Gear Review Methodology

Our mission with gear reviews on It’s Better On The Road is to gather and publicize the best intelligence on motorcycle gear sourced from riders across the world.

That means our reviews need to be accurate and well-informed by firsthand experience.

When we test a product firsthand, we promise to:

1. Gather as much data as we can on the product’s features, durability, fit, comfort, and usability in as many conditions as possible.
2. Compare the product to others in and out of the motorcycle world on its fitness for the tasks and stresses facing motorcyclists.
3. Source other firsthand accounts from as many riders as possible to create a robust review that represents the opinions of many riders and conditions.
4. Maintain complete neutrality towards the gear manufacturer. Free gear to test does not mean a free pass on rigorous testing.

Many product review platforms often publish exclusively positive reviews to avoid jeopardizing their relationship with manufacturers, which could result in losing access to free products for evaluation. In contrast, our commitment is to our audience, not to product creators. We have no interest in receiving gear from manufacturers that don’t build quality products. That doesn’t help you or us.

Our goal aligns with yours: to collaborate with manufacturers who focus on quality and are receptive to constructive criticism. Additionally, our method of gathering insights from a diverse group of riders ensures that our evaluations are well-rounded and accurate, minimizing the chances of misjudging a quality product.

Our team unfortunately cannot put every piece of gear through its paces in all types of environments. However, we do strive to test firsthand every piece of gear we can to supplement the knowledge we can gather from secondhand accounts and from other riders in our personal networks.

We’re always looking for new riders to join our network of reviewers. Reach out to [email protected] and tell me about your motorcycle and gear experiences if you’re interested; there could be cash and/or gear in it for you.