Best motorcycle touring gear 2022

Top touring gear 2022

We’ve scoured the world of touring gear to find the best selections for your next tour. Even better, we’ve sorted all this equipment into riding styles to help you find the perfect fit, with selections for long-haul riders and those who prefer day trips.

Selection process

We don’t just sell motorcycle gear at RevZilla. We use and evaluate it constantly. Many of our staff riders are seasoned long-haul riders, and we have troves of customer feedback from riders like you to rely on. The best riding gear becomes easy to spot with all these data points. Let’s dive into our selections for tourers of all kinds.

The best touring motorcycle gear of 2022

Gear	Category	Price	Details
Shoei Neotec 2 helmet	Best long-haul tour helmet	$750-$850	Minimal fatigue Great ventilation
Olympia Airglide 6 jacket/pants	Best long-haul tour jacket/pants	$660 (suit)	Thermal lining High-tech surface treatments
Held Air N Dry gloves	Best long-haul tour gloves	$265	Unique, comfy design Fully waterproof
TCX Clima Surround GTX boots	Best long-haul tour boots	$320	GTX membrane Ventilated sole
HJC RPHA 70 ST helmet	Best day-trip tour helmet	$400	Featherweight shell Drop-down sun shield
Rukka StretchAir jacket/pants	Best day-trip jacket/pants	$950 (suit)	Durable, comfortable stretch D3O Air XTR CE2 armor
REAX Castor Perf gloves	Best day-trip tour gloves	$90	Perf adds airflow Wicking liner
Alpinestars SMX 6 v2 boots	Best day-trip tour boots	$290	Lateral ankle braces Air, WP versions

Best long-haul touring gear

We’ll kick things off with our top picks for hardcore touring riders who take extended motorcycle trips. (If you’re more of a weekend tourer, skip down to our other set of picks below.) Long-haul riders push on through foul weather and long miles. They probably stay in hotels, but camping isn’t out of the question. These motorcyclists probably plan long annual trips, or they might participate in challenges like Iron Butt rides. If that sounds like you, these are our recommendations.

Best long-haul touring helmet: Shoei Neotec 2 helmet

The Neotec 2 returns as our favorite choice for long-haul touring riders. Even though there are some new helmets on the scene, none of them eclipse the comfort or practicality of the defending champion. 

One of the most important features of this helmet is its aerodynamic balance, reducing stress to the rider’s head and neck. When you’re racking up major miles on multi-day or multi-week rides, these stresses can add up in a hurry, so the fewer, the better. Strategically placed vortex generators cut down noise, and silence is golden.

We continue to appreciate the quality and attention to detail throughout the helmet. Shoei’s 360º Pivot Locking System uses stainless steel parts for secure chinbar locking that won’t wear out prematurely. Another useful detail is the large, ambidextrous chinbar release button and integrated drop-down sun shield, which is also easy to operate while wearing motorcycle gloves. Shoei’s flagship modular remains the helmet to beat for 2022.

Best long-haul touring jacket and pants: Olympia Airglide 6 jacket and pants

Touring veterans will be familiar with Olympia’s offerings, and for 2022, their Airglide 6 is our pick for long-distance riding. It’s a tourer’s bargain that delivers non-negotiable features (like seam taping, removable layers, and reflective accents) at a relatively affordable price point. The Airglide 6’s outer shell uses high density 1000 denier Cordura fabric, with Powertector Hexa CE Level 2 armor included. In addition to abrasion resistance, we were impressed by the Airglide’s defenses against rain, wind, and cooler temperatures. The removable rain shell has DWR, Aquares WP 5K and MVP 5K technologies to lock out precipitation and wind gusts. The removable thermal layer extends the jacket’s versatility. 

Most of our touring customers aren’t planning extended rides through northern winters, so if you’re a cold-weather warrior, the Airglide 6 probably won’t be quite warm enough. But if you tend to take long trips through the spring, summer, and fall, this is an excellent three-season choice. 

The Airglide 6 pants combine with the jacket above to create our favorite full touring suit. It offers many of the same key features we liked in the jacket, including removable rain protection, 1000 denier Cordura construction, reflective accents, and all-day comfort for three-season riding. The pants also get some thoughtful additions like pre-curved legs and an EZ-Hem that can be tailored to fit your favorite riding boots. In addition, women's versions of the jacket and pants are available for improved fit.

Best long-haul touring gloves: Held Air n Dry 2-1 gloves

The Held Air N Dry gloves may be one of the oldest designs on the market, but they’ve never been surpassed in providing waterproof and breathable gloves for touring riders. Their secret is a system of air chambers with Gore-Tex membranes that allow the breeze to ventilate your hands while riding, even in wet conditions.

Water stops outside the membranes, which means the Held Air N Dry gloves are up for the challenges of touring through a wide variety of weather conditions. They’re exceptionally durable for many seasons of use. Other attempts at this balance have been made, but we still depend on our Air N Dry gloves for the long haul. Held also produces a women's version of the Air N Dry gloves.

