Motorcycle Gloves: How Switching to Kushitani Stopped My Hands Going Numb

2026-10-30

When I ride, I wear motorcycle jacket and trousers, gloves and boots.
That's to reduce the damage, even a little, if I fall.

Luckily I've never had a serious fall, but I try to choose gear that fits my body, is easy to use and is as comfortable as possible.

The short version

I use Kushitani spring/summer gloves (with soft, not hard, protectors)
I try gloves on in the shop and choose a pair that fits my hands
Since changing gloves, my hands no longer go numb on long rides. One reason is that the depth between the index finger and thumb fits my hand
At temperatures like December or late February, I ride with spring/summer gloves and handlebar muffs

I use Kushitani gloves

So this time I'm introducing my gloves.
I use gloves from Kushitani, a Japanese riding-gear maker. I used to try gloves on at motorcycle shops and buy whatever seemed good.

But when I dropped into a Kushitani shop and tried on a pair of their gloves, I was surprised at how well they fitted my hands!
Since then, I've used Kushitani gloves. I know I shouldn't trust one brand blindly, though...

The Kushitani gloves I use (spring/summer, with soft protectors)

This is the model I use.
It's made of spring/summer fabric and has protectors that aren't hard.

This is what they look like on.

Why I chose these gloves

I chose them because:

The protectors aren't bulky
There's just the right amount of protection where it's needed
The design is understated
They fit my hands perfectly

Those are my reasons.

According to the Kushitani shop, no two gloves are exactly the same shape, even within the same model.
Because everyone's hands are different, each one is made in a slightly different shape, they said.
The models I like usually only have one pair in stock, so I can't compare, but I was impressed by how much care they put into their products.

Measuring the depth between the index finger and thumb

My hands stopped going numb after changing gloves

One of the reasons I changed to these gloves is that the depth between the index finger and thumb suited my hand.

With my old gloves, on long rides, the area between my index finger and thumb, where the throttle grip presses, would sometimes go numb. (Maybe I just hold the grip the wrong way.)

But since changing to these gloves, the numbness has gone. If your hands go numb, it affects how you work the throttle and brakes, which is dangerous.

Summary

Changing to gloves that fit my hands stopped them going numb. To enjoy riding safely, it may be worth taking another look at your gear.

I've written about keeping my hands warm with handlebar muffs here.

: Motorcycle Handlebar Muffs for Winter: Fitting Rough & Road Covers to a BMW G650GS and Honda XR250 BAJA

With Rough & Road handlebar covers, mesh summer gloves were fine for me in December and late February. Fitting them to a BMW G650GS and an XR250 BAJA with hand guards, reaching the switches inside, and the downsides.