Christmas Gifts for Motorcycle Riders (Order by December 7)

October 23, 2026

Christmas shopping for a motorcycle rider has a timing problem built in. By late December, most bikes up north are parked, covered or on a battery tender. The rider is indoors, a little restless, counting weeks until spring. That makes Christmas the right moment for a gift that reminds him he's still a rider, even while the bike sleeps.

This guide is for anyone buying for a rider who has been at it for decades — a dad, a husband, a grandfather, a friend from the Saturday breakfast group. And one date matters more than any other on this page.

The date: order by December 7

Every Gray Throttle shirt is printed to order. Production takes 2–5 business days, then delivery inside the US takes 3–7 business days after the shirt ships. Carriers also slow down in December.

So here's the plain rule: order by December 7 for delivery before Christmas inside the United States. Earlier is always safer. We ship to US addresses only.

If you order after December 7, we'll still print and ship as fast as normal, but we can't promise it arrives by Christmas. More detail is in our Shipping Policy.

What makes a good Christmas gift for an older rider

Riders who have been on two wheels for thirty or forty years usually own the gear they trust. They don't need another gadget. What lands is a gift that recognizes who they are: someone still riding while other people their age have been told to stop.

A good test: if you can picture him wearing or using the gift at the first ride of spring, it's a good gift. If it ends up on a shelf, it's a decoration.

1. A Christmas shirt with a rider's sense of humor

Holiday shirts for motorcycle riders tend to fall into one picture: Santa on a bike. It's been done a lot. A Christmas shirt worth wearing past December 25 needs a line that sounds like the rider himself — dry, a little proud, aware of the years and not apologizing for them.

Our Christmas Rides collection is built that way. Every line is first-person and printed big enough to read across a room full of relatives. He gets to open it, laugh, and then wear it to every winter breakfast until the roads dry out.

2. A shirt for the rest of the year

If you'd rather give something he'll wear in July as much as in December, look at Still At It. These are shirts about the long haul of riding — the parts that aren't original anymore, the insurance renewals, the habit of checking the forecast every Friday night. They work as Christmas gifts because they aren't really about Christmas. They're about him.

For a wider pick across the whole lineup, see All Shirts.

3. A promise of a ride in spring

One of the best Christmas gifts for a motorcycle rider is something he can't use yet. Wrap a card that names a date and a road for the first warm weekend:

A one-night trip to a small town at the end of a road he likes, booked and paid for.
A breakfast run with his riding friends, with the check already covered.
A day you take off work to ride with him, or drive the chase car if you don't ride.

It turns the dead weeks of winter into a countdown. Put a shirt in the same box and he has something to wear on the day.

4. Something for the parked months

Winter is when riders talk about riding. A framed photo from a favorite trip, a printed album of last season's rides, or a wall map of the roads he's covered gives him something to point at when the stories start.

A rider shirt helps here too. Worn to the hardware store or the diner in January, it keeps the identity out in public while the bike stays home.

5. Stocking stuffers that make sense

Small gifts for riders work best when they're practical and personal at the same time. A handwritten list of the best rides you've taken together. A gift card for a coffee stop on his usual route. A card from the grandkids promising to wash the bike when the season opens. None of these need a brand name to land.

What to skip at Christmas

Gifts that hint it's time to quit. A rider who is still riding doesn't want a rocking-chair joke under the tree.
Riding gear you're guessing at. Helmets, jackets and boots depend on fit and personal choice. A gift card to the shop he already uses is safer.
Club patches or logos you don't know the meaning of. In the riding world, those carry weight. Leave them to the rider.

Getting the size right the first time

Holiday gift shirts miss most often on size. Before you order, borrow a T-shirt he wears a lot, lay it flat and measure across the chest from armpit to armpit and down from the shoulder to the hem. Compare those numbers with our Size Guide. Our tees come in S through 3XL in a classic fit; if he likes a roomier shirt, go up one size, and if you're between two sizes, pick the larger.

If the fit is still off after Christmas, email us within 30 days of delivery and we'll send the right size once, free. If a shirt arrives misprinted or damaged, send us a photo within 30 days of delivery and we'll reprint it or refund you — no need to mail it back. Because every shirt is made to order, we can't take change-of-mind returns. Details are in our Refund Policy.