Race Suits

Your Leather Suit Buying Guide: Everything You Need to Know

Next to your motorcycle, your leathers will be the most expensive piece of equipment you purchase. When you're sliding on the pavement after a high-speed crash on the street or racetrack, you'll be pleased you purchased a good pair of leathers. Therefore, it is usually advisable to invest as much as possible in your racing or supermoto leathers. In terms of medical expenses and time away from work, a broken collarbone, arm, or leg will be considerably more expensive than a leather suit. For this reason, 24MX has a variety of racing, street, and supermoto leathers and suits, as well as options for adventure/touring/commuter riding. But what should you know before purchase? Is all leather of equal quality? Does perforation make leather stronger or weaker? What exactly are sliders? How essential is the fit? Which is preferable: a suit that is slightly too tight or slightly too loose? And what about the airbags? Let's now discuss this and more.

Types of Leather

There are two different types of leather that we use: cow and kangaroo leather.

Cow Leather: There are different types of cow leather with different qualities. The second-best leather is "top-grain", the best type is "full-grain", but even professionals may have difficulty distinguishing between the two. Typically, top-grain leather does not have a cheap appearance, has a supple, rich grain, and a sumptuous feel.

Kangaroo Leather: Kangaroo leather is tougher and stronger than cow leather at thinner thicknesses, but it must be properly tanned beforehand. The outcome is a superior material that is lighter, more comfortable, and feels better. Typically, only the most expensive leathers are created from kangaroo.

What Should I Look for in Leathers?

Clearly, the faster you ride, the greater protection you will require. If supermoto is your thing, you'll need leather that breathes better than normal for slower speeds. Of course, racing is faster than street riding. Therefore, if you compete, you will need to seek even more protection than usual. Some leather garments are compatible with airbags. Some include standard systems, such as the Alpinestars Tech-Air® 10 Airbag System, so that you do not need to purchase a new pair of leathers if your airbag deploys.

Armor

Search for CE-approved level 1 or, even better, CE-level 2 leathers. Avoid leathers and protective armor made with plastic on the exterior and foam on the interior, as the plastic may shatter upon impact. Look for newer, softer impact protection in the elbows, shoulders, knees, and back, as it will better disperse energy upon impact. Additionally, some leather manufacturers cut a hole in the leather suit to install the armor, which is never a smart idea. It undermines the entire outfit and removes a protective leather layer. Find a leather suit that is compatible with airbags if you desire the highest level of protection. Some airbags are deployed manually, while others are triggered electrically. Electronically actuated airbags are more costly, but they provide the highest level of safety. For instance, the state-of-the-art, wearable Tech-Air® 10 Airbag System from Alpinestars offers an active electrical system with four integrated sensors and a crash algorithm that employs artificial intelligence to precisely monitor when to release the airbag in the event of a collision. For racing, urban touring, commuting, and dirt riding, they have specialized airbag systems and leathers.

Sliders

Sliders are deliberately placed on the knees, elbows, and shoulders of the leather suit, where the wearer is most likely to slide if they fall. Sliders are constructed of a hard substance and are meant to allow the rider to slide on asphalt rather than roll and tumble. In other words, sliding is better for the body than rolling and tumbling. Sliders are constructed from aluminum, titanium, or other hard materials. Some are screw-mounted, adjustable, and replaceable. Also, seek sliders with no seams to prevent a seam from grabbing on to something as you slide.

Fit

In general, the faster you ride, the tighter the fit should be. The issue is that if you fall while riding fast while wearing an oversized leather suit, the sliders may shift away from the impact zone. In other words, you do not want your armor (sliders) to be loosely fitted. However, the tighter the fit, the more uncomfortable and warmer you may feel. Therefore, it all depends on how fast you ride and how comfortable you wish to be.

Sizing

From 2XS to 8XL, 24MX offers a wide selection of sizes for the perfect fit!