Best street and café racer gear 2022

Motorcyclists on vintage or vintage-inspired machines also enjoy gear that celebrates the heritage of motorcycling: retro helmets, leather boots, stylish jackets, and plenty of denim, of course. Luckily for these riders, there are plenty of options on the market today, but which ones are best? We’ve tried all the latest and greatest gear with old-school flair. To make the choice easier for you, we split the gear into two subcategories: around-town commuters, and cool café racers.

Top café racer motorcycle gear 2022

While many of these choices are manufactured for the café racer crowd, we see riders of all styles using classic moto gear on their daily rides. We focused on pieces that look good on and off the bike, because for most of these folks, motorcycling is a part of everyday life. We also prioritized protective equipment that will be durable, versatile, and free from loud branding. Our own experience with café racer gear combines with countless points of feedback from riders like you to create this list of our top picks. Let’s get started. 

Best café commuter street gear

Our first category is for riders who frequently use their motorcycle for transportation, especially for a work commute. These riders prefer protective equipment that looks like street clothes to the untrained eye. This rider might visit a coffee shop in the morning, then commute to the office, run errands at lunch, and meet friends after work, all in the same gear. Stylish versatility with hidden protection is the name of the game here.

The best café racer gear of 2022

Gear	Category	Price	Details
Arai Regent-X helmet	Best café commuter helmet	$580	Ultralight shell Snell M2020
Richa Toulon 2 jacket	Best café commuter jacket	$450	Retro style Full leather
Knox Urbane Pro gloves	Best café commuter gloves	$130	Flex knuckle armor Short cuff
Pando Moto Boss Dyn 01 jeans	Best café commuter jeans	$325	Stretch Cordura denim SAS-TEC knee/hip armor
Rokker Urban Rebel boots	Best café commuter shoes	$450	Waterproof treatment Full grain leather
Bell Moto-3 Fasthouse helmet	Best café style helmet	$300	Vintage style Advanced shell
REAX Bridger Riding Shirt	Best café style jacket	$200	SAS-TEC armor Ripstop stretch fabric
Dainese Blackjack gloves	Best café style gloves	$90	Retro aesthetic Great lever feel
Pando Moto Chinos	Best café style pants	$250	Stretch Dyneema twill Knee armor
TCX Street 3 WP shoes	Best café style shoes	$170	Full-grain leather Waterproof membrane

Best café commuter street helmet: Arai Regent-X helmet

Arai’s throwback series of helmets are the perfect blend of retro style and modern protection. The best of their 2022 lineup for most commuter riders is the Regent-X.

It celebrates Arai’s traditional spherical helmet concept, which recalls the look of older helmets with fully modern protection. That’s why we’ve given top honors to the Regent-X in previous Gear Guides. Simply put, Arai’s fit and finish are always top notch, and their built-in safety technologies exceed even the Snell M2020 standards. Too many competing retro helmets sacrifice protection for style.

Note: the Regent-X uses an intermediate oval head shape that favors the North American market. If your head is more of a round oval shape, check out some of Arai’s other options.

Best café commuter street jacket: Richa Toulon 2 jacket

A sturdy leather jacket is perfect for commuters and everyday riders, especially if it has enough class to be worn casually while off the bike. Enter the Richa Toulon 2 jacket, our top pick for the motorcycling lifestyle.

The Toulon 2 uses a full-grain cowhide main construction that has been hand-treated for superb feel and fit. Inside, a detachable hoodie pushes the Toulon 2 into cooler weather. Richa lines the jacket with vintage cotton for a luxurious feel, and they even add a phone pocket to keep your device safe. D3O armor is included at the shoulders, elbow, and back. We liked how the armor disappears into the style of the jacket for a truly stealthy protective option. The Toulon 2 looks right at home on a wide range of motorcycles, and it’s available in both men’s and women’s versions. This is a jacket you can rely on if you live on two wheels. 

Best café commuter street jeans: Pando Moto Boss Dyn 01 jeans

Equally at home on the street or in the saddle, the Pando Moto Boss Dyn 01 jeans are up to the task of daily riding. Pando Moto cuts them slim with 12-ounce super-stretch Cordura denim that doesn’t get in the way when walking or riding. COOLMAX technology further promotes comfort by keeping your legs cool in high heat. 

As for protection, the Boss Dyn 01 jeans feature a material called UHMWPE woven into the lining in strategic locations. That means that these jeans use a single-layer construction, which is our preference among riding jeans for both comfort and protection. Pando Moto managed a fantastic AAA+ safety rating (CE EN 17092) with these jeans. Even better, SAS-TEC TripleFlex CE-approved knee and hip armor is included, so the Boss Dyn 01s are ready to go right out of the box. Turn up the reflective cuffs after dark for an extra pop of reflectivity.

Best café commuter street gloves: Knox Urbane Pro gloves

With their clean lines and slick knuckle guards, the Knox Urbane Pro gloves blend daily utility with a futuristic design, which makes them our favorite commuter gloves. 

Knox builds the Urbane Pros with cowhide palms and Amara grip pads. Perforations and 3D spacers allow air to flow where it’s needed. The knuckle guards use Knox’s Micro-lock technology for impact protection, and the finger ends are thoughtfully laid out with seamless edges. This greatly improves their durability if your hands hit the deck. Knox’s patented Scaphoid Protection System (SPS) is also onboard to prevent hyperextension.

