I don’t have a lot of money, but I’ve spent the better part of 15 years finding the absolute finest in safety gear that money can buy. My reasoning is since you cannot buy a new limb, I figure that it’s best to prevent the injury in the first place. After trying and examining the top brand designs, it leaves me feeling a bit confused. Most of the gloves are barely fit for mowing the lawn, much less protecting the hand from a crash. This statement may seem extreme, but go out to your local motorcycle gear shop and check for your self (note: pictures in catalogs, however attractive, simply cannot reveal the true quality of a glove). After reading about the Helimot H20 glove on the Internet, I decided to do a bit of research. Here are the highlights on what I found: The kangaroo-leather (stronger, thinner and more dexterous than cowhide) fingers contain no external seams, so it resists splitting open on impact. The H20 uses a proprietary dense foam (soft) armor that reduces impact forces to the hand (hard armor like carbon fiber knuckles will transmit energy forces to the hand). The dense foam is incorporated throughout the glove and in thicknesses that dissipate impact forces and help prevent broken bones. The engineered construction, fit and finish are a reflection of its German roots. After buying two sets of these gloves and wearing them for about half a year, here are my observations: The H20 glove is simply a design that makes sense. If you put on a pair of these gloves and punch the 90-degree edge of a concrete wall, you’ll feel nothing. If you put on a pair of standard or even so-called “high end” motorcycle gloves, instinctively you won’t even try this test. Why? Because you’ll know…it’s gonna to hurt! So, the question I ask myself is this: if a pair of motorcycle safety gloves cannot protect the hand for a modest punch to a wall, how will they protect me in the event of a real motorcycle crash? The H20 glove seems so logical you would think that companies would settle on this elemental design, add their own colors and twists and set up production. Sadly, this is not the case. It’s like a pair of Frey-Daytona Security boots, a beautifully simple design that incorporates unique safety system of a hard-shell inner boot and soft, elegant outer boot. Why companies don’t follow suit is beyond me. But, I suppose it may have something to do with the idea that just because a product appears simple and intuitive, doesn’t mean it is. Think Apple iPhone. Back to the H20’s, the reality is that if Helimot devoted its modest resources to marketing, then I do not believe that the product would be as such. Marketing costs a lot of money and time. What you have is a product that is well respected and used by some of the biggest names in motorcycle racing. And its popularity is probably due to the most powerful form of advertising: word of mouth from owners who know what good gear is. If you are interested in proper safety gear that will truly protect your hands, incorporate comfort and quality, know this: The Helimot H20 motorcycle gloves is the world’s top designed, best executed motorcycle glove on the market.

I've been wearing my H-20 gloves for about one year now. I am more than pleased with the build quality and comfort. I used to wear the Racer High-End, which are very comfortable, but they split open after an extremely slow speed low side. So, having heard of Helimot, I jaunted down the Peninsula and paid a visit. The guy that was working let me choose the best fitting size medium, and since no two pairs are exactly alike, let me choose the one's that fit the best. One thing I really like is the thinner kangaroo palm. It allows for better feel in my opinion. So, after one year of wearing, they show virtually no signs of wear, with the exception of slighlty darker palms, which is typical for 'roo skin. Once I save up the coin, I'm getting a Helimot suit. This company knows what we riders need, and how to protect us when we go down. Top notch product, probably one of the best on the market. The only thing I wouldn't recommend these gloves for is really cold weather riding. But if you live in a temperate climate such as here in Northern California, give these a shot.

Best Ever! I own a pair of H-20's to go with my J92 race suit. I have had the gloves for 1 year now, doing a number of track days and plenty of canyon carving in these beauties. First off the fit is perfect, the leather is soft yet thick and offers great protection. I get zero color transfer to my hands even while sweating heavily on hot california track days. They felt great the moment I put them on and even better a year later. I have owned top of the line gloves from several manufacturers and nothing comes close to the quality, comfort and durability of the Helimot H-20. I highly recommend these gloves to anyone looking for a first rate race or sport gloves.

Oh, I can get gloves that actually fit? For my first 40 years of riding motorcycles I thought I only had 2 choices...gloves that didn't cut off my circulation but left an extra inch of length in each finger sleeve, or gloves that fit the fingers but rolled my palm into a burrito trying to get them on. Anyone who works with their hands knows exactly what I'm talking about... broad mitts with standard length fingers. What to do? Me, well I just settled for trying on every stinking pair of gloves hanging on every stinking rack looking to find the pair that was the most "mismade" in the proportions that I needed, in the product line that made me feel the most secure about protection. Enter HELIMOT....on my first visit to the store I met Helmut. I was there for a suit fitting. Helmut shook my hand and knew without me saying a word that I had problems with gloves fitting. We detoured into the shop where I got a lesson on glove manufacturing; but WHY? I wondered, when I was there for a suit fitting. Helmut knew what I didn't, and rather than try to sell me something by salesmanship alone, he would educate me into making the right decision myself. I did. I bought 2 pairs of H-20's that day, and did it on the basis of fit alone. After all, without all the fancy hard plastic protection offered by the misfits I had always worn, how could I expect these gloves to both fit and perform? I would settle for fit, and hope I didn't need hard protection! On February 19th, 2007, I found out how much more protection my great fitting H-20's, and my new HELIMOT suit offered than the off-the-rack misfits I had always worn. A massive get-off put my bike, helmet, gloves, and leathers to the ultimate "asphalt" test. My impeccably comfortable suit and gloves crash-tested better than anything I had ever worn and my bike and helmet were totally destroyed. Never one to accept initial results, I faithfully repeated the tests twice more this year to make sure the initial findings were accurate. Sure enough...HELIMOT H-20's and leathers: 3; Arai's and GSX1000R's: ZERO! Now, I only ride with HELIMOT. I'll never again ride with anything else!

And anyone smart enough to buy any of his products needs to say the same thing. His passion and attention to detail makes his company the best possible choice. My thanks comes specifically from a recent and rather violent get off on my (now dead) GS. A palet jack fell of the back of a truck and I hit it at 50+ mph. I flew for 15-20 feet and slid for about 100 more. The palm was kind of shredded and the gauntlet was scuffed really bad on the other glove. They bore the brunt of the impact. And as for my hands? Not only were they not scratched, I didn't even have a bruise on them. Here is the crazy part, I took them to show Helmut and they are in the process of repairing them! This is unheard of! These may not have the bling bling armor of many of the more common place and big name brands, but they most certainly offer better protection. Based on personal experience, I will not be wearing anything but these for the track and some times in the summer (my other gloves are Buffalo 365s). You will not find a better track oriented glove on the market that offers more dexterity and feel on the controls while retaining unparalleled protection. Does it sound like I'm writing an ad for the H20s and Helimot in particular? You're darn right I am! It is because of his design and attention to detail that I don't have hamburger hands. Like said, thank you Helmut.

Just an FYI: my brother ("lugnut") and I (together we are the Moto411 team) have had many pairs of gloves over the years. All have left us longing for comfort and functionality–until I got a pair of Helimot H-20s that is. Now that's all we wear. The irony is that Helimot is less than a mile from my house. Who knew the answer was right under my nose.