To improve motorcycle safety, many countries mandate the wearing of personal protective equipment such as protective clothing and helmets. Protective clothing may include certain types of jackets, gloves, boots, and pants. Jackets meant for motorcyclists are typically made of leather or specialized man-made fabrics like cordura or Kevlar. These jackets typically include padding on the elbow, spine, and shoulder regions. This was once quite bulky, but modern technology and materials have made it unobtrusive. 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. Pants are usually leather, cordura, or Kevlar. Except for helmets, none of these items are required by law in any state in the USA, or in any part of the UK but are recommended by many of those who ride.
"Off road" riders wear a range of plastic armour 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 armour protects the extremities from breakage and dislocation and the back and chest from strain and broken bones. Although fairly efficient, it 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.
Clothing
Historical development The initial styles of protective leather motorcycle clothing was adapted from existing styles of cold-weather clothing, with thigh-length coats (usually double-breasted for warmth) common among cold-climate riders from the 1890s. As racing motorcycles became specialized around 1905/6, sensible riders adapted close-fitting leather jackets and jerkins for protection. These too were double-breasted and buttoned up, usually with short collars (to obviate flapping), tight sleeves, but were cropped to waist length, and often paired with leather jodhpurs. This design of racing outfit was common until WW2, with companies like Dunhill and Lewis Leathers offering the style basically unchanged even into the 1940s.
The classic American 'biker' jacket was likely invented in 1925 by Henry Shaw of Leathertogs, a pioneering motorcycle clothing brand from Everett Massachusetts that disappeared shortly after WW2. Shortly afterwards, the classic Schott Perfecto motorcycle jacket with epaulets and diagonal zipper was produced from 1928 by Irving Schott, of Schott NYC in New York City. The Perfecto was made famous by Marlon Brando in The Wild One, (1954). Leather chaps, adapted from cowboy gear, were used by American bikers starting in the early 1960s.
The one-piece racing leather suit, usually referred to as 'racing leathers', evolved from the one-piece boilersuit and later Sidcot suit used by pilots from 1916 onwards. The first form-fitting one-piece leather racing suit was apparently first commissioned by Velocette Managing Director Bertie Goodman circa 1948, and quickly adapted by world champion motorcycle racer Geoff Duke by 1950. Duke had the suit made for the purposes of streamlining, not safety, and like the majority of the leathers used at the time, was made from horsehide. The first woman to wear one-piece racing leathers was Anke-Eve Goldmann, who commissioned a form-fitting suit with diagonal zipper for racing from German manufacturer Harro by 1955.
In 1994, the first leathers to achieve the European Standard for motorcycle clothing (EN 13595) were made by BKS (Made-to-Measure) LtdSansom, B., 2021. About BKS Leather. [online] Bksleather.co.uk. Available at: <https://bksleather.co.uk/> [Accessed 3 September 2021]. and then Hideout Leather Ltd.Davies, B., 2021. Gear in focus: Hideout Leathers. [online] Adventure Bike Rider. Available at: <https://www.adventurebikerider.com/gear-hideout-leathers/> [Accessed 3 September 2021]. These two companies went on to become the main suppliers of motorcycle clothing to the British police and emergency services (as well as supplying professional racers and ordinary civilians).
In the European Union and UK, motorcycle garments must have armour on the inside at major impact regions such as shoulders, elbows, hips (with the exception of Class A or B) and knees. Optional protection may be present at the back, chest and lumbar. The European Standards for these protectors are EN 1621-1:2012, EN 1621-2:2014 and EN 1621-3:2018. Motorcycle armor was originally made from high density foam or foam backed hard polymers for impact absorption, and designed to prevent or reduce injury by spreading and dampening impact and shear strains to the wearer. However, viscoelastic materials are increasingly being used because they combine being soft to wear with significant impact absorption. In Europe, by law, armor has to have a CE mark. CE-marked armor comes in two levels. Also, some motorcycle jackets use an airbag system. It deploys in the event of an accident, inflating to protect the rider's neck, torso, and lower back (see also Airbag and Air bag vest). Airbag protection has been used in MotoGP since 2007, and has been compulsory since 2018.Australian Motorcycle News. 2021. Airbags: compulsory from 2018 - Australian Motorcycle News. [online] Available at: <https://amcn.com.au/editorial/airbags-compulsory-2018/> [Accessed 3 September 2021].
In September 2021, Motorcycle News reported that variable-rigidity clothing could be the future of motorcycle clothing.Motorcycle News, 1 September 2021, p. 14-15 Wang et al. (2021) described fabrics with tunable mechanical properties: "Their design can target desirable characteristics, such as high impact resistance."Wang, Y., Li, L., Hofmann, D. et al. Structured fabrics with tunable mechanical properties. Nature 596, 238–243 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03698-7
Leathers
Leathers are one-piece suits or two-piece jackets and trousers worn by motorcyclists, mainly for protection in a crash. In most cases, the type of leather used is not fashion leather but protective leather, which is thicker, stronger, and only moderately flexible. Today, kangaroo leather is becoming popular for its suppleness, light weight, and strength compared to cowhide. Not all leathers used in garments perform equally; products made from full grain, top grain, corrected grain, and suede can have different levels of resistance to abrasion, as well as tearing and bursting forces.
