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 shirt
The 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 surprise
Deakin 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.
The included level 1 CE knee protectors themselves are enclosed in a separate fabric pouch and slide into the internal pocket where a long velcro strip allows you to position them over about 15cm of range.
Knee protectors in pouch and pocket
Most denim, leather and textile riding pants I’ve tested don’t have any or very little adjustment in the position of the knee protector.
That is a problem because the different angle of knee bend on various bikes causes the protector to sit either too high or too low.
On a sports bike you bend your knee quite a bit and the protector can end up on top of your thigh, while on cruisers with forward controls, the protectors can droop loo low.
Merlin’s simple but clever design allows you to adjust the protector to exactly the right position for effective impact protection depending on your body and the type of bike you are riding.
For the technically minded, the level 1 CE protectors allow less than 18kN of force to be transmitted through the protector to your knee.
While these British-designed jeans include two internal hip pockets for extra protectors, they are not supplied.
Euston jeans are made from a blend of Cordura and Coolmax with a stitched-in lining of genuine DuPont Kevlar in the backside and from the waist down the front to below the knees.
Style and fit
These are low-rise bot-cut pants so they sit down under your gut and over your boots.
While the kevlar lining in most riding jeans is coarse and requires a further mesh liner to prevent prickling, this kevlar weave is soft and causes no discomfort.
But like most of these jeans with multiple layers and linings they get hot above 30C, especially in slow-moving traffic.
They also feature a heavy duty zip fly, double stitching throughout and two front pockets with a smaller coin pocket in the right side which I use for my motorcycle key.
There are also two rear pockets that are located way too low so they are almost on the backs of your legs.
They also come with a heavy duty zip accessory that you can sew on to the back of the jeans and into your favourite jacket so they zip together.
That protects you from gravel rash up the back from pants and jacket separating in a slide.
About Merlin
Australian importer Link International says the Staffordshire company is 100% owned by the family and employees.
Merlin Brand manager Ron Grant says the makers are diligent about addressing the latest European safety standards and guarantee high-quality workmanship with “almost zero” warranty claims.
He says Merlin produce the type of quality gear that is comfortable for all-day wear and doesn’t look out of place when you get off your bike.
MotoCAP, the world’s first safety and comfort ratings system for motorcycle clothing, uses a secretive system for buying and selecting gear for testing to guarantee integrity.
Deakin Uni Institute for Frontier Materials Senior Research Fellow Chris Hurren says they have so far not been supplied with any test products by any manufacturer.
“At this point the scheme is totally funded by Australian State Governments, some of the auto clubs and insurers and the NZ ACC,” he says.
“All garments are purchased from retail and online without the manufacturers knowledge or involvement.”
Secretive buying system
MotoCAP testing equipment at the Deakin Uni Geelong campus
Their sourcing system is quite secretive with one of the two garments used for testing bought in stores in Australia and New Zealand.
“We never buy more than one garment type at a time so a typical buying run may consist of one leather jacket, one textile jacket and a pair of denim jeans,” Chris says.
“Another buying run may be a textile jacket, a pair of textile pants and a pair of gloves. The person doing the in store purchase is a rider and they try on the garments like a normal buyer so almost impossible to detect.
“We then use the same covert purchasing system for an online purchase of a second garment generally of a different size and/or colour if available.
“The delivery address is changed regularly and never to the University.
“This is all done to ensure that manufacturers can not trick up the garments to get a higher score. The only time industry knows that they have been sourced for testing is when the results are displayed on the website.”
Manufacturer involvement
However, manufacturers have been invited to submit rider gear for testing and rating.
“There are two methods for manufacturers to organise for their product to be tested but neither of these have been utilised yet as the program is still in its infancy,” Chris says.
“A manufacturer can pay for a garment to be purchased using the above method and added to the testing program.
“A manufacturer may also get their product tested before it enters the stores by providing a number of boxes (50+ garments depending on the product and size of company) of their manufactured product in a warehouse where it is randomly sampled for three garments.
“Two of these garments will be tested and the third held to be compared with retail stock when it arrives in store. If what turns up in store is different to what was tested then their rating will be rescinded and they will be prosecuted by the ACCC for false advertising.
More ratings
MotoCAP textile jacket ratings
So far, MotoCAP has tested 18 textile and leather jackets, 18 pairs of jeans and leggings and eight pair of gloves.
The last ratings posted were for textile pants about five weeks ago.
In the next few weeks MotoCAP will post ratings for seven pairs of leather pants and an additional posting of gloves, textile jackets and textile pants.
That means they will have every product class covered: gloves, leather jackets, leather pants, textile jackets, textile pants, ladies leggings and denim jeans.
Chris says they will have more than 150 products on the website by June 30.
“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.
MotoCAP, the world’s first safety and comfort ratings system for motorcycle clothing, is important but may be too complex and not comprehensive enough, says a British motorcycle manufacturer.
