Motorcycle riding gloves have to be the most underappreciated item in the gear bag. Riders will shell out big bucks for slick carbon fiber helmets with cool graphics and won’t hesitate to drop $500 on a quality riding jacket. Even boots get precedence over gloves. But your hands are constantly working, grabbing the handlebar, twisting the throttle, pulling in the clutch and brake levers. And in emergency situations when you’re flying over the handlebar, what’s the first thing you stick out to break your fall? Your hands, of course. A while back Shift Racing sent over a set of its gauntlet-style Bullet Gloves to test and they’ve quickly become my go-to set when I’m riding.

The Bullet Gloves are constructed of durable leather for the most part, save for the hard plastic knuckle guard and the small strip of rubberized Shift logo branding on the gauntlet strap. Single-stitching holds the fingers together while double-stitching has been used in areas where the gloves have been reinforced. Extra layers of leather reinforcement support the high wear-and-tear areas, from the soft pad stitched into the area where you grip the bar, the palms that also have an extra layer of reinforced padding, on the extra leather and padding that protects the pinkies, an area that generally wears out quickly due to constant twisting motion, and the backs of all the other fingers and thumb. The plastic knuckle guard is sewn onto an extra layer of leather above the one that touches the skin and doesn’t prevent riders from balling up their hands.

Despite being constructed of black leather, the Shift Bullet Gloves breathe well thanks to small vents on the back of the two middle fingers. When riders grab a handful of bar, the vents face the wind and shoot a cooling stream over the back of the hand. Air flow gets an assist from a row of small holes running up the fingers and a perforated panel on the back of the gauntlet. They’ve been great for summer riding but there’s no way to close off the vents and when I initially started wearing these gloves back in late spring, chilly mornings exposed their vulnerability to cold weather when the temps get down to about 40 degrees.

Cut gauntlet-style, the lower portion of the glove flairs enough to easily slip them over the sleeve of a thick leather jacket. The Bullet Gloves use a double closure system, with a broad Velcro strap on the gauntlet and another Velcro cinch at the wrist. I ordered a Large, which fits me perfectly, but the fingers aren’t overly long, so if you’ve got spindly digits, take this into consideration. I’ve been wearing them for almost six months and they’ve seasoned nicely. The leather is supple and comfortable. There’s one frayed stitch on the pinkie of the right hand, but beyond that the stitching remains intact.

Styling is subjective, but these are a macho-looking pair of gloves, layered in leather and topped off by heavy-duty knuckle guards with a CF-style pattern. Branding is subtle. There’s only a raised Shift logo and the word Shift printed on the bottom of the gauntlet sleeve and 'Bullet' printed on the back of the Velcro wrist strap.

The Shift Racing Bullet Gloves are crafted much better than a similar pair of gloves I tested. Those ripped when I was tugging on the strap that cinches them around the wrist. The logo on the back of the gauntlet also started to peel off and with a sticker price of $230, I expected more durability. I’ve found that durability in Shift Racing’s Bullet Gloves and at a far better price of $89.95. They’re moved beyond gear bag status because I keep them stuffed in my helmet so I never forget them when I ride.

Buy them now at the Motorcycle Superstore!!
 Shift Racing Bullet Gloves - $89.95