Seeing how much fun long-distance motorcycle touring is, my eight year-old son caught on and wanted to join me. As a parent, my first concern is safety and I want my son to learn the importance of proper gear while he’s still young.

Looking online, I found tons of dirt bike gear but not much for the road. Eventually I came across KinderRider. They specialize in children’s sizes, including quality jackets, pants, boots, and gloves—all of which are armored, lined and waterproof. Nothing extra is needed for inclement weather, saving packing space and weight.

Thrilled to go on his first trip, my son ripped open the delivery box and immediately put the suit on. Before I even got a good look he excitedly told me, “I’m ready to ride now!”

Comparing the jacket to my adult version it seems designed to protect well. There’s a removable inner liner for multiple seasons, and armor that’s very firm and strong in the elbows and back, with light padding in the shoulders—all of which are removable for cleaning or replacement. Built-in reflectors help with visibility, although I’d prefer more on the back of the jacket.

As for the sizing, we all know how rapidly kids grow and how expensive it can be keeping up with them. Good news: KinderRider has solved that issue.

­I chose a medium size for my son. It runs slightly large but still fits, allowing enough growing room to last multiple seasons. A cool thing about the jacket’s design is that each arm has a heavy duty zipper that, when unzipped, allows for an extra two inches of growth. There’s also a large vent on the back and others above each shoulder.

The pants are black and run slightly bigger as well. With jeans underneath, the kids’ motorcycle boots fit well with room to grow. Like the jacket, the pants have a removable liner along with zippers that allow for a couple inches of development. There’s padding in the knees and the hips—so with kids being kids, they should hold up well to constant abuse. The waist has an adjustable Velcro band that works well but my son is tall and I would have preferred a built-in belt to help keep the waist band snug. The legs have side zippers to aid putting on boots. Unfortunately, there are no vents in the pants, and that resulted in complaints from my son about the heat.

Boots and gloves were another important safety concern. The boots are fully waterproof with a side zipper and Velcro fasteners, and next to my adult boots they seem to be of similar construction.

During our Outer Banks, NC, ride we climbed three lighthouses and walked a half mile around the beach wearing boot and gear. With thicker socks the boots fit him perfectly. In the rain the gloves handled well and kept him dry.

This new gear by KinderRider is quality-made. With it I feel more comfortable when my son rides with me. As a parent, I’m confident that if something did happen, he’ll be safer protected by the KinderRider gear. We’ve gone on a few trips so far and all these big rides have been multi-day, which means he wore his gear every day. He loved it, I felt safe with him in it, and I couldn’t be happier. MSRP: Jacket—$110.99 | Pants—$99.99 | Boots—$74.99 | Gloves—$29.99 KinderRiderInc.com