Track Days - Leathers

[Throttled]

My mate lives near Knockhill, so I have been thinking about going for a track day. I know I have a KLE500, but thats not the point, I want a go and do not mind being the one overtaken all the time.

But reading the terms and conditions it states regarding clothing "...along with a full piece leather suit or 2 piece leather suit that zips the full way around your waist and back." Is that standard? To do a track day is armoured textiles not considered good enough?

[Guest Hodgy]

I think most, if not all track day organisers require full leathers to be worn for safety should the worst happen and you come off, and I've seen even the slowest of rider to come off before, so it's not a speed thing.

[techno]

I've never heard of any allowing textiles.

[Fast Eddie]

It's standard.

I'm sure i remember reading a question in bike or mcn 8ish years back asking the same thing (vegan wanting to do a track day) and they answered that some places were thinking about it. I guess it never happened, probably because it's easier to assume quality of leathers - after all leather is generally about 1mm+ thick, but textiles can be anything and what organiser has time to inspect all users kit on top of helmet checking?

[Throttled]

Thanks for the replies.

I am surprised, there are surely qualities to leathers and so a good textile suit will beat a bad leather one when it comes to a crash.

[Guest Hodgy]

Thanks for the replies.

I am surprised, there are surely qualities to leathers and so a good textile suit will beat a bad leather one when it comes to a crash.

 

Most but the very best (and most expensive!) textiles don't offer anything like the protection that leathers offer in an off, the material shreds in no time sliding across the road, having said that they are many times better than jeans and T shirts

Look at some of the test reports for textiles in magazine reviews, 'Ride' do some great real world reviews, with dummies thrown out of vans to simulate sliding down the road, they can be an eye opener!

[Throttled]

I read Ride a lot, but have not seen any such tests. I assumed with CE armour all suits are much of a muchness and the price variation is in waterproofing, windproofing, longetivity, image etc, not safety.

[techno]

I would say no as said its about a crash when you slide textiles just won't work anywhere near as well, in accidents other than sliding that's probably where there won't be much difference, on track the speeds will be higher so leathers would and should be the preffered choice regardless of the rules.

[Throttled]

I see, of course there is ample space to slide.

Ah well, back to the drawing board.

[Guest Hodgy]

I read Ride a lot, but have not seen any such tests. I assumed with CE armour all suits are much of a muchness and the price variation is in waterproofing, windproofing, longetivity, image etc, not safety.

 

Nah it's the quality of the stitching and thickness of the material that determines how well they stand up to an off. I think Halvarssons came out best, but they are more expensive than a good set of leathers, except of course they're waterproof, the test was either last year or the year before, I'll try and find it.

Like Techno said though, on a track you'll slide, usually off onto the grass/gravel, hopefully before you get run over by anything following you. textiles just won't do that so good. But yep if you hit something, on road or track, I doubt the end result would be much difference which ever you were wearing

[Fast Eddie]

I see, of course there is ample space to slide.

Ah well, back to the drawing board.

Cheap leathers from ebay. less than £100 if you're lucky.

edit: by cheap i meant second hand, not cheap and unheard of.

[fullscreenaging]

How tall are you and what is your chest and waist size?

I have a Joe Rocket Speedmaster 5 in Red and black for sale.

It's a size 40" and will fit someone up to 32" waist and between 5'4" & 5'8/9"

EDIT: The reason they stipulate leather is because leather will slide and textiles don't.

Just noticed, that is the 1 piece in my avatar.

[Throttled]

Thanks Deso, but I am tiny big bit bigger