My favorite motorcycle gear for summer riding

Jun 25, 2026

For those of us who live in the northern portion of the country, we long for warm days while our motorcycles sit dormant on trickle chargers in the winter. You can have too much of a good thing, however, and when mild spring weather transitions to the Dog Days of summer, heat can make it difficult to enjoy motorcycle rides. Those of you in more southern climes are even more familiar with what I'm talking about.

two riders on a dirt road through the desert — Exertion only makes it more important for riders to regulate their body temperature. Out here, overheating can be more than just uncomfortable. It can be dangerous. Comoto photo.

Whether it was crossing the Arizona desert in June, riding White Rim Trail in Utah in July, or enduring the swampy heat of New Jersey lowland trails in August, I've learned some tricks and found some products along the way to help stay cool on the bike.

Sedici Cooling Vest: Evaporation is your friend

Before I even knew products like these existed, I would just soak my T-shirt in the sink at a gas station restroom and ride on. Hot desert air passing through the wet shirt creates a dramatic cooling effect. For a while. That's one of the problems with the T-shirt approach, however, because it dries out quickly and you need to stop again. It's also messy, dripping water all over the place.

a Sedici cooling vest dripping after being dunked in a bucket of water — Sure, you could just soak your T-shirt. But a cooling vest is tidier, more comfortable to wear, and more effective. Photo by Michael Messina.

For about $60, the Sedici Cooling vest is a relatively affordable solution that retains water a bit better and is less sloppy than a T-shirt. Riding along in hot temperatures gives you the same effect. Compared to a product like the Alpinestars Cooling vest, which has a refillable water chamber and slowly releases the water, the Sedici is much more basic in its design, closer to the T-shirt dunking approach. Some folks complain that it only lasts a few seasons, but for the price, you can buy four of them for the price of the Alpinestars vest.

rider wearing a gray cooling vest over a black base layer shirt — A cooling vest paired with a moisture-wicking base layer is the way to put technical gear to work in the name of staying cool. Photo by Michael Messina.

Klim Aggressor Cool long-sleeve shirt: Base-layer magic

A base layer shirt like the Klim Aggressor Cool-1.0 for $85 is designed to wick sweat away and keep you feeling cool underneath your protective gear. I was late to the base layer game both for motorcycles and other athletic summer pursuits, from hiking to mountain biking, but once I made the switch, getting away from traditional cotton tees was a game-changer for hot-weather comfort.

Spurgeon in leathers with a Klim base layer showing from the sleeve ends, ready to go onto the track with helmet on — A good base layer, like the Klim shirt I'm wearing here, is especially welcome under leathers at a track day. It not only helps keep you cool while you're exerting yourself, but also makes it easier to get in and out of leathers. Photo by Roy Kim.

Our video team made an entire video guide to choosing base layers, so I won't rehash the details, but I've found that a good set of base layers (including pants) can make everything from a multiple-day ADV trip to a track-day weekend more enjoyable. If the Klim is too rich for your blood, consider the Axial line of base layers as a good starting point. You can get a shirt-and-pant combo for less than the Klim shirt.

close view of the next tube worn by a rider — A small thing that makes a big difference. A soaked neck tube, right next to the major arteries leading to your head, has an outsized cooling effect. Photo by Michael Messina.

Axial Neck Tube: Cheap cooling trick

A lot of folks wear a fleece-lined neck buff or a balaclava in the winter to stay warm, but these items can also be used to keep you cool in the heat. You could use the Axial Neck Tube (or the ZANheadgear Motley Tube, if you want "louder" graphics) in the same way as the cooling vest mentioned above. Dunk it in water, wear it around your neck, and it will work to keep you cool while also keeping the sun from baking your neck.

Some folks prefer using a full balaclava like the Axial or the Alpinestars, but I am good with just the neck tube approach. In the past, I've also made do with just soaking an old-fashioned bandana and wrapping that around my neck, but the added benefit of the neck tube is that I can use it to cover my face for breathing in dusty, off-road, summer conditions. Best of all, most of these only cost around $10.

distant view of a motorcycle on a road through dry mountains — When the road is long and hot, it's important to be smart about keeping cool. Photo by Zach Smith.

Get out there, stay cool

No product will make riding your motorcycle across the Great Plains in August as cool and comfortable as sitting inside an air-conditioned vehicle. But experiencing the elements is part of why we ride. That means when it rains we get pelted with raindrops, when the temperature drops we get cold, and in the scorching heat of the summer, we sweat. But that doesn't mean we have to be completely uncomfortable.

Whether you try some of the items above that I use or just take the free approach of dunking an old T-shirt in water, I hope this helps you enjoy summer rides. Got any additional tips for staying cool? Drop them in the comments below.