Which fabrics can motorcycle pants be made of?
When you buy motorcycle pants, you are obliged to deal with very specific and particular terminology that you will need to know well enough to make the right choice for your needs, therefore, here is a list of some terms that you should know and understand before buying your motorcycle equipment.
● Denim: sturdy and thick cotton fabric. The thickness of denim is measured in ounces, based on the weight of a meter (one meter of denim weighs 14oz.) Not recommended for motorcycle driving due to the low resistance to abrasion.
● Aramid: a class of strong and heat-resistant synthetic fibers, obtained by spinning special polymers in a solid fiber from a mixture of liquid chemicals.
● Kevlar: a light synthetic aramid fiber with extremely high tensile strength 5 times stronger than steel. It’s used a lot for motorcycle trousers due to its resistance to abrasion and heat.
● Ballistic nylon: a robust and thick synthetic fabric. Used as a protective material for motorcycle clothing due to its abrasion resistance. Textile clothing for motorcycles is often made of ballistic nylon and is measured in cash.
● Denier: unit of measurement for linear fiber density. A single silk thread equals 1 denier. This unit of measurement refers to weight, not to force, and it’s the normal unit of measurement for ballistic nylon, let’s not forget that fibers of less than a denier are called microfibres.
● Cordura: the original DuPont brand for a line of resistant fabrics, usually ballistic nylon or nylon blend.
● Keprotec: abrasion resistant synthetic fabric produced by the Swiss company Schoeller. Designed to replicate the resistance to rubbing and tearing of leather, but with greater comfort and breathability. It’s an exclusive blend of aramids that includes Cordura and Kevlar.
● Reactive armor: Armor that is soft and yielding, but becomes extremely rigid on impact through the changes at the molecular level
● Hard armor: rigid plastic armor used in high impact areas. Usually laminated with softer materials such as shock-absorbing foam for shock absorption and comfort.
● EC Classification: it indicates compliance with European standards. Motorcycle clothing is considered to be EC approved when it complies with EU impact protection standards. The EC classification is a self-certification scheme; the conformity is declared by the producers of garments themselves.: a line of waterproof and breathable materials made mainly in heated and stretched PTFE. However, the Gore naming convention doesn’t refer to specific materials or technologies, but rather to a specific level of performance. Gore-Tex is the first quality waterproof membrane used in all types of motorcycle clothing for all seasons. Over the years, numerous tests have been carried out to determine the resistance of the different materials. The abrasion resistance can’t be measured only through the material itself; the seams must be at least as strong as the material itself, or they may come off easily.