In order to be sold in the EU and UK markets, motorbike protective clothing must pass rigorous relevant safety and performance testing and obtain certification from the Notified Body (EU) or Approved Body (UK)
The motorcycle protective equipment sector plays a pivotal role in promoting road safety, serving as a crucial barrier between motorcyclists and the unpredictable hazards of the roads.
Motorcycle clothing is designed to help protect the rider in a crash, particularly from impact and the effect of highspeed abrasion. It also helps in providing protection from weather elements (wind, rain, cold and heat) without restricting ease of movement or creating stress fatigue.
Protective clothing for motorcycle riders includes jackets, trousers, one-piece suits, two-piece suits as well as separate protectors for the chest, back, shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees.
In 2020, the standard EN 17092 series related to protective garments for motorcycle riders replaced the former EN 13595 professional rider’s standard. It introduced a new classification system for protective garments ranging from Class A (the lowest level of protection) to Class AAA (the highest level of protection), plus two specialist classes, B and C, enhancing design and ergonomic requirements.
Additionally, the series incorporates advanced testing procedures and criteria, reflecting progress in materials, technology, and impact dynamics understanding. These test procedures evaluate the clothing's abrasion resistance, impact protection, seam strength, and tear resistance, among other factors such as dimensional stability and innocuousness.
For motorcycle protective clothing testing, a comprehensive risk zone classification is adopted to provide a detailed understanding of the protective capabilities of the garment in different impact areas subject to mechanical stress in the event of an accident. Zone 1 is identified as the areas with high risk of damage down to Zone 3, low risk of damage and testing requirements are based accordingly on the different type of zone.
Among the essential components of a motorcyclist's arsenal are the Motorcyclist’s Limb Joint Impact Protectors, Back Protectors, and Chest Protectors which safeguard the limbs, chest and spine from potential impact injuries. Motorcyclist’s Limb Joint Impact Protectors are regulated by standard EN 1621-1 to assess the effectiveness of limb joint protectors in mitigating impact forces. The testing involves evaluating the impact absorption capabilities, coverage, and overall performance of the protectors.
EN 1621-2 regulates the Motorcyclist’s Back Protectors, evaluating the efficacy of back protectors in minimising impact injuries during motorcycle accidents. The testing protocol is meticulous, assessing factors such as impact absorption, coverage, and flexibility to ensure optimal performance.
Chest protectors are evaluated against standard EN 1621-3, which contains the requirements for the performance of the protectors under impact and details of the test methods, requirements for sizing, ergonomic requirements, and requirements for impact attenuation and distribution.
Intertek UK laboratory is a Center of Excellence for testing motorcycle protective equipment, encompassing evaluations of protective garments, back and limb joint impact protectors, as well as testing for motorcycle gloves and boots. Our dedicated team of technical experts brings extensive experience in the field, ensuring the highest standards of testing and evaluation.
Additionally, Intertek is Notified Body for EU market under the Regulation 2016/425 on Personal Protective Equipment and UK Approved Body for Regulation 2016/425, amended for GB.
