Glossary: L

Ladies

Ladies suits are only available made to measure and come in both one and two piece designs. See our products section for more details.

Leather

Our leather is 1.3mm - 1.5mm thick. It must meet with a performance criteria involving tear resistance, burst strength and abrasion resistance.  This is tested as part of the Cambridge Standard for CE Approval.  Our hides normally come from South America, although in black only we now offer two upgrade hides – Bullhide at 1.6mm to 1.8mm and Deercow 1.4mm to 1.6mm (see links) - for customers who are happy to spend a little more.

Many areas within the suit are made up from 2 layers for extra protection - always placed inside the suit; covering shoulder and top arm; elbow to cuff; hips, seat and thighs, knees and shin. These areas are defined by a minimum requirement known as zone 2 in the Cambridge Standard.  Shown in the cut outs below in light grey with the armour in place behind.

The armour is attached with 2” width Velcro to these second layers of internal leather. This ensures that protectors stay in place but also allows for comfort adjustment. Internal layers of leather are seamed separately to the outer suit to give maximum performance to seam strength.  To burst two seams independently requires more pressure than to burst one extra thick seam.

Linings

Linings are fitted as standard in all our clothing. They can also be purchased separately so you have a spare one whilst the other is in the wash!

All linings are removable and are zipped into place around the main body of the garment and fixed using Velcro at the cuff and ankle. Ordinarily these will be made using an airtex mesh which is a polyester fabric designed to wick away perspiration. These linings offer a good degree of slip, which makes it easier to get in and out of your suit and reduce the risk of shearing injuries. (Linings that stick to you when sweaty can cause de-gloving injuries to soft tissues if the garment should twist during an accident and take the skin and muscle with it – ouch!)

These summer linings are fitted as standard to all garments and come in six colours – black, white, red, blue, grey and yellow. Winter (thermal) linings are an optional accessory. We use genuine brand Polartec® fleece renowned for it’s association with many leading companies worldwide that manufacture outdoor clothing. The thermal lining replaces the airtex linings when required: simply zip into place and put your summer ones away until the sun comes out. They feel instantly cosy and work by trapping air in between the fibres. These are available for all garments, with the one piece suit having the option of being totally thermal or just the upper half.

Links

www.pva-ppe.org.uk/standards.htm
#EuropeanStandardsformotorcyclists
www.tprobodyarmour.co.uk/
www.tprobodyarmour.co.uk/pdf/reviews/RideArticle.pdf
www.bmf.co.uk/briefing/bmfBriefingppeformotorcyclists.html
www.polartec.com/fabrics/index.php