How does motorcycle protective gear work?

We all know that we need to protect ourselves when riding a bike, but just wearing a helmet is not enough. Even for the shortest ride you need to wear motorcycle protective gear because you never know what could happen (wet road, bad drivers, broken asphalt an the list can go on). But why should you get a proper motorcycle riding jacket instead of wearing your own cool leather jacket? Because riding jackets are designed to protect and have special features. Here are some:

It's always reinforced 

Your shoulders and elbows are the most important articulations in your upper body, and a special motorcycle leather jacket should have extra protection on both. It usually looks like an extra padding or a second layer of fabric (see a good example here)

It has stretch panels to help you move better

So if your elbows are reinforced, how can you move them? This is an important feature that only some jackets have, so you need to look carefully. Stretch panels will allow you to move more comfortably and they are also located on the sides of the leather jacket. The best way to see if a jacket has them is to try it on and move around.

The best riding gear has a CEE approved armor

The CEE rating is an european standard for rating armors. You can find a more technical explanation here, but the armor usually looks or feels like a hard piece of plastic sewn into the clothes (if we refer specifically to the ones found in motorcycle protective gear). On moto jackets, it is usually in the shoulders and elbows. Some special jackets have foam protectors that make them more comfortable and versatile to wear, like the ones we make at Avus.

In short, you don’t need to sacrifice your style to be protected. Only use your bike to go to the office these days? Get a leather motorcycle jacket that can protect you and dress you well.