Motorcycle Leather Suits: How to Choose One

To choose a motorcycle leather suit, start with how and where you ride, then check four things in order: the suit format (one-piece or two-piece), the fit in the riding position, the armour and its placement, and the stated protection standard. Looks and colours come last. A suit that fits correctly and is built for your kind of riding will do more for you than one that merely looks the part.

Start With How You Ride

A suit is a tool for a particular job. Riders who spend weekends at track days need different things from riders who want a suit for fast road rides or occasional events. Before comparing designs, write down where the suit will actually be worn, how long each ride lasts, and whether you need to walk around in it between sessions.

Riders planning track days can look at the full range of motorcycle race suits and compare the cut for a tucked riding position. Riders who also want to use the gear off the bike more often may want to compare formats first.

One-Piece or Two-Piece

A one-piece suit is a single garment with no waist join. A two-piece suit separates into a jacket and trousers, usually joined by a zip around the waist. It is easier to get in and out of, simpler to size if your top and bottom halves differ, and more practical when you need to take half of it off.

The trade-off is the join itself: look at how long the connecting zip is and how well it lies flat when you lean forward. Riders sizing for different upper and lower proportions can browse the two-piece race suit range, while the 1-piece race suit range lists the one-piece styles.

Getting the Fit Right

Fit is the single most useful thing to check, because armour and abrasion-resistant leather only help when they stay in place. A suit should feel snug on first wear. Some leathers relax with use, so a slightly firm feel can be normal, but a suit should never cause pain or numbness; ask the maker about the leather used.

Measure before you order

Take the chest, waist, hips, inseam, arm length and height measurements listed in the maker's size chart, using a soft tape and light clothing. Measure twice. If you fall between sizes, ask whether the maker can adjust the pattern. Men's and women's patterns differ in the chest, waist and hip proportions, so compare the men's race suit and women's race suit ranges rather than guessing a size across them.

Check the riding position

Standing straight is the wrong test. Sit on a bike or crouch into a tucked position and check that:

• the sleeves do not pull back past your wrists when your arms reach forward
• the knees and elbows stay over the armour pockets
• the back does not tension across the shoulders
• the collar does not press on your neck when you look ahead

Armour and Protection Standards

Two different things are easy to mix up here: the garment and the armour inside it. EN 17092 is the standard for the garment. According to SATRA, it has five classes, AAA, AA, A, B and C, where Class AAA offers the highest level of protection and Class A the lowest of the three main classes, while B and C are special classes (B: garments without impact protectors; C: under/over garments). Leather specimens in the Darmstadt abrasion test are checked for holes in the layer closest to the body.

Armour is covered by separate standards. For limb protectors such as knees and elbows, EN 1621-1 defines two levels: according to Wikipedia, Level 1 means the average transmitted force is below 35 kN with no single value over 50 kN, and Level 2 means an average below 20 kN, as published in EN 1621-1:2012 and summarised there. Back protectors have their own standard, EN 1621-2, and Level 2 allows lower transmitted force than Level 1.

What this means in practice: never assume a suit carries a given class or armour level from its appearance. Check the product page and order form for the armour option, and ask the maker for the documentation that covers the garment and the armour you choose.

Construction Details to Check

Once format, fit and protection are settled, compare construction. Useful points to look at include:

• Seams: look at stitching along the shoulders, underarms and crotch, where a suit is stressed most.
• Stretch panels: they help with movement behind the knees and across the back, but their position and size vary by design.
• Lining: affects comfort over a long session, particularly in warm weather.
• Zips and closures: check that cuffs and ankle zips are easy to operate with gloves on.
• Hump or aero tail: a matter of riding style; it is not required for every rider.

A suit works with the rest of your gear, so confirm that it works with your boots, gloves and a back protector. Two examples of suits to compare are the Tyro leather motorcycle suit and the Bravo leather biker suit ; the order form for the Tyro lists a 1 Piece or 2 Piece choice, speed hump and perforation options and a CE Level 2 (EN 1621-1:2012) add-on, and the Bravo page lists the same kinds of options. Compare cut, panels and options on each page against your own checklist.

Try before you commit

If a local fitting is not possible, compare the maker's size chart against a suit you already own and ask about adjustments to sleeve, inseam or torso length. Photograph yourself in a tuck wearing the closest-fitting garment you have: the images show where fabric pulls and where gaps would appear.

Common Mistakes When Choosing a Suit

• Buying for appearance alone. Graphics and colours are fun, but they do not change fit or protection.
• Sizing for standing comfort. A suit that feels roomy standing up may bunch badly in a tuck.
• Ignoring the armour option. Armour is often chosen separately from the garment, so confirm the choice before you order.
• Assuming a standard class from a look. Ask for documentation instead.
• Forgetting the care label. Follow the garment's care label and the maker's instructions; the right care depends on the leather's finish and construction.

Riders still deciding between categories can use the leather race suits category as a wider overview, then narrow down by format and fit.

Written by the Leather Collection Editorial Team.