Leather suits for motorcycle riders are perhaps best known through their use in road racing. Most of us are familiar with the suits worn by motorcycle racers in series such as MotoGP. These suits cover the whole body from neck to ankle, offering protection from impact and particularly from abrasion. Outside of racing, even those riders who never visit the track can benefit from a full leather suit. In a crash, there is simply no other single piece of protective gear that offers such comprehensive protection.
TYPES OF LEATHER SUITS
Leather suits can be made from cowhide, or various other leathers including kangaroo. Sometimes textile panels are used in non impact areas. Most suits are lined with a breathable material that is also textured to help make the suit easier to put on and take off. Some leather suits are available with features focused almost entirely on protection for track riders. Others combine protection with more practical touches for road riders. It’s important that you make your choice based on how and where you ride, so we’ve set out some useful information below to help you choose the leather suit that’s right for your ride.
One Piece Leather Suits
As the name suggests, one piece leather suits are crafted as a single garment, rather than being made as a separate jacket and pants set. A one piece suit is considered the safest design in a crash because there is no chance of it separating in the middle like a jacket and pants combination could possibly do.
While some suits are made entirely of leather, many also have expanding textile panels built in, which help ensure the best possible fit and can also improve comfort. These suits usually have a single frontal zipper running from waist to collar. Putting on a one piece leather suit is generally done by stepping into the pants first, prior to sliding both arms into the top of the suit and standing tall to ‘shrug’ the suit over the shoulders before fastening the zipper. In some cases the collar might also be secured with hook and loop fastening or a strap and press stud to prevent the zipper from coming undone. Many suits also have zippers on the lower legs and forearms to make fitting easier and ensure that the fit is snug. Leather suits are designed for a close fit, as this prevents the suit from moving around in a crash and exposing textile stretch panels to abrasion.
One piece leather suits usually incorporate combinations of various types of internal armour for impact protection in areas such as the shoulders, elbows, hips and knees. There may also be ‘hard armour’ panels fitted externally to shoulders, elbows and knees. The knees on one piece leather suits often feature knee sliders, usually fitted using patches of hook and loop material. These knee sliders are designed to protect both suit and rider from abrasion at extreme angles of lean. Sliders are designed as a wear item, to be replaced when worn out.
One piece leather suits are generally designed to fit best when the rider adopts a ‘racing tuck’ on the bike. As such, some can limit a normal, tall standing posture off the bike and create a hunched posture. One piece leather suits tend not to be ideal for walking any distance. If you are considering a one piece leather suit, be aware that not all designs have practicalities such as pockets. Another fact to consider is that restroom stops can take more time when wearing a leather suit. Often the top of the suit will need to be unzipped and peeled down in order to use the bathroom.
Leather suits prioritise crash protection over weather protection. They are seldom water resistant and are not an ideal wet weather choice, nor do they offer much warmth for winter riding. One piece leather suits are available in conventional leather, as well as perforated leather which provides some ventilation on warm days.
Best suited for:
- Riders who acknowledge the excellent abrasion protection offered by leather;
- Sports and track riders seeking ultimate protection;
- Those not concerned with a suit’s comfort or practicality off the bike;
Our top One Piece Leather Motorcycle Suit picks:
Two Piece Leather Suits
Two piece leather suits incorporate many of the features and benefits of one piece suits. Indeed, some manufacturers offer one and two piece versions of the same design. Two piece leather suits comprise a separate jacket and pants. Jacket and pants can be donned individually, prior to being connected to each other. This is achieved using a heavy duty zipper that fully encircles the waist of the pants and the hem of the jacket. With the two pieces joined in this way, a robust connection is achieved that can only be bettered by a one piece leather suit. The jacket portion features a frontal zipper and the pants generally incorporate a zippered fly and a hook and loop or press stud waist closure.
Two piece leather suits can be crafted from various types of leather, and often incorporate stretch or expansion panels in non-impact areas to help achieve a good fit. They are lined with a variety of textiles to make fitting and removing the jacket and pants easier and to aid movement while riding. Two piece leather suits are usually designed for a snug fit to aid safety and prevent the flapping that can be caused by the wind at speed. Correct fit is often aided by zippers at the forearms and on the lower legs.