Best long-haul touring boots: TCX Clima Surround GTX boots

When they debuted in 2018, the TCX Clima Surround GTX boots earned a spot among Common Tread’s best moto advancements of the year. On the outside, these TCXes look like a standard pair of touring boots. Don’t be deceived. Hidden in the footbed is a series of channels that allow fresh air to reach the soles.

Before the air reaches your feet, a Surround Gore-Tex membrane guards against water and dampness. There is also an Outdry bootie for comfort and wicking. This arrangement, much like the Held gloves above, allows sweat and water to exit the boot without compromising ventilation. Superior comfort means more riding, and with a protective complement of fully modern safety features, the TCX Clima Surrounds easily take our top honors.

Best day-trip motorcycle touring gear

Our second rider is slightly more casual while touring. Trips are briefer than our long-haul rider’s, and those trips are in fairer weather. These are day trippers, weekenders, and sightseers. This gear, which tends to be lighter and more athletic than the long-haul rider’s astronaut suit, would also work for sport-tourers seeking the fun roads. Think touring with a little more speed and fewer days, with every intent to enjoy the journey.

Best day-trip motorcycle touring helmet: HJC RPHA 70 ST helmet

While the long-haul tourer will get plenty of use out of a modular helmet, daytrippers and weekend warriors would be better served by an optimized full-face. The HJC RPHA 70 ST returns as our favorite for these riders. Sport aerodynamics meet touring comforts for an ideal balance.

Speaking of balance, the aero shell design and light weight (a little over three pounds) means you’ll hardly notice this helmet while riding. The shell itself uses a combination of carbon fiber and carbon-glass fabric called Advanced P.I.M. Plus construction. HJC’s weight savings with the high-tech shell allowed them to include touring niceties like an excellent vent scheme, a quiet interior, and an integrated drop-down sun shield. We also appreciated the RPHA 70 ST’s included anti-fog lens. Sporty enough for faster riding, and comfy enough for a full day of riding, it was easy to choose the RPHA 70 ST for this category.

Best day-trip motorcycle touring jacket and pants: Rukka StretchAir jacket and pants

Rukka makes some of the finest touring gear around, and for our money, there’s no better day trip choice than the StretchAir jacket and pants. Together, they make one of the most formidable sport-touring suits on the market thanks to a range of high-tech materials.

Rukka uses a knitted mesh Cordura AFT/AFT+ construction that provides both abrasion resistance and serious ventilation. The Cordura is doubled up on the elbows, shoulders, and knees for increased protection. As for mobility, elastic Cordura panels allow for a wide range of motion. Rukka covers the StretchAir gear with useful vents and pockets, including a fully waterproof pocket that can hold essentials like your phone or wallet.

Rukka D3O Air XTR CE2 armor is included at the shoulders, elbows, knees, and hips, with the option to add chest and back protection. (Chest and back protectors sold separately.) Zipped together, the StretchAir jacket and pants make an impressively durable, agile, and tour-ready package. For women, Rukka makes specific versions of the jacket and pants with all the same specs.

Best day-trip motorcycle touring gloves: REAX Castor Perforated gloves

Touring at a faster pace means a sportier pair of gloves will be needed. For that task, we reach for the REAX Castor Perforated gloves. Sitting between a pure sport glove and an all-rounder, the Castor Perfs have the convenience of a short cuff design with a few features that other gloves miss.

Leather construction is backed up with hard knuckles, TPR finger inserts, and reinforcements at critical seams. The tourer will enjoy nice touches like touchscreen-capable fingertips, wicking liners, air-flowing perforations, and palm pads for comfort. The Castor gloves are pre-curved for rapid break-in. The only downside is that they aren’t much use against rain, so pick up a pair of Held Air N Dry gloves (see above) if you regularly ride through wet weather.

Best day-trip motorcycle touring boots: Alpinestars SMX 6 v2 boots

The Alpinestars SMX 6 v2 boots return as our top day-trip motorcycle touring boots. The SMX 6 v2s are one of the most popular boots on the market for their excellent design, adaptable feature set, and price point. These microfiber boots are more spacious and comfortable than a full-on sport boot, yet they include sporty features like toe sliders and other TPU hard parts.

The boots have reinforced shanks and ankle braces, but they don’t restrict movement while manipulating controls on a twisting road. Heel vents draw fresh air inside for comfort, while a breathable interior helps to evacuate heat and moisture. These boots come in a waterproof Gore-Tex version, a more affordable waterproof Drystar variant, and a ventilated version for warm rides.

That’s a wrap for our favorite touring gear of 2022. Don’t hesitate to reach out to our Gear Geeks if you’d like more information on the top options for your next tour, and be sure to check out our other Gear Guides as we keep bringing you the best in all things moto.