Along more than fifty years of Grand Prix history, the racing bikes have improved in an unstoppable way: from the engine and the aerodynamics, to the grip of the tyres. The result of this technological evolution has taken the riders to reach breakneck speeds on machines with more than 200 HP.
However, as the bikes were increasing their speed, safety was also an issue to be increased. At the last Grand Prix of Turkey, we saw the spectacular crash in the first lap, with four riders crashing on one of the fastest sections of the Turkish track. Dani Pedrosa got the worst of it, strong contusions on the chest, shoulder and neck. Remembering those striking images you ask yourself: What would have happened if they would not have the protections they have today?
An essential part of the rider’s safety nowadays are the leathers they put on every time they get onto the track. It is a second skin, with a larger evolution in recent times, in which the safety and the protection in case of a crash has been clearly improved. The main task of these modern armours is protecting the riders from the terrible abrasion they are subject to when they are trailed over the asphalt after a crash. Modern leathers are made of kangaroo leather, a material that replaced cow leather some years ago since, despite the lesser thickness, it has finer and more abrasion-resistant fibres.
In all those areas in which there is no risk of abrasion after a crash, such as the inside of the arms or between the legs, the material used is a combination of fabric and kevlar, offering the necessary elasticity to adapt to the sizes of the riders and adjust the leathers correctly. The areas in which an impact may cause serious injuries to the rider, such as the shoulders, elbows and knees, are protected with state-of-the-art technology plastics protecting them form the strong blows that can be caused by a crash.
We shouldn’t forget that these leathers are made with a clear aim: to protect the rider while racing, without hindering him from moving on the bike. It is not a piece of clothing to be worn to have a leisure walk along the paddock, but it has to offer the best possible comfort when the rider is on the bike. Therefore, the pattern of the leathers is designed according to the position of the rider while riding, i.e. with arms and legs slightly bent, to avoid the seams from disturbing during the race.
The most important part of the process is therefore taking the right measures, which is usually done at the manufacturer’s facilities. Dani Pedrosa and Nicky Hayden, riders of the Repsol Honda Team have to travel to the headquarters of Alpinestars in Asolo, Italy to have the measures taken in order to let them manufacture their second skin in two or three days. However, the riders play also an essential role in the development and evolution of the leathers, since the brand is able to adapt to their needs according to their feelings. Nicky Hayden, for example insists in having the least possible weight, obviously without having to give up on safety, while Dani Pedrosa prefers to increase safety as much as possible to the detriment of weight. The Spanish rider has therefore a larger protection in the shoulders and forearms, making use of the advantage of having a lesser body weight than his team-mate and his other rivals.
As explained, the leathers were initially made with cow leather and then, around 2000, manufacturers started to use kangaroo leather. However, the future seems to be heading for synthetic fibres that will be able to offer less weight without having to give-up on the basic principles of safety. But this field still has to evolve, since the largest progresses in this area have only been achieved in the inner fabrics of the leathers, which are made of easily detachable wickerwork that allows for total ventilation for transpiration. The riders use also inner neoprene leathers allowing them to isolate their body temperature from the outside, so that no matter if the outside temperatures are very low like in Holland or warm and humid like in Malaysia, the riders will be able to use the same leathers.
A tool developed in recent years is a back-piece colloquially called “the hump”. It was originally conceived as a mechanism to favour aerodynamics but it is also used to improve the riders’ safety reducing the effects of the impact when crashing, as well as to protect the neck from bending over a certain point. It is also part of the ventilation system of the leathers and can be used to accommodate devices to record data of the rider while on the track or even a hydration and cooling system at hotter race venues.
These leather and kevlar armours are with no doubt one of the most important parts for the riders’ safety and for their own comfort. It is also used to show the colours of the sponsor and their amulets and lucky numbers, which confer special powers to these pieces of clothing. There have always been superstitions and superstitious riders; some of them will never use completely new leathers for a race and prefer to use them for the first time during the practices, and there are others, such as Angel Nieto, who never used a new armour before trailing it for some time along the ground….to frighten off the bad spirits…
Details
Outside materials: Kangaroo leather and kevlar
Inside materials: Synthetic mesh
Rigid areas: Elbows, knees and shoulders.
Weight: Approx. 3 Kg, depending on the rider.
Leathers per race: Three for each rider
Manufacturing time: Between two and three days.
Service at the circuit: repairs, change of logos, spares for arm and leg pieces, etc.
Thickness: 1 mm in average (depending on the area)
Price: 1,799.95 € (Replica based on the same technology)