The Australian ratings system for motorcycle pants, jackets and gloves launched in September 2018.
Since then, MotoCAP has copped some criticism for “faulty comfort ratings” and for only targeting 10% of rider gear for testing and rating per year.
However, many Australian rider representatives have supported the service for reminding riders about the importance of having quality safety gear.
MotoCAP is important
Steve Franklin, major shareholder of Manchester-based Merlin motorcycle clothing company, agrees that MotoCAP is important and should not be underestimated.
Merlin’s Steve Franklin with their flanno leisure gear
He says he misjudged the importance of the British the Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme (SHARP) which is a similar system to MotoCAP, but for helmets only.
Steve says he has concerns that the MotoCAP the rating and testing regime is too complex for consumers to understand.
“It needs to be more simple. Customers want proper and simple advice,” he told us while in Australia recently to meet retailers and distributors Link International.
“There is nothing wrong with trying to improve road safety.”
However, he says the complex MotoCAP rating system could give consumers the wrong impression.
“If we give consumers the wrong info, we lose their confidence,” he says.
The fastest-growing sector of the motorcycle clothing market is leisure safety gear while traditional Cordura and leather suits are decreasing in demand, says a British motorcycle clothing brand.
The trend mirrors growth in retro and naked bikes and the decrease in sportsbike popularity, says Merlin major shareholder Steve Franklin.
He and his Yamaha-loving sons, James and Patrick, flew out from Manchester recently to meet Australian retailers and distributors Link International.
Merlin execs (from left) Patrick, James and Steve Franklin
The Merlin executives also claim modern riders want clothing made with sustainable materials by manufacturers with integrity.
Steve says Merlin products are CE-approved, materials are sourced directly from experts and each manufacturer is inspected frequently for quality control.
“I want to be able to sleep at night,” he says, claiming they have only 0.97% returns on faulty gear and that one-third of that is down to user error.
Merlin flanno leisure jacket has DuPont kevlar throughout
They say the biggest market for motorcycle gear is now “moto leisure”.
Steve explains that it is like Nike’s “athleisure” range which appeals to people who want to look like an athlete but be comfortable.
“Similarly, moto leisure has all the safety gear but riders are able to go into a pub and not look like they’ve just had their knee down,” Steve says.
“It’s something you can wear all day.”
Heritage rider gear that reflects neo-classic motorcycles, such as the Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle that Steve rides, represents 45% of the market.
Steve says tech wear such as Cordua adventure suits and leather race suits are only 37% of the market and decreasing while the other two sectors are in “double-digit growth”.
That adds up to more than 100% of the market, but Steve says there is a lot of overlap where riders wear items from each section.
He says their women’s range was greater than 20% of their stock, but they pulled back.
However, James says they are now expanding their women’s range again.
“It’s a small part of the market but there are many more women’s groups emerging,” he says.
“They don’t all want to wear pink. They don’t want traditional riding gear but something that is a bit fashionable.
“Our feedback is that most brands just do dumbed-down versions of men’s gear.
“We recognise that women’s fit is different, even in women’s boots.”
Merlin employs fashion industry expert Melanie Field to help with women’s sizing so “it’s not just a small version of men’s gear”.
“She also has an eye on what colours and styles are currently fashionable,” James says.
Sustainability
Merlin Maple gloves with organic cotton denim panels
Riders are now seeking sustainable, organic materials directly sourced from reputable manufacturers, Steve says.
“The speed of development in organic materials is really gathering pace,” he says.
James points out that 76% of the materials they use is bought directly from “the experts in the field”.
“This ensures we have control of the quality,” he says.
Merlin also employs local inspectors in each of the countries where their products are manufactured to guarantee integrity and quality control.
They produce 60% of their gear in Pakistan and the rest in Portugal, Indonesia, Vietnam, China and India.
“We don’t manufacture anywhere that we don’t don’t have someone on site to make regular inspections,” Steve says.
He and his sons also spend 16 weeks a year doing inspection tours of manufacturing sites.
They say 75% of profits are turned back into the company to improve quality.
Safety standards
Merlin Holden leather jacket
Steve says rigid European CE approval standards are “both a curse and a blessing”.
“The cost of gaining CE approval is onerous at $10,000-$15,000 per product,” he says.
“We have to test the smallest and largest sizes and one in the middle, plus each different colour.”
Link International Merlin brand manager Ron Grant also points out that Merlin doesn’t just use high-quality safety materials in the impact areas specified for CE testing, but throughout their garments.
However, James says CE is also a blessing by making it “really difficult to get into this industry”, so it is “flushing out the bad quality and those operating in the black market”.
He says gaining CE approval was easy for them because they were exceeding the full testing process before CE became mandatory last year for manufacturers operating in Europe.
About Merlin
Merlin Chase heritage jacket
Merlin was registered in 2011 and started trading in 2012.
