Motorcycle safety is another important things that every biker needs to carry. Many countries mandate the wearing of personal protective equipment such as protective clothing and helmets. Protective clothing may include certain types of jackets, gloves, boots, and pants. Jackets meant for motorcyclists are typically made of leather or specialized man-made fabrics like cordura or Kevlar. These jackets typically include padding on the elbow, spine, and shoulder regions. This was once quite bulky, but modern technology and materials have made it unobtrusive. Gloves are generally made of leather or Kevlar and some include carbon fiber knuckle protection. Boots, especially those for sport riding, include reinforcement and plastic caps on the ankle and toe areas. Pants are usually leather, cordura, or Kevlar. Except for helmets, none of these items are required by law in any state in the USA, or in any part of the UK but are recommended by many of those who ride.
"Off road" riders wear a range of plastic armour to protect against injury from falling off, hitting other riders and bikes, debris kicked up from the rear wheel of leading bikes, and from running into track barriers protecting the public. This armour protects the extremities from breakage and dislocation and the back and chest from strain and broken bones. Although fairly efficient, it is of course not always completely effective. Many riders wear "roost protectors" designed specifically to protect against painful debris from other bikes, but are of no use in a fall or collision.
Clothing
Historical development
Originally, motorcycle leathers were adapted from tank corps gear immediately following World War I. Duster coats, which tended to catch in the wheels, were switched for short coats. Wide-pegged breeches were worn by some motorcycle police and by dispatch riders in World War II. The classic American Perfecto motorcycle jacket with epaulets and diagonal zipper, made famous by Marlon Brando in The Wild One, (1954) was invented in 1928 by Irving Schott, of Schott NYC in New York City. Leather chaps, adapted from cowboy gear, were used by American bikers starting in the early 1960s.
The one-piece racing leather suit, usually referred to as 'racing leathers', was first used by world champion motorcycle racer Geoff Duke in the 1950s. Duke had the suit made for the purposes of streamlining, not safety, and like the majority of the leathers used at the time, was made from horsehide.
In 1994, the first leathers to achieve the European Standard for motorcycle clothing (EN 13595) were made by BKS (Made-to-Measure) Ltd and then Hideout Leather Ltd. These two companies went on to become the main suppliers of motorcycle clothing to the British police and emergency services (as well as supplying professional racers and ordinary civilians).
In the European Union and UK, motorcycle garments must have armour on the inside at major impact regions such as shoulders, elbows, hips (with the exception of Class A or B) and knees. Optional protection may be present at the back, chest and lumbar. The European Standards for these protectors are EN 1621-1:2012, EN 1621-2:2014 and EN 1621-3:2018. Motorcycle armor was originally made from high density foam or foam backed hard polymers for impact absorption, and designed to prevent or reduce injury by spreading and dampening impact and shear strains to the wearer. However, viscoelastic materials are increasingly being used because they combine being soft to wear with significant impact absorption. In Europe, by law, armor has to have a CE mark. CE-marked armor comes in two levels, with Level 2 providing greater protection.
Also, some motorcycle jackets use an airbag system. It deploys in the event of an accident, inflating to protect the rider's neck, torso, and lower back (see also Airbag and Air bag vest). Airbag protection has been used in MotoGP since 2007, and has been compulsory since 2018.
In September 2021, Motorcycle News reported that variable-rigidity clothing could be the future of motorcycle clothing. Wang et al (2021) described fabrics with tunable mechanical properties: "Their design can target desirable characteristics, such as high impact resistance."