Two piece leather suits incorporate various types of internal soft armour, usually at the elbows, knees, shoulders and hips. Some suits also have hard armour fitted to shoulders, elbows and knees. On two piece suits that are sports or track focused, knee sliders may be found. These fit using hook and loop material and help protect the suit from abrasion at extreme angles of lean. Knee sliders are designed to wear, and to be easily replaced when worn out.
While many two piece leather suits are available in designs styled for track use, there are others that are less sports focused. Virtually all two piece leather suits tend to be more comfortable off the bike than one piece suits. The cut of the suit and the stretch incorporated into the attachment at the waist makes standing upright and walking easier and more comfortable. Two piece leather suits have the added versatility of pants and jacket being able to be worn separately. Two piece leather suits are available in plain leather as well as perforated leather for ventilation in summer.
Best suited for:
- Track riding, sports riding and touring
- Riders who seek excellent protection with added practicality and comfort off the bike
- Those seeking full leather protection with the option to wear pants and jacket separately
Women’s Leather Suits
Leather suits prioritise abrasion protection, and depend in part on correct fit in order to best deliver this protection. They are designed not to move around when an accident leads to the rider sliding on tarmac. Because proper fit is vital, compromises such as a ‘unisex’ approach to suit fitting are unacceptable. Today all leading manufacturers design leather suits sized specifically for women. To achieve the ideal fit, women’s suits incorporate the same combinations of leather and flexible textile panels that are used in men’s suits.
Like men’s leather suits, women’s suits are available in one and two piece designs. One piece suits are a single garment with a frontal zipper. These suits take more time to put on and take off, and are designed to work best in a ‘racer’s tuck’ posture on the bike. Because of this, some one piece suits do not enable a fully upright stance off the bike, and are not ideal for walking any distance. Two piece suits comprise separate pants and jacket, which are fitted and then attached to each other via a full circle zipper at the hem of the jacket and waist of the pants. Two piece suits can offer the option of the jacket or pants being worn as separate garments. All women’s leather suits are lined with various textiles that improve comfort and make it easier to put the garment on and take it off.
Women’s leather suits are offered in track-focused styles created for sport riding, as well as more general purpose suits that can offer increased comfort as well as practical touches such as pockets. Women’s suits that offer best comfort and practicality tend to be two piece designs, which of course also help make restroom breaks less cumbersome.
Women’s leather suits usually have internal armour placed at the shoulders, elbows, hips and knees. This can be augmented by some hard external armour, often at the shoulders and elbows. Knee sliders are often attached via patches of hook and loop fastening. These sliders are a replaceable wear item, designed to protect the suit from tarmac abrasion at extreme angles of lean.
Women’s leather suits are not naturally water resistant and are not an ideal wet weather choice. They offer little warmth for winter riding. They are available in conventional leather, as well as perforated leather which delivers some air flow and cooling on warm days.
Best suited for:
- Women who prioritise protection in their motorcycle gear.
- Women whose riding is sports or track focused.
- Those who are happy to wear a dedicated protective garment that might offer less practicality and comfort when worn off the bike than some less protective options.
Base Layers
Base layers are available as long or short sleeved tops, long pants, or even one piece suits. They look very much like the stretch compression garments commonly worn by sports people and fitness enthusiasts.
Specialist base layers designed to be worn under leather motorcycle suits serve several purposes. They make getting into and out of the suit easier, enhance ease of movement while wearing the suit, and help wick moisture away from your body to help keep you cool while wearing the suit.
Leather motorcycle suits can become very warm on even mild days. Despite their textile lining, suits tend to cling to warm, sweaty skin. This can make getting into a leather suit - and especially removing the suit after a warm ride - quite a challenge. One piece leather suits can be particularly tricky. A quality base layer worn under the suit can make sliding in and out of the suit easy and straightforward. Its smooth and slippery nature compared to skin makes all the difference.
Base layers also make moving around inside a leather suit while riding easier. Rather than gripping, grabbing and becoming uncomfortable in places as can happen when a leather suit is worn against bare skin, the base layer solves these problems and makes moving around on the bike easy, even in warm weather.
Finally, base layers can provide a cooling benefit by wicking moisture away from the skin. Combined with the natural breathability of leather, this can help keep riders more comfortable for longer on warm rides.
Best suited for:
- Riders who wish to make getting their leather suit on and off quicker and easier
- Those seeking greater comfort and ease of movement on the bike
- Motorcyclists who appreciate a cooling benefit when wearing a leather suit on warm rides
KEY FEATURES OF LEATHER SUITS
Leather suits are all about protection, but there is a lot more to them than simply a layer of leather. Today’s leather suits incorporate a host of specialised features to add even greater protection, durability and comfort.
