The cafe racer look began in 1960s Britain. Young riders stripped their bikes for speed and met at roadside cafes such as the Ace Cafe in London. Their slim leather jackets had straight zips, short...
This suit is cut for the slim Yamaha YZF R7. Sleeves and legs are pre-curved for the tuck. The shell is 1.3mm drum-dyed cowhide with stretch panels at the crotch, underarms and knees. CE Level 2...
A Nomex racing suit slows heat with fire-resistant fiber and layers of trapped air. Learn what the outer shell, middle layer and lining do, how to read SFI 3.2A ratings and TPP numbers, how FIA...
Heat on the track slows your thinking and can cause cramps. A vented leather suit helps. Small laser holes in the chest and thighs let air in. A vented hump on the back lets hot air out. Stretch...
A ventilated hump is the raised part on the back of a race suit, with vents built in. At speed, air flows in through the vents. It moves through the lining and carries heat and sweat away from your...
SFI is a U.S. group that sets safety specs for racing in North America. Its suit spec is 3.2A, and a higher number such as /5 or /10 means more time before a burn. The FIA runs world motorsport. Its...
Westwood jeans are riding jeans for women who ride in town. They look like normal denim, but the fabric is Cordura denim, with nylon woven into the cotton. Thin CE Level 1 armour sits at the knees...
The KTM RC 390 puts you in a low, tucked position. A race suit for this bike has pre-curved arms and legs, so holding the tuck takes less effort. Cowhide covers the main slide zones, and stretch...
The hump on the back of a race suit fills the gap behind your helmet when you tuck. This calms wind buffeting at speed. A standard hump is the lightest. A hydro hump holds a 0.5 to 1 litre water...
Perforated leather has many tiny holes that let air reach your body, so it keeps you cool in hot weather and on track days. Solid, smooth leather has no holes. It blocks wind and sheds light rain, so...
Rainproof gear uses tightly woven fabric and a basic coating. It is fine for short showers and slow city rides, but water can get in through the seams at highway speed. Waterproof gear adds a...
A MotoSpeeds race suit starts with 26 body measurements and a computer design. Next, each cowhide or kangaroo hide is checked for flaws and cut into panels. Triple-row stitching joins the panels, and...
A long motorcycle trip can go wrong in small ways. Too much weight makes the bike hard to handle. Wet feet make you cold fast. Poor airflow can wear you out in the heat. New gear can rub on day one...
Most size charts check only the chest, waist and inseam. The 26 point checklist goes much further. It measures your neck, shoulders, arms, torso, legs and weight, plus your reach in a riding tuck...
Good layers keep you comfortable on long rides. A thin base layer pulls sweat off your skin. A thermal liner traps warm air. An outer shell blocks wind and rain. Add or remove layers as the day warms...
