You probably know that there’s a lot of technology in motorcycle gear these days, but you might be surprised at the extent of it.
With advanced weather protection, abrasion resistance, impact armour, and touchscreen compatible gloves we’ve come a long way from the leather and waxed cotton of yesteryear.
But what exactly goes into all of this? Well, we caught up with the guys at Lindstrands and Halvarssons to find out about what goes into modern adventure gear.
How it saves your skin
Both brands use High Abrasion Resistant Textile Technology (HI-ART) to keep your skin safe should the worst happen. It uses a material very similar to terry cloth with a thread that is guided towards the outside, in small loops, meaning friction is taken by the short ends of the fibres. Just like cutting a piece of wood – it’s more difficult to cut in the direction of the grain than across the grain.
If you crash at 70mph, it will be another five to seven seconds before you come to a stop. At this speed on tarmac your regular threads would survive just a fraction of a second, whereas HI-ART can not only withstand the slide it is also CE approved as a low heat conductor, so should help stave of friction burns too.
How it keeps you protected
All Lindstrands and Halvarssons jackets (apart from the mesh offerings) are AA or AAA rated for safety, which is a great comfort when you’re out on the road.
How it keeps you cool
Leather is great for keeping you safe, but it isn’t exactly great at keeping you cool in the baking sunshine, particularly if you’ve opted for a black jacket. Obviously, we tend to opt for textiles in the adventure world but, should you wish to go down the leather route, Halvarssons and Lindstrands use a technology called TFL Cool Tec which stops leather absorbing the heat from the sun’s rays keeping you nice and chill even when you are clad in black in the height of summer.
How it takes inspiration from space travel
When you are looking for extreme conditions, it doesn’t come more extreme than the final frontier. Outlast technology was originally designed for astronauts to even out extreme temperature differences and is used throughout Halvarssons Motorcycle Clothing for both cold and warm environments.
It regulates the temperature of the air next to the body for a more comfortable ride in all conditions. The material is made up of millions of microscopic paraffin capsules that absorb, store and distribute heat to cooler areas. When the clothes are warm and the temperature drops and gets cool, the stored heat ensures that the fabric stays warm, and vice versa.
How it keeps you dry
There’s nothing worse than sitting in the saddle when your soaked through. Whether that be thanks to precipitation or perspiration, rolling down the road a sodden mess is a sure-fire way to ruin any ride.
Fortunately, many products Halvarssons and Lindstrands make feature technology called Dryway, a special membrane in the fabric. The tech behind these membranes focuses on differences in temperature and moisture on the inside and outside of the membrane.
Heat on the inside is released as moisture, but moisture on the outside is prevented from penetrating the fabric. If its hotter the reverse happens, allowing sweat out, so you’re always dry.
How it lets you use your touchscreen
A major faff when you are out on the road is having to pull your gloves off to use your phone. Few things are more irritating than getting all togged up and someone ringing you forcing you to take your gloves off to answer, and it’s even more annoying if it’s a chilly day.
That’s why our Scandinavian friends use a fabric called Nudud in their gloves, to allows you to operate touch screens without removing them. It’s a great time saver.
How your armour fits
A common gripe with motorcycle clothing is it fitting generally well, but the armour being slightly in the wrong place. This can cause discomfort and a bulky silhouette, and, though we aren’t a vain bunch, it’s nice to cut a cool image, especially when you are shelling out a few quid on a jacket.
Halvarssons and Lindstrands armour is adjustable within the jacket using Velcro to cater to where your pointy bits actually lie. After all, we do come in different shapes and sizes.
How it doesn’t your back up
Back protectors are great, but frequently the sizes can cause issues. A frequent issue is those who require a larger size find that the back protector is larger than they want or need, causing the jacket to fit awkwardly. This is why Lindstrands and Halvarssons provide their back armour in three different sizes to ensure you get the fit, and protection, you want.
For more information visit the Lindstrands or Halvarssons websites.
