Motorcycle Leathers - From History To The Future

Monday, October 11th, 2010

by Terry Hibberd

They are thought of by many as a second skin. A vital part of motorcycle riding safety equipment that some don’t wear but would soon regret it should they tip off their machine.

In our two part motorcycle leather’s safety special we speak to the manufacturer to find out what is the present and future of the motorcycle leathers to see how they have evolved as much as the bikes underneath the rider whilst retaining their most important feature, saving lives.

Manufacturers of the leathers clamour for the sponsorship deals with the racing legends as they all vie for your custom, can we honestly say that one manufacturer is better than the next? Can one manufacturers suit be better than the next or are they all of a muchness? Everyone knows the names involved but not their origins in the current world of brand familiarity. The first of the early leathers or jackets was first thought to be made by Irving Schott back in 1928 if reports are to be believed, the “Perfecto” which retailed in the US at a bargain $5.50 was to become a more of a style icon than an essential part of biking equipment in the 50’s being worn by film icon, Marlon Brando. The whole industry went into a brand new direction however in the seventies with the introduction of the company that is arguably THE known brand for racing leathers worldwide, Dainese.

The Italian company paired up with German racer, Dieter Braun, to provide the technical assistance to push the envelope in terms of development as well as becoming the first sponsored rider in GP racing. Since then the partnerships with Giacomo Agostini, Barry Sheene and the current MotoGP world champion, Valentino Rossi, have thrust the once little Italian company firmly into the minds of almost every road going motorcycle rider in the world. But don’t be fooled into thinking there are no alternatives, there are a host of companies around the world who all have their place in protecting the pilots of the two wheeled transport we love.

One such company is REV’IT! The company based in Holland boast MotoGP’s Randy De Puniet amongst their professional “pilots” and recently of course, the robust REV’IT! Equipment has taken its fair share of knocks whilst worn by the Frenchman.

The company were established back in 1995 and the industry has changed somewhat over the past 15 years, simple cutting and sewing has moved on. Now production methods include ultrasonic welding to replace the sewing and precision laser cutting in some instances has replaced scissors.

Peggy Tuinstra of REV’IT! revealed to StayOnTheBlack.com, the days of a totally sewing free jacket may not be so far away.

“Theoretically it is possible to make a complete jacket while making use of these new production methods; a totally sewing free MC jacket.

“However, the costs of doing so are still too high as this type of technology is still in its infancies. Welded seams have a much higher strength as the fabric does not need to be perforated and there is a connection of 100% between the pattern parts.”

It’s these future proofing methods that the Dutch company see things moving to, proved with the partnership they have with their supplier, something which is far from their roots back in the nineties.

“REV’IT! Invests much of its resources in sourcing, testing and engineering in order to work with the latest materials and technologies. It is for this reason that we work solely with a supplier that invest in new production methods.

“If we compare both our products and manufacturing plant with ‘95 the difference is overwhelming.”

Some may wonder how the companies go about testing the durability of their equipment, at REV’IT! the testing is done in a fully equipped test laboratory on site which according to Peggy, gives them the perfect platform to continually make sure each and every piece of equipment they manufacture is of the highest standards.

“Since 2009 we have had our own fully equipped test laboratory to test if materials can meet the high product spec that REV’IT! has set for its collection. To have all test equipment in our own company allows us to do material testing all year round, fast and frequently.

“Before a material is approved to be used in a new collection they have to undergo a wide range of tests on abrasion and cut resistance, tear and pull strength and colour fastness amongst other tests.

“Once approved we are sure it offers the right parameters on safety, comfort and durability. During production we monitor their quality by routinely testing components year round. If a test cannot be conducted in our own lab we rely on independent certified laboratories.”

Obviously the truest way of testing the leathers is to send them down the road, but no one is going to volunteer to do this. This is where the input of both the professionals AND the public comes in.

“Besides lab tests we study crashed suits either from our professional pilots or from everyday REV’IT! users. Through these studies we can monitor if the suits are built correctly, the material specification is correct and if there is any room for improvement. The result of these checks to date has always to our satisfaction.”

In part two, the future of REV’IT and their “Engineered Skin” design, what do the professional riders who are sponsored by the company do? And how vital is it to keep the company in the public eye?