The name and logo come from “merle” which is French for blackbird.
It is 100% owned by the company’s 200 full-time staff who become shareholders after six months.
Steve’s background was in turning around ailing businesses.
“I just wanted to start a business then get someone to take it over,” he says.
“But once my sons entered the business, we found we had a passion for making good products and not just for business,” he says.
“We don’t cut corners. We wanted to make the best quality product we could with the technology and materials available.
“We’re always improving the product so it is relevant and exceeds customer expectations.”
MotoCAP has set a target of testing 10% of available jackets, pants and gloves in its first year of operation.
Textile pants
BMW and Triumph textile pants tested
This latest batch of eight textile pants includes BMW Rider ($570) and Triumph Malvern Jeans ($812) which rated two out of five stars for safety but three for comfort.
DriRider Vortex Adventure 2 ($330), Neo Mugello ($199) and Rev’It Factor 3 ($350) only rated one star each for safety and comfort.
However, only half a star for safety and comfort was earned byDriRider Nordic 2 ($250) and RJays Voyager V, while Spidi X-Tour ($350) scored half a star for safety and one star for comfort.
Since all pants were advertised as water resistant, they were tested for water resistance.
MotoCAP reports a wide range of water resistance performance from one point out of 10 to the RJays Voyager V scoring 10 out of 10.
Voluntary system
A dummy dressed in riding gear is tested for abrasion resistance
The five-star ratings system is a voluntary system that manufacturers can display on their gear as information for riders.
When MotoCAP was launched, the motorcycle clothing industry was not invited to pay for testing to guarantee independence.
However MotoCAP has invited companies to submit products for ratings.
So far, all rated clothing has been bought off the shelf using a random sampling process.
The ratings were not commissioned by the companies and the motorcycle gear was not supplied by the companies.
MotoCAP is a not-for-profit organisation in partnership with the following: from NSW – Transport for NSW, SIRA and the NRMA; from Victoria – VicRoads, TAC and RACV; from South Australia – DPTI, MAC and RAA; from Queensland – TMR and RACQ; from Western Australia – the Western Australian Road Safety Commission; plus the Australian Motorcycle Council and the New Zealand Accident Compensation Corporation.
A Transport for NSW spokesperson says MotoCAP is designed to “reduce road trauma and injury severity for motorcyclists” by informing riders of their choices.
“It is hoped this will be achieved by raising consumer awareness of, and demand for, better protective clothing, and manufacturers and suppliers will respond to that demand,” he said.
“The MotoCAP rating system will be continually monitored and feedback will be considered to identify any improvements that can be made.”
The world’s first motorcycle clothing safety ratings program, MotoCAP, has given just half a star each to three sets of rider leggings and mixed reviews on gloves.
MotoCAP has set a target of testing 10% of available jackets, pants and gloves in its first year of operation.
Leggings tested
BulliIt Fury Jeggings
So far, no women’s jackets or pants had been tested, but now they have tested three pairs of women’s leggings.
The Bull-It, Draggin and Oxford leggings rate just half a star for safety out of five.
The Draggin Stealthz leggings also rated half a star for comfort, while the Oxford Super Leggings rated three and a full five stars for the Bull-It Fury SP120 Lite Jeggings.
Ducati Corse C3 gloves received maximum protection ratings, while Macna Catch Mesh and DriRider Air Ride scored just one star.
No ratings were given for comfort.
Four stars went to Harley-Davidson Circuit waterproof and Alpinestars SP-2, three to Ixon RS Rallye HP and Five Gloves Sportcity and two stars to Dainese Mig C2.
Testing target
MotoCAP testing equipment
In October, a Transport for NSW spokesman told us leather pants are also being tested.
When MotoCAP was launched, the motorcycle clothing industry was not invited to pay for testing to guarantee independence.
The gear was bought anonymously from stores and local online outlets.
However, MotoCAP has invited companies to submit products for ratings and pay a low fee to cover testing.
It is not yet known if these new items were randomly selected or provided by distributors.
Companies can voluntarily advertise their rating using the MotoCAP logo.
MotoCAP is a not-for-profit organisation in partnership with the following: from NSW – Transport for NSW, SIRA and the NRMA; from Victoria – VicRoads, TAC and RACV; from South Australia – DPTI, MAC and RAA; from Queensland – TMR and RACQ; from Western Australia – the Western Australian Road Safety Commission; plus the Australian Motorcycle Council and the New Zealand Accident Compensation Corporation.
The Transport for NSW spokesperson says MotoCAP is designed to “reduce road trauma and injury severity for motorcyclists” by informing riders of their choices.
“It is hoped this will be achieved by raising consumer awareness of, and demand for, better protective clothing, and manufacturers and suppliers will respond to that demand,” he said.
“The MotoCAP rating system will be continually monitored and feedback will be considered to identify any improvements that can be made.”
