Types of Motorcycle Base Layers: What’s Best for Motorcyclists?

Base layers are created from many different materials, including synthetic, cotton, silk and wool. But for the active motorcyclists, synthetic materials provide the ultimate comfort.

Under Armour created a craze with synthetic base layers, and the motorcycle industry soon designed their own based on motorcyclist’s needs. The biggest advantages of synthetic base layers are anti-odor and anti-microbial technology, along with moisture wicking material.

The latest motorcycle-specific base layers arrive from Touratech. These “technical underwear” are available in two styles: the Primero Alpine and the Primero AllRoad. The Alpine caters to cold-temperature riding, and the AllRoad for riding in warmer temps. Having tested both pair, I’d recommend the Alpine for temps under 65 degrees (F), and the AllRoad for anything above.

These types of base layers help provide all-day comfort due to low-profile seams, and lack of seams in the seat area. They also feature flex zones specific to ADV motorcycle riding styles, and are hand washable for those endless tours that lack hotels.

Note: when purchasing long underwear like this, remember to check manufacturer’s size charts. You want these snug, but not strangling. Since many quality base layers are manufactured in Europe, remember that sizing will likely be one size smaller.

Cold-Weather Motorcycle Base Layers

Since the fall weather riding is at full throttle in many areas, let’s begin with some info on the concept of cold-weather motorcycle base layers (synthetic ones like the Touratech Primero discussed above).

Again, the main purpose of these layers is to regulate body temperature. When you’re warmly snugged into your motorcycle gear, all is typically well while inactive. But when you start working the trails, your temperature rises, and you naturally began to sweat.

Not such a bad thing when active, but things can get frigid quickly during a relaxing street portion of a ride. This is when that sweat can remain on the skin and get cold.

The genius of the base layer in fall/winter riding situations is its ability to wick away the moisture from your skin, leaving your skin dry. As for the moisture from this perspiration, it’s pulled through the base layer and spread across a larger area where it dries much easier than on your skin.

During the bitter winter months, it’s also best to utilize a mid-layer between your jacket and base layers for added warmth and wind protection. I typically don a zip up fleece that adds an extra layer of insulation for the colder temps – say 40 and below. These also pack away easy in your panniers when the temps warm up.

Hot-Weather Motorcycle Base Layers

Summer underlayers may seem illogical at first, but they are far from it. When temps ascend above 75 degrees (F) or so, things can quickly get sticky underneath typical ADV motorcycle gear—especially jackets and pants.

This base layer keeps pockets of air flowing underneath your jacket or pants instead of having the jacket or pants stick to your skin and not create any airflow. The base layer creates a microclimate under your ADV riding gear, keeping you cool regardless of how hot it is. I’ve ridden in 100+ temps for extended periods of time with and without base layers.

Plus, a thin layer of fabric between your skin and motorcycle apparel simply feels good.

We’ve all been there without base layers—those moments when you start sweating while out on the trail, and your arms and legs feel like they are covered in hot glue and sticking to the inside of your jacket or pants. This is not only uncomfortable, but unsafe; once any attention is directed off the riding task at hand, stupid things happen.

I know; I smacked a tree a few years ago due to trying to get pants from sticking to my sweaty thighs while standing through a technical single-track section. While adjusting my pants, I offloaded the suspension at just the wrong moment, and the bike at the time – a Kawasaki KLR650 – met a pine tree. This likely wouldn’t have happened if I had worn base layers.

Concluding Thoughts

Base layers create a microclimate under your ADV riding gear, keeping you comfortable regardless of how cold or hot the riding situation. I’ve ridden in 100+ temps for extended periods of time with and without base layers. The same can be said of riding in harsh, single-digit temps – those moments when people look at you like your absolutely crazy.

For me, the difference between using a base layer and not using one is the difference between riding or not riding. It’s also one of the secrets of riding 12 months out of the year in the Northeast where colder temps are the norm sometimes eight months out of the year.

