Motorcycle gear is expensive and if you have a good pair of riding gloves, not only did you invest money into them, but they are a comfortable piece of your ride. You want to maintain them and keep them operable as long as possible. If you want leather motorcycle gloves to stay in good riding condition for a number of years, you will need to do proper maintenance on them.

Leather is made from animal hide and functions somewhat like human skin. If it gets too dry, it gets brittle and can crack. If it is too wet, it will be pliable and could pull apart on impact. Here are a few steps you can take in order to care for your leather motorcycle gloves in order to help them enjoy a long, full life and many rides with you.

Clean the Gloves

You may notice that after several long rides, your gloves look as if they have faded. In reality, they are probably collecting dirt and grim from the rides. You can prevent fading and prolong the life of your gloves by cleaning them on a regular basis. You will want to use a leather shampoo and scrub it into the leather to get the dirt out as well as any stains. Once the gloves are clean, you will want to use a conditioner on the gloves. Shampoo removes oil and conditioner will put the oil back in. Regular cleaning will keep the gloves flexible and moisturized and it will also prevent them from fading.

Keep Track of Rides

If you are wondering how often you should clean and maintain your gloves, you need to keep track of how often you ride and how hard you are on your riding gear. If you ride daily, you will want to clean your gloves every two weeks. If you do not ride as often, you may be able to get away with once every few months or perhaps even once a season.

Buy Quality Leather

You cannot expect your leather gloves to last if the leather is not high in quality. You can clean and maintain cheap leather all you want and it will not hold up well. High quality leather will be more pliable, more comfortable, and it will last longer. When you invest in good gloves and have a plan to maintain them, you want them to withstand the test of time.

Don’t Forget Stitching

Many leather gloves have stitches to hold together the pieces and you will not want to ignore those pieces of the gloves when you maintain them. Some riders like to put silicone water repellent on the stitching in order to keep the stitches pliable and grease those areas up a bit. The water repellent aspect also helps the longevity of the stitches. If a stitch pulls out, you will want to fix it as quickly as possible so that it does not get worse.

Proper Storage

In order to keep your gloves in the best condition possible, you will want to store them in the proper location. Find a clean, dry place that is not overly hot or cold in order to keep the leather pliable and ready for a ride at any time. If you keep them out in the open in the garage, they might get overly warm or way too cold. They are also exposed to extra dirt, which causes more need for cleanings.

When you find motorcycle gloves you love, you want them to last. With the right maintenance, you can enjoy the best pair of leather motorcycle gloves for many years and even more rides.