leathers or not?

[NTECUK]

There's a schools of thought that textils will bring you to a shop faster than leathers (that slide nicely).
But because I dropped my GPZ doing over the NSL back in the 80's I have more faith in the skin of a cow. If you can get zip together or something that stops the jacket ridding up if you are unlucky enough to go sliding down the road on your back it will stop the very painful grave rash if the gap between them opens.

[SIII]

RST Tracktech Crash Tested.

Brother-in-law came off his R1 at Donnington doing about 100mph, wearing RST Tracktech one-piece, tiny bit scuffed up, but no real damage to him or the leathers, in fact they are now my trackday leathers !!!

[andrewsmith]

Good quality textiles protect very well in slides (several of the org including me have crashed in halvarssons or rukka and had little damage), but I'm biased as the North gets more rain than sun.

Leathers look at what brands road racers line up in (scotts, am leathers, rst, the odd dianese d-air or 4sr) and look from there.
I own a Scotts leather jacket, it would protect in an off. The leather is silly thick (the jacket weighs the same as a dead cow)

All these modern materials obviously are good but when you think how many years leathers have been used for and how they can protect there is no comparison. A friend of mine got a sv650 for ha 18th birthday back in 2006, he went to the local snooker club and come off through 2 garden fences into a stack of bricks, top half was leather and all he had was a bruise but he was wearing jeans of some sort and ended up losing his leg just under his knee all at 28mph doctors reckon if he had his trousers too he would have just broken his leg

[NTECUK]

This though also goes for your footwear and gloves.
Only reason I still have a right foot is because I was wearing boots.
Yes it got badly broken.

I'm still surprised riding schools don't drum it into you very much, guess because its not law just the helmet

settled on RST trousers (couldn't afford the dainese to fit the jacket at near on 400£ that'll be a future investment)

and the TCX race boots, i have a pair of their short stunt boots and find them brilliant

Originally Posted by gazzamikes

I'm still surprised riding schools don't drum it into you very much, guess because its not law just the helmet

settled on RST trousers (couldn't afford the dainese to fit the jacket at near on 400£ that'll be a future investment)

and the TCX race boots, i have a pair of their short stunt boots and find them brilliant

I agree, safety equipment isn't at all focused on in my opinion. They could even show a 20 minute video of real accounts and the consequences, but no, they say next to nothing.

I have the TCX S-Speed Waterproof Boots, got them at a bike fair for £125, not bad for £180 boots! They're super comfortable, for the first few months I'd rather wear them about if I had the excuse. I find them breathable enough for all year round (goretex would obviously be better but it that's quite a jump in price).
You'll need to rewaterproof them yourself, get some nixwax or something of the sort. Also rain'll get in from the top if you don't have something waterproof covering them.
But great boots!




I don't think the S-Sportour have the hinge bits on the boots, but the hinges squeak unbelievably loud. All fun and games.