQ

What should I wear to a motorcycle safety course?

A DOT-approved helmet, eye protection, full-fingered gloves, a long-sleeved shirt or jacket, long sturdy pants and over-the-ankle boots or shoes. Your provider's own list decides.

Do I need to bring my own helmet?

Not always. Some sites supply a helmet, some have a limited number of loaners and some provide none, so ask before the class.

Are jeans allowed?

Providers describe pants as long, sturdy and without holes, or denim or similarly durable material, and a Pennsylvania coach says jeans are the minimum but ripped or distressed pairs are not allowed. In the UK, heavy denim is listed.

What happens if I arrive without the right gear?

A California site refuses range entry and drops the student, and the UK page says the course can be stopped and you can be charged to take it again.