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Brands
Categories
Parts Finder
Bikebiz Parramatta
Bikebiz
granville
granville
Brands
Categories
Parts Finder
Brands
Categories
Parts Finder
By Michael Catford
|
20 May 2026
|
7 min read
Leather motorcycle gloves should fit pretty snugly out of the box without cutting off circulation, as the leather will stretch and mould to your hands over time. Your fingertips should just graze fabric. Choose a glove that suits your riding style, like Dainese Full Metal 7 Gloves for the track, and Merlin Ranton II D3O Waterproof Leather Gloves for your daily commute.
The best leather motorcycle gloves for:
More than the saddle and more than the pegs, the handlebars are the main connection you have to your bike – so you need to get a grip.
But with your hands being buffeted by wind and weather, a good grip can sometimes be hard to maintain. Your paws are also one of the more exposed parts of your body in a slide, so you'll want to pair day-to-day weather protection with impact and abrasion-resistance that can handle emergencies.
Enter leather motorcycle gloves. While modern synthetic fabrics are getting better, they still can't compete with leather's combination of protection, abrasion resistance and organic feel.
At Bikebiz we're home to Australia's biggest range of road gear from the world's biggest brands (such as Alpinestars, AGV, Merlin and more), and we personally test our products in local conditions. In this guide we'll walk you through everything you need to know – cowhide vs kangaroo leather gloves, a motorcycle glove fitment guide – to ensure you enjoy the comfort, dexterity and protection you need.
Which gloves are the best gloves? The answer depends on how you ride.
The vibe: Max protection at max speed.
The ride: If you're hitting the limiter down the back straight and scraping knees through tight turns, you need a glove that's there for you if you're a beat late in a braking zone or misjudge a corner.
The why: Made from premium goatskin with abrasion-resistant aramid fibre stitching, the Dainese Full Metal 7 is a glove that feels as good as it looks, and is built to protect you in the highest of high speed slides. Titanium and carbon fibre armour provide impact protection without affecting dexterity – there's a reason why this has been the go-to glove for multiple MotoGP champs. If you're looking for nothing less than the best race-spec glove, here it is.
The vibe: Racing-inspired protection that breathes in summer.
The ride: If your weekends consist of early morning mountain runs followed by hot afternoons on the highway, you want an adaptable glove with track day-level safety features that also keeps your palms cool and comfortable.
The why: Combining abrasion-resistant full-grain goat leather and premium synthetic leather, Alpinestars SP-8 V3 Air Black Gloves give you the control and protection you need through the twisties. The 'Air' in the name is quite literal: this glove is heavily perforated, filtering a cool breeze through in summer to stop clammy hands. You also get MotoGP-inspired knuckle protectors and a pre-curved finger design to stop material from bunching.
The vibe: Classic aesthetics, modern tech.
The ride: If your bike is your go-to mode of transport, getting you to work, to play, to errands and back again, you need an all-weather glove that is big on comfort and pairs well with your leather jacket when you park your Triumph outside a cafe.
The why: The vintage look of Merlin Ranton II D3O Waterproof Leather Gloves disguises some cutting-edge features. D3O armour feels soft and flexible to the touch but hardens instantly on impact. A breathable Hipora waterproof membrane keeps your hands bone-dry in a downpour, and ensures they never feel clammy either. And your choice of black or brown cowhide leather means you can maintain your style.
What's the right cuff length? It again depends on your riding style and how much weather, slide and impact protection you're looking for. Here's the long and the short of it:
Road long cuff gloves extend well over your jacket sleeve to create a barrier against the elements and the tarmac. As such, gauntlet gloves are mandatory for track days and highly recommended for high-speed highway touring. They keep out freezing wind and driving rain to ensure you have the dexterity and control you need in tricky riding conditions. They also guarantee that your wrist bone and skin won't be exposed if you come a cropper.
The downsides? The bulkiness of the glove might feel a bit much for some, and can slightly restrict wrist movement. And they can be a little hotter to wear, particularly in summer.
Ending abruptly at the wrist, road short cuff gloves are preferred by urban commuters and city riders. They're easy to slip on and off, tend to be cooler to wear in summer, and offer a more casual look. A quality pair will also provide more than enough protection at low speeds.
The trade-off is high-speed safety; the wrist is slightly more exposed if things (you and your bike) go sideways. If you're doing 100kph or more, they probably won't provide the protection you need in a slide.
To enjoy the full benefits of a quality glove, you need to nail the sizing – something that our expert team at Bikebiz has been helping customers do for over 25 years. Here are our top tips for leather motorcycle glove fitment:
The best method is just to wear them. The warmth and natural oils from your hands will gradually mould the leather to fit. You can wear your gloves around the house to speed up the process, although you want to try to imitate your handlebar grip as much as possible, maybe with a stressball. Avoid 'hacks' like soaking them in water or using household oils which can degrade or destroy the glove.
Kangaroo leather is regarded as a premium motorcycle glove material. It is lightweight and extremely dextrous, giving you incredible control. But at the same time it remains ultra-strong – though it's not quite as abrasion-resistant as cowhide leather, which is far thicker. Many premium track day leather gloves combine the two materials, using cowhide on the back of the hand and kangaroo leather on the palm and fingers, where you need better feel.
Yes you can – but you should never throw them in the washing machine or use regular laundry powders and soaps, which strip away natural oils and cause the leather to crack. You should always follow the manufacturer's cleaning instructions, as most quality gloves are made from a number of different materials, but the safest option is to wipe the grit and grime off, use a specialised leather cleaner, then let them air dry in shade.
Do you enjoy having functional hands? So do we. A quality pair of leather motorcycle gloves ensures they stay that way, and can dial up your levels of riding comfort and control in the process.
At Bikebiz, we pride ourselves on exclusively stocking the most trusted brands in road gloves and other motorcycle gear. Browse our market-leading range online, or visit our in-store experts at Parramatta or Granville to find a pair that fits like a glove today.