Leather suits were the first motorcyclists' garments to be tested using the Cambridge impact abrasion tester,Woods, R. I. 1996 Belt abrader impact abrasion testing of leathers and fabrics used in motorcycle riders' clothing. In Performance of Protective Clothing Fifth Volume, pp. 57-69 Some leather products available have been certified as meeting the European Standard EN 13595-1:2002.
Textiles
An alternative to leather is clothing constructed of engineered textiles. These can offer improved weather protection from heat, cold, and water, and the increased utility these garments tend to provide in terms of pockets and vents. Common materials include high density (600–1000 Denier) ballistic nylon (e.g., Cordura) and Kevlar, or blends of Kevlar, Cordura, and Lycra; and often include waterproof liners made from materials such as Gore-Tex. In both CE marked (meets European Standards) and non-protective garments, localised protection may be provided by armour and airbag systems.
Not all textile clothing is made from synthetic materials. Denim and heavyweight waxed cotton was used for many years before the development of modern materials.
Boots
Boots are worn by motorcycle riders and passengers to prevent or reduce harm to their feet and ankles while riding and in the event of a crash. They are designed using materials and seam construction that are impact, abrasion, cut, tear and burst resistant. Tough, strong, moderately flexible boots with stiff soles provide the rider protection from a number of risks. Boots with oil-resistant, rubber-based composite soles give a grip on the pavement and help keep the rider's feet on the pegs. Boots may also have energy absorbers and load spreaders on the shin, inside and outside of each ankle. A stiff sole working laterally helps prevent or decrease crash injuries caused by crushing and shear strain.
There is a European standard available for motorcycle boots, and it is a legal requirement in Europe and the UK for these boots to be CE certified. It tests them for resistance to abrasion, penetration by sharp objects and lateral crushing. The label consists of a motorcycle icon, the designation of the test they've passed and then a series of four numbers. The more '2's on the CE label, the more protective the boot. (1 denotes rudimentary protection, while 2 indicates better protection – in tests of resistance against abrasion, cuts and being crushed.)
Armour
Armour increases the chances of a motorcyclist surviving an accident. The most common form of armour was high-density foam but viscoelastic material has become more common. It is fitted into the shoulders, elbows, back, hips and knees of motorcycle PPE clothing. Research by Afquir et al. (2019) suggested that coccyx protection was crucial but often omitted.A systematic review on the effectiveness of back protectors for motorcyclists. Ekmejian R, Sarrami P, Naylor JM, Harris IA. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med. 2016 Oct 4;24(1):115. doi: 10.1186/s13049-016-0307-3. Separate protectors are also available, typically for the chest and back, which are worn under other items of clothing.
The most widely cited standard for armor is its CE rating: level 1 (lower protection) or level 2 (better impact absorption). The criteria for levels 1 and 2 vary by intended use – back protection, air bag vest or body armor each have different requirements. The CE standards also classify the surface area that armor protects. For example, body armour is classed as type A (limited coverage) or type B (better coverage). And back protectors are classed as either Centre Back (CB) – which offers no protection to the shoulder blades – or Full Back (FB) coverage.
Research has found limitations with these standards. De Rome et al. (2011) found that motorcycle armour was not associated with less risk of fractures.Liz de Rome et al. Motorcycle protective clothing: Protection from injury or just the weather? Accident Analysis & Prevention. Volume 43, Issue 6, November 2011, Pages 1893-1900. Work by Albanese et al (2017) could explain why: "The allowable transmitted force of EN 1621-1 may be too high to effectively reduce the probability of impact injury.".Bianca Albanese et al. Energy Attenuation Performance of Impact Protection Worn by Motorcyclists in Real-World Crashes. Traffic Inj Prev. 2017 May 29;18(sup1):S116-S121. doi: 0.1080/15389588.2017.1311014.
Dr Roderick Woods at Cambridge University led the work on which the CE standard is based. Initially, there were three levels of armour: Level 1 would be tested with an impact of 40 Joules, Level 2 at 50 Joules, and Level 3 at 60 Joules. The mean transmitted force of all impacts would be below 25 kN, and no single impact should exceed 37.5 kN. Two Italian manufacturers – allegedly concerned their armour would not pass the highest standard – successfully lobbied for Level 3 to be removed. It contributed evidence to the assertion that the EU standards for motorcycle PPE have been subject to regulatory capture by manufacturers (a claim reiterated with the advent of EN 17092).
Helmet
A motorcycle helmet is protective headgear used by motorcycle riders. The primary goal of a motorcycle helmet is to protect the rider's head during impact, although many helmets provide additional protection such as a face shield. In many countries the wearing of motorcycle helmets is mandatory.