Internal and External Armour
Armour incorporated into a leather suit provides impact protection. Soft armour is built into zones including the shoulders, back, elbows, hips and knees. This soft armour, usually located in pockets inside the suit, is flexible and thus comfortable, yet is engineered to absorb and spread impact forces. Hard armour panels can feature on the outside of the suit at shoulders, elbows and knees. This hard armour can be made from composite materials, plastic or even metal. It serves as impact protection and today is also often designed to encourage the suit to slide on tarmac rather than grip, as tumbling tends to produce more injuries than sliding.
Expansion Panels and Fitting Zippers
The best possible fit for both protection and performance is a snug fit. Today virtually all leather suits feature a combination of zippers and expansion panels that help ensure the best possible fit, regardless of small variations in body types for individual sizes. Expansion panels are incorporated into areas such as the inner legs and arms, where impact and abrasion is very likely. These panels offer more ‘stretch’ than leather, to ensure the snug fit that helps prevent the suit moving about on impact. Some suits also feature multi-fit zippers in areas such as the calves, to help riders customise the fit in these areas.
Pre-Curving and Aerodynamic Aids
Today many one piece leather suits have a pre-curved torso, arms and legs. This curvature helps the suit fit best and feel most comfortable when the rider is on the bike and in a ‘race tuck’ position. Distinctive rear humps placed on the back, extending down to the middle of the back, are an aerodynamic aid developed in racing that have found their way onto road suits. At the track, in a race tuck, they have proved to aid the aerodynamic performance of a suit, leading to increases in acceleration and top speed.
Airbags
Originally developed in racing, today airbags are becoming increasingly common on high end, track-focused consumer leather suits. Some suits are ‘airbag ready’ and capable of having the device easily fitted, while others arrive with the airbag already in place in the suit.
The airbags incorporated into leather suits are designed to inflate around the collarbone, ribs and torso, providing significant impact protection and support for the rider in a crash. Airbags are linked to sensors such as accelerometers that are able to detect an imminent crash. When a crash is about to occur, the accelerometers trigger the system, which uses small canisters of inert gas to inflate the airbag in milliseconds. The airbag usually deflates automatically 5 seconds or more after the crash.
The control unit and gas supply for the airbag is usually housed inside the aerodynamic back hump. Airbags in leather suits are being further refined year by year and are expected to eventually become common or even standard equipment.
MATERIALS USED IN LEATHER SUITS
Leather, synthetic materials, composites, plastics and even metals - in the name of protection and best fit, many diverse materials can be incorporated into a leather suit. Let’s look at some of the main types.
Leather
Of course suits are constructed primarily of leather, but the specific materials and how they are applied can vary greatly. Today not just cowhide is used but also kangaroo leather. Kangaroo leather is both lighter and more abrasion resistant than cowhide.
Various thicknesses of leather can be used, and the material can also be applied in multiple layers as reinforcing. Extra leather layers are often added as the seat, at shoulders, elbows, hips and knees. Ideally, leather is used in a suit to provide reinforcement and protection in key areas as well as comfort and flexibility in others.
Synthetic Fibre Abrasion Reinforcement
In some suits, the abrasion resistance of leather is further augmented by the use of advanced synthetic fibres such as Aramids. Aramids are advanced fibres also used in military body armour. Placed in areas such as the seat, shoulders and hips, Aramid can add an extra layer of abrasion resistance. It has the added benefit of providing excellent insulation against heat, a welcome benefit in cases where extended slides can otherwise lead to riders suffering significant friction burns to the skin.
Stretch and Expansion Materials
To fit correctly, all leather suits must include panels of material that have the ability to stretch and expand. While these panels were originally often simple elastic, the expansion panels materials in today’s suits have moved ahead. Fibres such as Kevlar are now incorporated into expansion panels, improving their tear resistance and abrasion resistance while retaining the ability of these panels to stretch as needed.
Composite Reinforced Plastics
In the hard armour panels used externally on leather suits, conventional plastics such as nylon are being replaced with advanced plastics reinforced with materials such as Kevlar and Carbon Fibre. Fibres such as these are often used in military applications such as bullet resistant vests and body armour. Used in the external armour panels on leather suits, they provide resistance to shattering and abrasion while also reducing weight.
