Performance comparison of abrasion resistant textile motorcycle clothing

Falling at speed onto a tarmac surface during cycling can cause abrasion and laceration of the skin and body tissue. Motorcycle clothing designed to reduce or avoid this type of injury has traditionally been made of animal leather as it has well known resistance to abrasion. In the last 20 years there has been an emergence of textile clothing reinforced with high performance/tenacity fibres such as those made from polyamides, aramids, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene and liquid crystal. Almost no comparative work has been undertaken to provide insight into the level of protection these clothing layers can provide. This work has used a CE standard test method to evaluate a number of abrasion resistant textile pant products and compare them with a leather race product. It analysed the protective fabric layer structure for mass, thickness, construction method and resistance to abrasion. Structures manufactured from high tenacity fibres performed better than those from lower tenacity ones. Fabric construction method and mass per unit area were the two key variables in providing an abrasion protective layer. Structures manufactured from knitted para-aramid fibres performed better than their woven counterparts due to the method of fabric failure. Several well designed protective layers performed at a similar level to that of leather; however, most garments tested failed to meet the lower level European standard of abrasion resistance (CE level 1), which may put their wearer at risk in the advent of a collision.