3 crucial points you have to evaluate your next leather suits

The 2020 motorbike season is almost at an end.

We all know it has been (to say it gently and politely) a strange one!

Now we have a little more time to restart our thinking and look forward to what’s next, that is, as usual, just around the corner.

If you need new leathers for 2021, or you just want more information, check out these three important points…

1. Materials

Materials: the first thing that any motorcycle rider thinks of when talking about leathers is the materials… cowhide, kangaroo, alternative materials, stretch fabrics inserts….. and so on… What are the benefits or the disadvantages of this variety of materials? Let’s try to check this out….

A good suit has to be made with its outer-shell being 70% leather; either kangaroo or cowhide is fine but take care…. not all cowhide or kangaroo are the same! For example: cowhide leather is not likely to pass a AAA CE certification test when it’s vented. Equally kangaroo hide – depending on how has been tanned – can be more resistant than cowhide or even more weak! A high-quality leather has a minimum resistance of (50 kN) to tear tests and must remain “unscarred” at the Darmstadt abrasion test that simulates the sliding of the material on the tarmac.

We know, we know… you are not going to cut and/or throw a new suit down the road before you buy it, to check those parameters, but it’s is something that’s always good to know and the reason we lab test and CE certify our products. Also hugely important is the elastic fabric that is normally on the arms or between the legs; even if from the outside you can’t say whether it is good or not, the difference in terms of performance can be crucial. Good suits use high resistance fabric with real Kevlar fibres, others are made with a fabric that might only be good enough to make a sweatshirt. A good way to check this matter is the composition label of the garment. Vircos, as a brand, since its inception, have taken this matter very seriously; always choosing only the best. Indeed, Vircos suits are only made of leather tanned for motorcycle use (we know seems obvious but is not always the case with some companies) and tested for tear and abrasion with high standards to pass and as well Kevlar from Shoeller which is the best available on the market.

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2. Protectors

Of course we would not advise you to buy a very cheap suit but if you are tempted make sure you DOUBLE check that at least the protectors are CE certified and not just foam pads added here and there, to make the suit look bulky and give the appearance of protection. Truth to be told, most leathers in the market are equipped with CE protectors but it is also important to be able to carefully read the label on them.

A. S-E-K Type A o Type B

This means the part of your body the protector is designed to protect. Shoulder, elbow, knee… As long as you don’t have a protector marked S on your knee there’s no need to worry!

B. Level of protection 1 or 2

Protectors can be level one or level two, both versions are ok and certified, the difference is that level 2 protects more than level one. How is this measured? To measure the energy absorption a protector can guarantee a 5Kg weight is used that, when dropped from a height of 1.02Mt on the protector, it generates an impact force of 50Joule. The energy that passes thought he protector is measured and, when it’s from 20 to 35Kn the protector is marked level one; when is below 20Kn is marked level 2. If it feels like that test is not severe enough to guarantee a good impact protection: Go to the Gym, take a 5Kg weight and throw it on your bare foot from 1,02Mt! We are sure your feet will measure more than 35Kn of force!

C. High and Low temperature test

Impact tests are made in normal temperature conditions, an optional test can be made over 40 degrees or below 10 degrees.

D. Motorcyclist Pictogram

The protection is always marked with the purpose it is designed to protect so… always make sure you see a motorbike on it!

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3. Fitting

Without proper fitting, the most protective suit on earth is pointless. It’s crazy to wear a protective suit of the wrong size, or made-to-measure that has been constructed without a proper, skilled, talented and experienced team behind it. We know it might seem “the same old story” but too many times in the paddock we see people wearing the wrong size or a made-to-measure which looks like it’s been made to someone else’s measurements! The message is always the same: riding in a suit that does not fit properly is something not to underestimate. Would you run a marathon in shoes 2 sizes too small or 2 sizes too big? We hope you wouldn’t… for the same reason don’t ride your motorbike in the wrong suit, it’s always going to be less fun and less safe!

Protect the skin you’re in and see ya!

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