Best Materials for Motorcycle Safety
Complete motorcycle personal protective equipment consists of a helmet, gloves, jacket, pants, and boots. Some bikers also wear vests, earplugs, or goggles. Motorcycle safety clothing usually means just the jacket and pants. They can also be combined into a single piece of clothing. Motorcycle safety clothing is also called leathers, even though they are no longer always made of leather.The purpose of motorcycle safety clothing is to protect the rider in case of a crash. The best materials for preventing injury have the highest abrasion resistance over time. They must also have good heat resistance so they don't melt due to friction when sliding across the road.Protective leather is still one of the best all-round materials for motorcycle safety clothing. It can be tightly fitted or loose. Tightly fitted leathers are more popular among competitive bikers, loose leathers among recreational bikers. Leather joins are just as important as the leather itself, which is why leather used for motorcycle safety clothing is called safe-seam leather.Air mesh Kevlar has the highest abrasion resistance of any material. Stretch Kevlar blend has much lower abrasion resistance but is much more durable over time, roughly as durable as safe-seam leather. Both types of Kevlar have higher abrasion resistance than safe-seam leather.Cordura has a much lower abrasion resistance than Kevlar. The highest commercial density Cordura is as durable as leather or stretch Kevlar blend.For other materials, thicker density usually means more protection. Avoid standard nylon, polyester, and jeans, which give almost no real crash protection but are still better than bare skin.Other factors are also important in choosing the best materials for motorcycle safety clothing. Textiles dry out more quickly than leather, which is important for long distance biking. Synthetics keep you drier in the first place. Thicker clothing is usually hotter, great in winter, not so good in summer. Textiles are usually worn over regular clothing, making them better for commuting than leather. On the other hand, competitive-level motorcycle jackets can have chest protectors, hard armor, or even built-in airbags.Regular protective jackets can also have extra padding on shoulders, elbows, and along the spine. Protective pants have extra padding at the knees and hips. Padding is made from high density or dual density foam. Sometimes padding also has outer shells made of hard plastic or carbon fiber, which lets a biker slide across the ground with less friction. Longer slides are better for the biker. The less clothing catches against the ground, the less the resulting ground-abrasion injury. Decreasing clothing friction can even prevent some sprains and breaks.Because of the Hurt study findings, many bikers choose brightly colored safety clothing and other high visibility gear. Retroreflective strips are common on modern motorcycle safety clothing.
Complete motorcycle personal protective equipment consists of a helmet, gloves, jacket, pants, and boots. Some bikers also wear vests, earplugs, or goggles. Motorcycle safety clothing usually means just the jacket and pants. They can also be combined into a single piece of clothing. Motorcycle safety clothing is also called leathers, even though they are no longer always made of leather.
The purpose of motorcycle safety clothing is to protect the rider in case of a crash. The best materials for preventing injury have the highest abrasion resistance over time. They must also have good heat resistance so they don't melt due to friction when sliding across the road.
Protective leather is still one of the best all-round materials for motorcycle safety clothing. It can be tightly fitted or loose. Tightly fitted leathers are more popular among competitive bikers, loose leathers among recreational bikers. Leather joins are just as important as the leather itself, which is why leather used for motorcycle safety clothing is called safe-seam leather.
Air mesh Kevlar has the highest abrasion resistance of any material. Stretch Kevlar blend has much lower abrasion resistance but is much more durable over time, roughly as durable as safe-seam leather. Both types of Kevlar have higher abrasion resistance than safe-seam leather.
Cordura has a much lower abrasion resistance than Kevlar. The highest commercial density Cordura is as durable as leather or stretch Kevlar blend.
For other materials, thicker density usually means more protection. Avoid standard nylon, polyester, and jeans, which give almost no real crash protection but are still better than bare skin.
Other factors are also important in choosing the best materials for motorcycle safety clothing. Textiles dry out more quickly than leather, which is important for long distance biking. Synthetics keep you drier in the first place. Thicker clothing is usually hotter, great in winter, not so good in summer. Textiles are usually worn over regular clothing, making them better for commuting than leather. On the other hand, competitive-level motorcycle jackets can have chest protectors, hard armor, or even built-in airbags.
Regular protective jackets can also have extra padding on shoulders, elbows, and along the spine. Protective pants have extra padding at the knees and hips. Padding is made from high density or dual density foam. Sometimes padding also has outer shells made of hard plastic or carbon fiber, which lets a biker slide across the ground with less friction. Longer slides are better for the biker. The less clothing catches against the ground, the less the resulting ground-abrasion injury. Decreasing clothing friction can even prevent some sprains and breaks.
Because of the Hurt study findings, many bikers choose brightly colored safety clothing and other high visibility gear. Retroreflective strips are common on modern motorcycle safety clothing.
