Before reading the following, your attention is drawn to the Disclaimer.

Leathers/Armoured Jackets & Trousers.

If you plan to ride in all weathers and seasons you are probably going to want both. Leathers aren't waterproof and definitely won't keep the cold out. The debate over which offers the best protection is long running, but that's not what this section is about. Protective clothing should comply with Directive 89/686/EEC of the PPE legislation. Armour must be tested to the European Standard EN1621-1/1997. CE approval for armour is gained when an independent Government body tests the product. Some items of clothing may sport CE approved armour, but the garment itself may not meet certain standards. There are usually labels in the clothing advising on this.

The fit and comfort of the clothing is very important, armour must be in the correct places or it's next to useless. Look for clothing with armour to the knees, elbows and shoulders. Extra padding around the hips is good too. Fabric jackets are often waterproof, as are fabric trousers. You need this if you plan to ride on cold, wet days. Being cold and wet will badly effect your concentration. A lot of fabric clothing has removable thermal linings, so you can wear them in the summer without roasting! The thermal linings are commonly foil backed to help reflect heat inwards and keep things toasty. If you are in a showroom when trying on protective clothing, ask if you can try sitting on a bike whilst wearing the garment, you may notice something that is uncomfortable, or armour that isn't in quite the right place.

I use a set of RST S-Tech two-piece leathers. Whether you want one or two-piece leathers is entirely a matter of personal preference, many find one-piece race suits to be a bit of a pain day-to-day. The leather feels good quality and the seams are well stitched. The armour is comfortable all day long; there is nowhere that it causes any discomfort. I have actually slept in the jacket (party story, long one!) The fabric panels on the forearms and the inside of the legs prevent any irritation from the leather creasing up, and provide a little ventilation. There are also stretched panels in the right places to make moving around easy. The knee sliders are attached with very strong Velcro, to the point where it's difficult to remove them even if you want to! All of the armour is CE approved and is removable if you wish to change it for another make. The leathers came with padding to the spine (literally just foam padding). I have removed this as I wear a back protector.

My fabric jacket is an Ixon Katana. This comes with all CE armour, padding to the spine and a removable thermal lining. The jacket is completely waterproof, very warm with the lining in, and easily cool enough for summer use with the lining removed. The waistband is adjustable via Velcro tabs, as are the cuffs. The sleeves can be adjusted above the elbow as well. There are four panels on the jacket that have reflective beads sewn into the material to improve visibility after dark. The zip has a large tab so it's easy to use when wearing gloves. There's a flap with poppers to cover the zip and keep water out too.

Let me make one thing clear: Denim Jeans are useless. You are kidding yourself if you think they qualify as anything close to sufficient. A friend of mine dropped his moped at just 10mph, his Jeans disintegrated on contact with the road and his knees and shins did the abrading.

Like the Ixon Katana jacket, the Rev'it! Alert Fabric trousers also have a removable thermal lining. The knee armour is CE approved and there's a good amount of padding to the hips. The waistband is adjustable, as are the trouser bottoms. Having adjustable trouser bottoms I find especially useful as, in the wet, I can wear the not so waterproof boots inside the very waterproof trousers, without stretching them. Along side the conventional zip/popper on the trousers, the waistband belt is easily adjustable to give a tight fit. A small section of zip is provided at the rear of the trousers so you could attach it to a fabric jacket with a zipper. The trousers are totally waterproof, and, like the jacket, cool in the summer with no lining and very warm when lined up for the winter.

Back Protector

A back protector will help prevent or lessen the severity of injuries caused be impacts, such as broken shoulder blades or ribs. They can also lessen shocks to internal organs like the kidneys. However, they will not stop you from breaking your back. Major spinal injuries are caused by extreme twisting of the spine, a back protector isn't designed to prevent that. As with all clothing, the fit is very important. There are a multitude of back protectors on the market; again it's down to personal preference and budget. A back protector shouldn't stick up above the base of your neck or protrude much below your coccyx. Comfort is important too. It's a good idea to try sitting on a bike whilst wearing the protector beneath your normal riding gear to see how it feels. Or, make sure the shop will take it as a return if you don't get on with it.

I bought a Knox KC2000 Race back protector. The protector is secured by two adjustable shoulder straps and a waist strap. There are three Carbon/Kevlar weave pads covering the spine, extending down far enough to cover my coccyx. Two further pads cover the kidney area and two smaller pads cover the shoulder blades. These also offer protection if your leathers started coming apart in a slide. I find it very comfortable to wear on the bike, it doesn't restrict my riding at all. I never ride without it. Off the bike I find I can't sit down comfortably with it on, it prevents your back arching backwards, and the coccyx protector sticks out!

Decent protective clothing is expensive. There are no two ways about it. Generally, the more you pay, the higher the quality of the product and the better protection you get. But this is not always the case. Read clothing reviews in magazines. RiDE is especially good. Clothing departments of dealerships are usually very willing to help kit you out. They know how important it is and their expertise is invaluable. Although initially expensive, clothing should last you a long time. In the long run, it is extremely difficult to justify that decent protective clothing isn't worth it.