Protection's important, but the Urbane Pro gloves clinch the top spot with their useful, everyday features. Short cuffs with simple closures make them easy to pull on, remove, or stuff in a pocket. We also liked their touch-capable fingertips, neoprene cuffs, and neutral styling. They’ll handle just about anything around town except for cold weather, at which point you’ll be reaching for a thicker pair of gloves, anyway.

Best café commuter street boots: Rokker Urban Rebel boots

Rokker’s exquisite boots usually earn a spot in our Gear Guides series, and 2022 is no exception. Rokker leads the pack with their timeless designs and outstanding craftsmanship. More importantly, they build their boots with hidden protection using modern materials. The Urban Rebel boots are a perfect example of this approach. 

On the outside, we have waterproof greased cowhide leather with a vintage surface treatment. The boots are fully lined with leather inside, too. Rokker hides toe and heel protection under the surface, along with shock absorbing insoles. And the soles? They might look old-fashioned, but they’re oil- and slip-resistant VIBRAM rubber. A Goodyear welt means these boots might just outlast your motorcycle.

Best café style street gear

A cool motorcycle demands cool gear, right? Our second rider type leans into moto style with gear that excels in looks and protection. The commuting rider’s practicality takes a backseat to choices that bring some retro aesthetic to the table. With our picks, you’ll always be ready to ride.

Best café style street helmet: Bell Moto-3 Fasthouse Checker Helmet

The Moto-3 is a modern interpretation of an absolutely iconic helmet from Bell’s history. The aggressive lid found favor with all kinds of riders: dirt and street, scramblers, choppers, and custom builders. Today’s version stays true to the original’s look with modernized construction to bring it fully up to date. Timeless and a true standout in its category, the Moto-3 is our favorite for the go-fast, look-cool crowd. 

The DOT/ECE-rated Moto-3 has a shell constructed from fiberglass composite. A range of shell and EPS sizes covers most heads comfortably. The EPS continues to the chinbar, and the whole interior gets a removable and washable anti-microbial liner. At the top, Bell equips their signature visor. The visor can be removed or replaced to change up the appearance, just like the originals. Speaking of appearance, the Moto-3 comes in quite a few colors and graphics, but we like their collaboration with Fasthouse best. 

Best café style street jacket: REAX Bridger riding shirt

The REAX Bridger shirt carries all the essentials for street riding without announcing its protective purpose. The rugged ripstop exterior passes for a light jacket at the office or the bar, but when riding, it’s got you covered with SAS-TEC CE Level 2 armor (at the shoulders and elbows) and a full aramid lining. There’s a pocket to add a back protector (sold separately) if you want to further upgrade the impact protection. 

The Bridger was a favorite with our testers for how easily it transitioned between riding and, well, waiting to ride again. It also hides plenty of useful features under its clean lines, like a waterproof phone pocket, reflective elements, collar snaps, belt loop connections, and even a wind cover for the main zipper. A slim cut keeps it planted while you’re on the throttle.

Best café style street pants: Riding Culture Chinos

Perfectly suited to the Bridger shirt above, the Riding Culture Chinos are well worth the investment at $250. Unassuming looks hide incredible slide resistance that earned a CE AA rating. The secret is a single-layer stretch twill fabric that includes Dyneema for abrasion resistance.

The Riding Culture Chinos are among the most comfortable riding pants we’ve ever tried. Riding Culture has height-adjustable pockets for the included knee armor for the perfect fit. They also include pockets for optional hip armor if you’d like additional protection. (Hip armor sold separately.) Overall, these are our favorite pants for the rider who wants outstanding protection that can truly pass for street clothes.

Best café style street gloves: Dainese Blackjack gloves

The Dainese Blackjack gloves are a perennial favorite in our Gear Guides. 2022 won’t be an exception. The Blackjack gloves have an unbeatable combination of classic style, real-world protection, and general finish.

Dainese uses fine goatskin leather featuring elastic inserts for a fit that feels bespoke. The knuckles get discreet inserts for impact protection. We don’t mind the look, either. Short cuffs keep things simple and comfortable. Dainese simply nailed classic glove design with the Blackjacks.

Best café style street boots: TCX Street 3 WP shoes

The TCX Street line of shoes is the gold standard for casual moto footwear. With the release of the Street 3s, TCX brings us their best yet. It’s available in a few variants, and for most riders, we recommend the waterproof Street 3 WP as our top hi-tops.

No matter what you’re riding, a pair of Street 3s will fit right in. They’re light years ahead of standard sneakers with ZPLATE shanks, D3O inserts, and heel and toe reinforcements, but the result isn’t awkward to use with foot controls. Instead, these shoes are equally at home charging the local fun roads or walking around a bike show. Leather uppers with T-Dry waterproof membranes mean the Street 3s can handle life on the road. And oil-resistant rubber outsoles give you a fighting chance against that pesky oil leak you can’t seem to track down.

That concludes our 2022 café and street motorcycle gear guide! We rely on this gear for our own commuting and cruising, and we think it’ll win your approval, too. Don’t miss our other 2022 Gear Guides as we seek out the best in all things moto.