SAFETY MOTORBIKE RIDING GEAR FOR YOUR VIETNAM MOTORBIKE TOURS

One of the most important – and often overlooked – aspects of motorcycling is safety riding gear. While protective equipment can sometimes feel bulky, uncomfortable, or restrictive, it is also the only thing that can protect you from the road in the event of an accident.

Imagine sliding across the pavement at 30 mph wearing only shorts and a T-shirt, and it quickly becomes clear why experienced riders say you should never expose any part of your body on a bike that you wouldn’t want exposed to a belt sander.

Below is our recommended gear for a safe trip in Vietnam. We strongly recommend bringing your own equipment, as sizing, comfort, and quality available locally in Vietnam may differ from what you are used to.

Helmet

An old saying goes something like this: “If you’ve got a $20 head, buy yourself a $20 helmet.” By Western standards, if a helmet has been dropped even one to three times, it should no longer be used. In Vietnam, however, there is no strict standard like that. This makes the helmet one of the most important pieces of safety riding gear, which is why we start with it.

Take a look at the crash helmet above and imagine what could happen without proper protection. This photo is taken from The Emergency Medicine Doctor’s Facebook page.

That said, a proper SNELL- or DOT-approved helmet can significantly reduce the risk of serious head injury in the event of an accident. Even if protection is not your main concern, helmets also provide valuable benefits such as reducing wind noise and turbulence.

In Vietnam, wearing a helmet is required by law when riding a motorbike. However, many locally available helmets are open-face models that only offer basic top protection. For better safety, we provide high-quality 3/4 or full-face helmets. A good crash helmet is essential, and we do not offer low-quality equipment.

Gloves

It is a natural human reflex to extend your hands to break a fall, similar to a cat-like instinct. As a result, hands are often the first part of the body to hit the ground when a rider is thrown from a motorbike, and they can suffer serious damage.

For this reason, it is important to protect your palms, knuckles, and fingers with strong, well-padded riding gloves. Ideally, gloves should be durable and protective, with gauntlet-style cuffs that extend beyond the wrist for additional safety.

We provide both full-finger and fingerless gloves from brands such as Fox, Pro-Biker, and Scoyco.

Elbow & Knee Guards

Elbow and knee guards are typically worn under jerseys or clothing when riding off-road. They help protect key impact areas such as elbows and knees in the event of a fall or collision.

They can also be useful for street riding when combined with less protective outer layers, such as Kevlar-reinforced jeans. However, they do not provide the same level of full-body protection as complete riding gear.

We provide Scoyco and Pro-Biker elbow and knee protection pads, which are particularly comfortable and suitable for riding in summer and autumn conditions.

For colder weather, we also offer quality riding jackets and pants made in Vietnam and exported to many countries. These protective sets are just as important as helmets, and we strongly recommend including them in your safety riding gear checklist. However, sizes are quite limited.

Eye Protection

Eye protection not only prevents wind from causing tears to stream down your face, but also helps keep dust, debris, and insects from entering your eyes while riding.

Most helmets come with a built-in visor that provides basic eye protection. However, some riders prefer to use separate goggles or eyewear, as they allow for tinted visibility during bright conditions and can be easily removed when the sun goes down.

Unfortunately, we do not typically provide separate eye protection in Vietnam, so we recommend bringing your own if you prefer this option. That said, all of our helmets are normally equipped with clear, high-quality visors that offer reliable protection for most riding conditions.

Earplugs

Earplugs are also considered an important piece of safety equipment. At highway speeds, wind noise on a motorbike can become extremely loud, and prolonged exposure can lead to hearing damage over time.

In Vietnam, there are no specific regulations regarding ear protection, so riders are free to use any type they prefer. We do not provide earplugs, so you should bring your own if you wish to use them.

Boots

From motocross and road racing to more traditional riding styles, there are many ways to keep your feet protected on a motorcycle. Proper riding boots help protect against impact and abrasion, and also provide better grip and stability when keeping your feet firmly on the foot pegs. In addition, they offer important protection for your shins from stones, mud, and road debris.

Unfortunately, in Vietnam, we do not have a wide selection of high-quality riding boots in larger Western sizes, and the available options may not meet the required standard. For this reason, this item is not provided.

If you already have a good pair of sturdy shoes or riding boots, they will be suitable for your trip.

Please contact us if you would like to hire any of our safety motorbike riding gear listed below.

Other Essential Things

Motorbike lesson
Driving license
Insurance
Things to bring
Mechanic basics
Terminology
Travel documents