Choosing the Right Motorcycle Clothing

Motorcycle clothing comes in many categories, riding styles, and materials. Many brands sell good-quality motorcycle jackets, pants, and suits. The choice is endless for having the ultimate protective gear for your rides.

Top motorcycle clothing brands include Dainese, Alpinestars, and Rev’It, while Klim and Rukka are popular choices for touring purposes. These brands have established themselves as leaders in producing high-quality clothing.

It is essential for every rider to wear protective motorcycle clothing to ensure safety in case of an accident. Good-quality clothing typically offers protection against wear, tear, and abrasion. If the clothing does not come with built-in protectors, it is often designed to accommodate them.

In addition, clothing may also offer protection against weather conditions. You can buy, for example, four-season clothing that provides enough cooling in the summer and warmth in the winter.

Clothing also depends on what kind of bike you ride and what you use it for. Someone who uses his adventure bike for commuting wears different clothing compared to a rider who rides in the summer on tracks. To make the choice easier, we divided our web shop into categories so it will be easier to find the right clothing style for you.

Different types of motorcycle clothing

Motorcycle jackets offer protection for the upper part of your body. These jackets often place protection on the elbows and shoulders and are prepared for back and/or chest protection. People often purchase back and chest protectors separately as they are not included.

Jackets are the most versatile piece of clothing you can get. These differ in the material they are made of, the ventilation options, the adjustment options, the extra layers you get, the number of storage options, the riding style, and the type of weather they are made for.

Motorcycle pants offer protection for the legs and hips. Protection is often placed on the knees, and these pants have or are prepared for hip protectors.

Besides the knee and hip protectors, leather pants also have sliders placed on the outside. These provide a little bit of extra protection against abrasion. Besides the protection they offer, they also have ventilation options, storage options, and adjustment options.

Motorcycle suits are almost always made out of leather and provide protection to the whole body. There are two types of suits: 1-piece and 2-piece motorcycle suits.

• 1-piece motorcycle suits are, as the name suggests, made of one piece and can’t be detached from each other. These suits are usually worn by track riders or sport-bike riders.
• Two-piece motorcycle suits consist of a leather jacket and leather pants, which you can attach with a zipper. These are more user-friendly since you can remove the jacket if you arrive at, for example, a drinking stop.

Different styles of motorcycle clothing

Sport

Sport-race riders whether on roads or racing tracks, prioritize protection. Leather motorcycle clothing is commonly preferred by these riders. A short, snug-fitting leather jacket or a leather motorcycle suit offers comfort and optimal protection during high-speed rides.

Sport jackets may include additional features such as a speed hump on the upper back, improving airflow when riding in a tucked position. Some jackets also have a built-in hydration system, allowing riders to drink during races on hot summer days.

Touring

Touring riders embark on motorcycle vacations, longer trips, or use their bikes for commuting in various weather conditions. Comfort and quality are essential for these riders, leading them to opt for textile motorcycle clothing.

Textile clothing often includes waterproof, windproof, water-repellent, or breathable properties, ensuring optimal comfort in any weather condition. Commuters also favor textile clothing as it allows them to wear their regular clothing underneath.

Adventure

Adventure riders tackle both on-road and off-road terrains, requiring clothing that protects against all elements. Four-season textile clothing is popular among adventure riders. These garments are waterproof and breathable, providing the necessary protection for rough off-road rides and potential falls.

Cruiser

Cruisers have a distinct clothing style compared to sport, touring, or adventure riders. They typically opt for leather or casual jackets paired with casual motorcycle jeans. While offering adequate protection, these clothing sets have a more casual appearance compared to full leather or textile sets. Cruiser clothing often comes in brown or black leather with additional style elements, complemented by motorcycle jeans.

Scooter

Scooter riders primarily use their bikes for commuting and city rides, often preferring clothing with a casual look. Lightweight and comfortable casual motorcycle clothing is gaining popularity among riders for work commutes, social outings, or hot summer days. This type of clothing eliminates the need for changing clothes upon arrival.

Important characteristics

Material

We divided the material part into two categories: Textile and Material.

Leather clothing offers excellent protection and often uses cowhide, goat, or kangaroo leather. Kangaroo leather is more expensive but offers greater durability due to its finer thickness. Leather molds to the body over time, providing a comfortable fit. However, regular clothing is not typically worn underneath leather clothing.