Men’s Motorcycling Base Layers:

Alpine Shirt, Men’s
Alpine Pant, Men’s
All road Shirt, Men’s
Alroad Pant, Men’s

Women’s Motorcycling Base Layers:

Alpine Shirt, Women’s
Alpine Pant, Women’s
Allroad Shirt, Women’s
Alroad Pant, Women’s

We’ll look at the forecast religiously just hoping for that little glimpse of sunshine. That one-day every week or two when the skies open and the roads and trails invite us to partake in more than a quick ride. In the fall, winter and early spring of 2016/17 those days were few and far between. As a matter of fact, between October 17, 2016 and April 1, 2017  Seattle had 4 days of sunshine. 4 DAYS! We also set the record for the longest period of time for the temperature to reach 60 degrees. Ugh.

I can finally say (knock on wood), that spring is here. The cherry blossoms are out, there is still a little rain dripping in and out of the Doppler, but it feels like we’ve actually reached the end of our longest, coldest and darkest winter.

It’s time to ride!

Touratech USA has a busy summer ahead of us and the riding season actually started in the rain at Northwest March Moto Madness followed the next weekend by the Desert 100. We had staff on bikes at both events and they must have had a great time because it took hours to clean the mud off the bikes!

Ride scouting for the 2017 Touratech Rally West will start somewhere around the end of May or beginning of June. We can’t really get out there until the snow melts in the Cascades and with our record rainfall this winter in the lowlands the precipitation translated to massive amounts of mountain snow. Rally scouting is at the mercy of Mother-Nature.

Interested in helping scout and leading a ride at the rally? Email: iain.g@touratech-usa.com

June 22-25 is the Touratech Rally in Plain, WA. If you haven’t been, it’s a great time. If you have been, we promise more great riding and new presentations, workshops and more! This year there will be a lot of new routes, presenters and other additions including the KTM and Honda factory trucks. Make sure if you’re interested in taking a riding class you register early. They fill up!

Two weeks after that (July 13-15) Touratech will be at the BMWMOA Riders Rally in Salt Lake City. Once again, Touratech will have a large presence at the event and we’ll have lots of great products on hand. We always have a great time at the MOA Rally!

In July we’ll also have a team scouting the routes for the 2017 Touratech Rally East. As the event continues to grow so will the rides and content offered at the rally!

Want to be a ride leader at the rally? Email: eric.a@touratech-usa.com

August 17-20 brings a lot of our staff east, to Huntingdon, PA for Touratech’s East Coast Rally. Last summer this event doubled in size and we expect continued growth. The riding on the east coast is awesome and being able to meet, hang out with and ride with friends and customers from the region is something that everyone on our staff is clamoring to do. Make sure you book your spot for rider training if you’re interested. The slots fill up!

In September we’ll take a breath and begin preparation for the massive International Motorcycle Show in Long Beach, CA later in the fall…

So check your brakes and tires and chains. Get your suspension tuned. Change your oil and get out and ride! The gloom is just a few months away.

 See you out there!

Touratech-USA

No matter what the riding conditions the Primero Allroad long-sleeve base layer shirt will keep you dry and comfortable. Perfect for either day rides or months-long adventures in all kinds of weather.

With 3D woven high-tech fabrics and a dual-layer design, the Primero Allroad baselayer is capable of keeping you cool and dry during the heat of the day, but still provides insulation as the temperatures drop at the end of the day.

The Primero Allroad’s contoured fit is designed snug in order to provide the best moisture wicking action possible. The anti-microbial and anti-odor materials keep the t-shirt fresh for days without washing. This synthetic shirt is great for motorcycle travel because it is easy to wash by hand at the end of the day and dries quickly.

Primero AllRoad Baselayer is available for men and women!

Special flex zones and very few, flat seams ensure that this special first layer of your riding gear will never get in the way. Strategically placed ventillation panels let the t-shirt breathe in all the right spots, keeping you from getting too sweaty when the trail gets tough. A specially shaped fit is designed to fit tight to your body so the materials can be the most effective.

Touratech is very excited to introduce our brand new line of base layer products, called Primero. We just got them in and they’re very light, very comfortable and completely designed for riding.

The perfect men’s base-layer for Spring, Fall, and Winter riding, the Primero Alpine from Touratech provides comfort and breathability under a wide range of temperatures and riding conditions. The Primero Alpine base-layer shirt combines special flex zones, breathable panels, and high-tech insulating materials to give you the ultimate motorcycle base layer.

Base layers designed for other outdoor activities often don’t consider the placement of seams that might affect us motorcyclist that often are spending long miles in the saddle. All Primero base layers are designed specifically with adventure motorcycle touring in mind.