Motorcycle Leathers

To improve motorcycle safety many countries mandate the wearing of personal protective equipment such as motorcycle leathers, protective clothing and helmets. Motorcycle leathers may include certain types of jackets, gloves, boots, and pants. Jackets meant for motorcyclists are typically made of nylon, leather, or Kevlar. These motorcycle leathers jackets typically include heavy padding on the elbow, spine, and shoulder regions. Motorcycle leathers gloves are generally made of leather or Kevlar and some include carbon fiber knuckle protection. Boots, especially those for sport riding, include reinforcement and plastic caps on the ankle and toe areas even motorcycle leathers boots. A well-protected motorcyclist will wear boots with heels that fit on motorcycle foot rests (pegs) and provide good ankle support. Pants are usually motorcycle leathers, nylons, or Kevlars.

"Off road" riders wear a range of plastic armour, motorcycle leathers to protect against injury from falling off, hitting other riders and bikes, debris kicked up from the rear wheel of leading bikes, and from running into track barriers protecting the public. This armours, motorcycle leathers protects the extremities from breakage and dislocation and the back and chest from strain and broken bones. Although fairly efficient, motorcycle leathers, armours is of course not always completely effective. Many riders wear "roost protectors" designed specifically to protect against painful debris from other bikes, but are of no use in a fall or collision.

Motorcycle leathers are 1-piece suits, or 2-piece motorcycle leathers jackets and motorcycle leathers trousers worn by motorcyclists mainly for protection in a crash. The motorcycle leathers used is not fashion motorcycle leathers but protective motorcycle leathers which is stronger, moderately flexible and much tougher. Both motorcycle leathers and joins (seams and zips) should be officially tested for ergonomics and impact abrasion, cut, tear and burst resistance. Motorcycle leathers do not have to be too heavy and there is no such thing as competition motorcycle leathers - just safe and unsafe motorcycle leathers and joins. The most common motorcycle leathers used for motorcycle wear is from cattle such as beef cattle.

Kangaroo motorcycle leathers is becoming popular for its suppleness, light weight and strength compared with cowhide. The one-piece racing motorcycle leathers suit, usually referred to as 'racing motorcycle leathers ' was first used by legendary, ex-world champion motorcycle racer Geoff Duke. His suits, like the majority of those used in the 1950s, were made from horse hide.

Originally, motorcycle leathers were adapted from tank corps gear immediately following World War I. Duster coats, which tended to catch in the wheels, were switched for short coats. Wide-pegged breeches were worn by some motorcycle police and by dispatch riders in World War II, but were largely abandoned in the post-war years because of their association with certain Nazi uniforms.

Shoulder panel of motorcycling racing suit after a ca. 150 km/h (94 mph) crash. The rider escaped unharmed.

Currently there are two major styles of motorcycle leathers: the tight fitting motorcycle leathers and sometimes colorful one or two piece motorcycle leathers suits based on motorcycle racing leathers; and the somewhat looser fitting motorcycle leathers trousers and motorcycle leathers jackets, usually black and often decorated with metal studs and tassels. The latter style, the jackets in particular, are also worn by people who are fond of the style but do not ride motorcycles. The classic American Perfecto motorcycle leathers jacket with epaulets and diagonal zipper, made famous by Marlon Brando in The Wild One, (1954) was invented in 1928 by Irving Schott, of Schott NYC in New York City. Motorcycle leathers chaps, adapted from cowboy gear, were used by American bikers starting in the early 1960s.

Many modern motorcycle leathers have armour on the inside at major impact regions such as shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and back. The energy absorbers and load spreaders range from high density foam to foam backed hard polymers and carbon fiber. It is designed to spread the impact load and shear strains to prevent and reduce harm levels of injury and disablement. In Europe, by law, it has to have a CE mark. However, the present European performance level is considered by some to be very low. They argue that a much higher standard is required, because there are many superior materials and combinations available. There are also motorcycle leathers jackets that use an airbag system, which deploys in the event of an accident, inflating to protect the riders neck, torso, and lower back (see also Airbag On motorcycles).

Typically, an accident at a race track will result in the racers sliding, rolling and tumbling for comparatively long distances and long times compared to an accident on the public road. This is because of the large safety run-off areas found on most race tracks; hence racers have a much lower probability of hitting hard vertical solid objects during a crash. Some racing motorcycle leathers have additional protection properties to increase sliding and decrease bouncing and rotation. Racers mostly hit horizontal surfaces experiencing large high speed shear strains which may cause ligament tears. To decrease or prevent such injuries, most modern racing suits have an area that helps sliding at the knees, shoulders and elbows – often made of titanium or high-density plastic, so the rider slides more along the track environment and so decreases the bouncing and rotation through the air, which may cause worse injuries from angular accelerations and rotational forces.

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