Textile clothing is functional and commonly incorporates materials like Kevlar, Cordura, Armacor, Outlast, and 3M. It allows riders to wear everyday clothing underneath and often includes waterproof or water-repellent membranes, removable thermal linings, and breathability. Textile clothing is suitable for all seasons and offers versatility to match riding and style preferences.

Protection

Motorcycle jackets feature elbow, shoulder, back, and chest protectors, categorized as CE level 1 or level 2. Level 2 provides superior protection due to its surface hardness. Elbow and shoulder protectors are usually included in the jacket, while back and chest protectors are often purchased separately and inserted into dedicated pockets.

Pants offer knee and hip protectors, which can be level 1 or level 2. Knee protectors are commonly included, while hip protectors may need to be purchased separately. The connecting zipper between jackets and pants ensures a secure fit and prevents the jacket from riding up during a slide.

Since 2018, motorcycle clothing may carry a certification indicating its class. However, not all new jackets possess this certification. Additionally, motorcycle gloves, boots, and protectors must meet their own CE certification, irrespective of the new standard. The UNI PrEN 17092 certification evaluates specific protection areas and the entire jacket, establishing five protection levels (AAA, AA, A, B, and C) based on their effectiveness.

In a bit more detailed version:

• CE AAA Certified:Provides the very best protection
• CE AA Certified:Provides the second-best protection
• CE A Certified: Third highest protection, but also very comfortable for everyday use.
• CE B Certified: Offers protection against abrasion equal to class A but without protection against bumps.
• CE C Certified: The lowest level of protection

Some clothing falls into this category because it is impact-resistant but does not provide impact protection.

To be assigned a certain class, the clothing must meet certain requirements. To meet these requirements, they have assigned clothing to three different zones. These are defined according to the probability that these zones will be under pressure in the event of an incident.

There is also the possibility of buying protectors from third parties like D3O. This is an external party that supplies protection to a lot of motorcycle brands like Rukka, Klim, ICON, and much more. These companies are protection specialists and provide some of the best, if not the best, protection.

Another form of protection is an airbag system. Some jackets or suits have an airbag system, or you can buy a separate airbag vest that you can wear under or over your jacket. These inflate in case of an accident and could prevent heavy injuries around the upper body.

When buying motorcycle clothing, there is a chance reflective material was used. The most known reflective material is 3M Scotchlite Reflective, which is used on high-quality clothing. When riding in the dark, this material will make you more visible and light up when car lights shine on it.

Fit

When buying motorcycle clothing, you must buy the right size. But there is a difference in how it feels when you buy textile or leather clothing. When buying textile clothing, it should feel comfortable right away.

This material will not expand itself, and you get what you buy. There are adjustment options like push buttons, zippers, and Velcro to make the clothing fit perfectly on your body.

If you buy leather clothing, it should feel a bit stiff and a little bit uncomfortable. This is because the leather will expand a little bit and form itself around your body. After a while, leather clothing should feel like a second skin.

Often, stretch panels are placed to make it more comfortable. So leather clothing should fit perfectly and feel very comfortable after wearing it for a while.

Membrane

Clothing could consist of different kinds of membranes: windproof, waterproof, water-repellent, or breathable. Usually, there is only one kind of property used, but if you look at high-quality clothing, you see a membrane that contains all four of these properties. The membrane that consists of all the properties is called GORE-TEX, which is used in high-end clothing.

Gore-Tex clothing is usually used in bad weather since it is waterproof, or as winter clothing. These types of motorcycle clothing usually have waterproof pockets and YKK zippers to ensure rain does not enter. Besides the membrane motorcycle clothing has, you can also find a removable washable thermal lining that insulates the heat or a removable waterproof liner. These are usually also moisture-wicking and absorb sweat.

Ventilation

If we look at the ventilation, we see two clear differences in the ventilation options on leather clothing and textile clothing.

Leather clothing has vents and comes in perforated versions. These perforated versions are the same as normal leather clothing but have a lot of small perforated holes so the wind can enter the jacket or pants and cool down the body.

Textile clothing also has ventilation options and could be made with mesh. This type of motorcycle gear provides protection when needed but also lets the air through to cool down your body on hot summer days. You have ventilated motorcycle clothing that is specifically designed for the summer.

How to measure

To find the right size, measurements of the torso, hips, sleeves, and neck are required. A measuring tape is necessary to measure the chest below the armpits, waist, and sleeves from the wrist to the shoulder. Neck measurement should be taken below the Adam’s apple for men, going all the way around.

For pants, measurements include waist, hip at the pelvis, widest part of the thighs, and leg length. Horizontal measurements are recommended, except for leg length.