SINCE the dawn of the motorcycle, leather has been the go-to material for those looking for protection from impacts and also abrasion.
But leather isn’t without its own pitfalls. Waterproofing isn’t one of its strong points, and when we are talking about 1-piece leathers, the weight of a cow or kangaroo hide suit can be quite excessive.
But as advances in material technologies arrive, so do improvements in the alternatives to leather, as one Italian manufacturer is showing. Built by a company based just outside Florence, the Virus Power suit overcomes many of the negatives of traditional motorcycle leathers and brings with it many positives that are impossible to achieve with products created from animal hide.
Created from MultiProtective, a patented fabric, the Virus Power suit is claimed by its makers to be certified to AAA levels. It is claimed to be 10 to 12 times more resistant to tear and abrasion than is prescribed by current regulations, yet is machine washable, water repellent, and more comfortable than traditional leathers.
They are also claimed to be between 25 and 30 percent lighter than traditional leathers. For comparison, my custom RST leathers come in at around 6.5kg, while the Virus Power suit weighs just a claimed 4kg.
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Another couple of bonuses that come from ditching hide in favour of material is that these can be digitally printed in conventional style printing machines, and they are claimed to offer higher levels of thermal insulation than conventional motorcycle leathers.
The Virus Power Predator textile race suit is priced at €1,758.
For more information, head to: viruspower.it
