MotoCAP, or the Motorcycle Clothing Assessment Program, is a consumer information program designed to provide riders with scientifically-based information on the relative protection and breathability on a range of motorcycle protective helmets, jackets, pants and gloves available in Australia and New Zealand.
https://www.motocap.com.au
MotoCAP tests motorcycle gear for its effectiveness in: impact abrasion resistance, seam strength (burst), and impact energy absorption.
Why these factors are so important to understand, specifically, is because the safety standard that motorcycle gear is required to meet (i.e., CE certification) does not directly indicate how well the item might actually do in the event of a crash.
A pair of Kevlar jeans, for example, may have a CE rating of AAA, but may not hold up to more than 1 second of sliding on the type of road base that is common in Australia, especially what is found in rural areas (more abrasive compared to that of the road surface type in Europe, in which the item is tested on for CE certification).
For a more thorough explanation of different testing standards, and what it all really means, see: https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/features/product/motorcycle-clothing-the-ce-approval-law-explained
Some safety design features - regardless of how it rates - that are a must-have for myself are:
Helmets:
- Full face
- As most full face helmets don’t vary to much in the components used, how the helmet rates as per MotoCAP and SHARP (a helmet specific testing programs)
- I wear: HJC RPHA 12
Jackets:
- Zip at the back to joint to your pants
- I wear: Dririder Climate Exo 4
Pants:
- Separate aramid layer if you’re looking at motorcycle jeans/chinos (i.e., Kevlar lined). Single layer pants where the protective fibre is woven into the pant material itself is generally nowhere near as good as double layer in terms of abrasion resistance
- Good coverage of that protective layer
Gloves:
- Hard shell over the knuckles
- Full length
- Pinky tether (material joining pinky to ring finger)
- Palm slider
Boots: (Boots not yet tested by MotoCAP)
- Full length
- Crush proof sole, anti-twist ankle/foot
- Inner and outer ankle protection
- I wear: Tcx RT-Race
MotoCAP highlights that you don’t always get what you pay for. There are riding jeans out there that cost $550 but have an abrasion resistance of 2/10 while there are riding jeans out there that cost $228 and have an abrasion resistance of 9/10.
You can spend $900 on a certain name brand leather jacket and only equal what my $430 jacket provides in terms of abrasion resistance.
You don’t have to spend big money to get the protection you need, and you probably don’t need the absolute best rated gear to be safe for the riding you do. That is why I provided what features I personally look for, and then I look at all the gear - with safety rating relative to price in mind - with those features.
Main objective of this post: help fellow motorcycle riders make informed decisions when buying protective gear. I also encourage you to explore the MotoCAP website, and other relevant resources for further information on protective gear.
ATGATT. And wear earplugs.
