The Motorcycle Clothing Assessment Program (MotoCAP) is a partnership between government and industry in Australia and New Zealand. It informs motorcyclists about safety gear capabilities via a star rating system based on its testing data. MotoCAP published “A guide to designing and manufacturing motorcycle protective clothing”—an excellent resource for sorting through the jargon and revealing what the key qualities are. We focus on the functionality of riding gear—how it works for you as a rider. The MotoCAP tests are scientific, rather than personal and experiential, providing additional context for any apparel review. Even though the target audience for the MotoCAP Guide is industry professionals involved in motorcycle gear design, it is written with a level of clarity and relevance that dedicated non-technical consumers can find helpful, as well.
Don’t let the geography throw you. Though some of the data in the Guide is geographically specific, such as crash and injury statistics, MotoCAP has plenty of general information of value to riders no matter where they are or what they may ride. It focuses on the performance of the gear for protection (impact and abrasion), plus for technical comfort features, such as breathability and water resistance. The results complement our real-world testing, as things don’t always perform in the real world as they do in a lab. The first MotoCAP test results were released in September 2018, focusing on jackets and pants, though also providing star ratings for gloves and helmets.
The Guide includes tables that report the results of tests on the most common materials and construction methods currently used in motorcycle riding gear manufacturing. The test result data includes abrasion resistance, burst and tensile strength, and breathability. The data enables new and small manufacturers, which may not have access to test facilities, to make informed design decisions without the costs and delays attendant in commercial testing. The benefit to consumers is better-informed comparisons among the finished products before buying.
The MotoCAP Guide includes a detailed assessment of the types of crash and injury situations motorcyclists face, comfort and ergonomic factors, current standards for personal protective equipment, an in-depth explanation about MotoCAP, and a discussion about materials and sustainability.
The Guide contains data about the nature of injuries suffered in motorcycle crashes, derived from Tasmanian on-road accident statistics from 2012 to 2016. It is likely the data profiled there would be similar to the experience of riders in other parts of the world, though data gathering and its aggregation differ from country to country.
It does provide some food for thought. For example, the data shows 88 percent of injury claims (n=1,806) involved injuries to arms, shoulders, legs, and knees (some individuals may have experienced both types of injuries). That finding suggests the importance of wearing gear that provides protection for the extremities as well as the torso.
Also, the smallest proportion of the 1,806 injury claims—only 15 percent—was for head and facial injuries. This is significant evidence of the effectiveness of helmet use; motorcycle helmet use is mandatory in Tasmania, and all Australian states, with helmet use reportedly near 100 percent.
There is also a discussion of the various standards that apply, such as the EU standard for motorcycle jackets and pants, EN 17092:2020. The United States doesn’t have similar mandatory regulatory standards for motorcycle gear apart from the Department of Transportation Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218 (DOT FMVSS 218) applicable to motorcycle safety helmets for road-going use. We produced a complete story on motorcycle helmet safety standards.
While these standards are mandatory in the EU, they may be listed in the product information for garments sold in the United States and elsewhere, so it’s helpful to know what those standards tell about the quality of the gear. MotoCAP product test protocols are based on the EU standards, but with modifications for use on samples of finished products.
MotoCAP follows standard EN 13594:2015 for testing motorcycle gloves, except for impact abrasion testing. For that, MotoCAP follows the older 2003 version of the standard that specified the same 60-grit abrasion belt used in EN 13595-2:2002 for jackets and pants. That is the same standard MotoCAP uses for impact abrasion testing for those garments. Using the same grade of abrasion belt allows protection comparisons to be equal between the gloves, jackets, and pants tested. We also dug deep into motorcycle glove standards.
The Guide includes the “Four-zone Injury Risk Diagram”. It was developed by Roderick Woods, and is based on hospital and crash injury data. This kind of diagram helps manufacturers design riding gear to provide the correct sort of protective materials and construction techniques where they will do the greatest good. Similarly, it can help riders make informed decisions about the most effective riding gear features to look for.
The Guide has some excellent insights for riders when shopping for a garment. For example, just as when preparing for changing weather conditions where layering is a great strategy for cold-to-warm transitions, it is also most effective for abrasion protection. The Guide explains that two layers of 600-denier nylon fabric protect more effectively against abrasion than a single layer of heavier 1200-denier nylon fabric. “Denier” is a unit of measurement of the fineness of a thread or fiber, equal to 1 gram per 9000 meters of length.
Also, stretchy, knitted fabrics work fine for a baselayer, but not as well as woven fabrics or leather for outer layers, as they are less effective against abrasion.
Another aspect of the Guide is its detailed information on materials and construction of riding gear, and their applications, advantages, and disadvantages. For example, the types and characteristics of leather are explained, including the differences between full grain, top grain, and genuine leather or suede. The differences between these types of leather and how it is processed regarding abrasion resistance are explained, and that information is beneficial when considering leather riding gear.
Also covered are the characteristics of thermoplastic polymers in common use in motorcycle clothing, including nylon 6, polyester, Cordura, Dyneema, Spectra, as well as cellulose fiber products such as Lyocell and Tencel, and para-aramid fibers such as Kevlar and Twaron.
Impact protectors for elbows, shoulders, back, hips, knees, the chest are increasing in popularity with riders. However, there are significant differences between the types, and the Guide provides handy information on each of the common types. Airbag jackets are also given some coverage.
Thermal regulation is also addressed. The selection of materials, construction, and design all affect the adaptability of the garment to different weather conditions. Factors affecting crash protection performance are covered—such as location, size, and closure type of vents, leather perforation, and mesh materials—providing insight for consumers when considering gear with those features.
Conspicuity or viewability of motorcyclists is an essential factor in making the presence of a motorcyclist known to other drivers. High-visibility gear made with fluorescent, retro-reflective, and reflective materials can all help prevent accidents with other vehicles by increasing your visibility. How various materials work to do that in daylight or night riding conditions is explained.
You may see a variety of seam construction types in riding gear. The Guide helps explain how effective seam types are constructed and how they differ. The Guide also provides helpful insights into fasteners, from various types and characteristics of zippers to hook-and-loop materials, snaps, buttons, and types of buckles.
“A guide to designing and manufacturing motorcycle protective clothing” from MotoCAP is a unique resource for motorcyclists, enabling riders to understand how such gear can be made for optimum performance.
Illustrations from “A guide to designing and manufacturing motorcycle protective clothing”
