In the biggest addition to the MotoCAP online ratings of motorcycle clothing since it began in August 2018, 19 articles have been added and none scored more than two safety stars out of five.
The world’s first safety and comfort ratings system for motorcycle clothing has added:
- 13 textile jackets;
- three pairs of textile gloves;
- two pairs of leather gloves; and
- one pair of textile pants.
MotoCAP has now tested 31 textile and leather jackets, 18 pairs of jeans and leggings, seven pair of leather pants, one pair of textile pants and 13 pairs of gloves.
Interestingly, the $230 Merlin Axe kevlar shirt rated a single safety star which was the same rating as all the newly added textile jackets.
Merlin boss Steve Franklin with their Axe kevlar shirtThe shirt also rated just two stars for thermal comfort because “there are no vents fitted to allow airflow to aid cooling in hot weather”.
Poor results
MotoCAP says the latest results highlight the lack of protection in some gear with none of the 19 new products scoring more than two stars for safety.
“There was more variation in the thermal comfort rating, with ratings ranging from one to three stars, with five different textile jackets gaining three stars for thermal comfort,” MotoCAP says.
“Many of the garments were also advertised as water resistant, and were tested for their ability to keep the rider dry in wet weather.
MotoDry Airmax“There was significant variation in performance in this category. The highest performer was the MotoDry Airmax ($250) textile jacket, which scored 9 out of 10 for water resistance.”
Yet the two-star safety rated jacket only scored three stars for comfort.
MotoCAP advises riders to consider both the safety and comfort ratings when choosing the right gear for their ride.
Products added
MotoCAP testing equipment at the Deakin Uni Geelong campus surpriseDeakin Uni Institute for Frontier Materials Senior Research Fellow and Honda GB400 rider Chris Hurren says the site will have 150 clothing products on its site by the end of June.
“We have purposely targeted only 10% of the market in the first year so that manufacturers have a chance to come along with the scheme,” he says.
“We do not want to put a manufacturer out of business as we want them to improve their products and think about protection and thermal comfort in their design.”
“If they follow this path like car manufacturers did for ANCAP then the rider will always be the winner.”
So far, no article of motorcycle clothing has been provided by a manufacturer.
All have been bought by MotoCAP using a secretive buying system to guarantee integrity.
Click here to find out how products are selected for rating in secret.