What does good quality motorbike clothing mean? The development of good motorbike clothing is based on the idea of being as comfortable as possible in the suit with the highest possible protection (tailored to your riding style)
Waterproof, Breathable and Ventilation.3 priorities that are difficult to combine but which allow the rider to concentrate 100% and enjoy riding. Getting wet gets boring, annoying and disrupts concentration. Overheating, warming up in your suit turns into sweating and makes for a very uncomfortable ride where you quickly lose enjoyment and concentration.
What is waterproof?More like a plastic layer or plastic inner jacket, this makes us sweat tremendously but waterproof.
WATER COLUMN, is the measure in which the water resistance of an outer layer is measured and expressed in Millimetres. Any material with 1,500mm water column is considered waterproof but this is really a legal minimum. Move in this, a rainstorm or a little wind, speed on a motorbike and you are instantly soaking wet.
For our "lifestyle", i.e. the motorcyclist, ATR really sets the limit for this at a minimum of 10,000mm for each type of rider. Then we are confident and can promise that the material is waterproof.
This size unit comes about through a measurement on 1cm2 of fabric. On this is a cylinder that one fills with water, the height of the water level is indicated in millimetres. Our minimum is 10,000 mm or, in other words, 10 metres in height. This 10 metres again corresponds to 1 Bar of pressure.
Is it stupid to ask about the water column when shopping for a new suit? - NO most definitely not.The best membranes, liners and laminates like GORE-TEX and DRY WAY set higher values, even up to 28,000mm. But beware, these are brands and they too have membranes with different waterproofing ratings and therefore cheaper prices.
Looking for a waterproof jacket with a reputable brand membrane is good but even these have different waterproofing values. Just buying a waterproof jacket does not always mean you will stay dry. Some riders demand the utmost from their clothing and thus need a laminate with the highest waterproofing.
You can imagine that a laminate is in direct contact with the rain and wind, which is why a laminate should have a higher water column than a liner anyway. A liner sits behind the outer fabric which will hold back a lot of pressure but allows water to pass through.
We as ATR have looked for brands that don't think this way, these like us stand behind their promises and these use at least the same waterproofing for their liners as for their laminates.
Remember back in the day? A 110kg suit but dry)?
Z and DroplinersNow with the good brands, the fabric of the motorbike jacket is DWR treated. The fabric itself then no longer gets wet but still lets (LESS) water through.
The advantage of a Z-liner is that the jacket is still absolutely 100% waterproof and breathable but is cheaper to produce. With a Drop-liner, the motorbike jacket has the advantage that it is cheaper as a laminate AND the liner can be taken out, turning the jacket into a proper summer jacket.
BreathabilityGood Membranes (laminate or liner) also have the property of being breathable, this allows accumulated body moisture that builds up under clothing to escape. This keeps the body at the right surface temperature and humidity, keeping the rider super comfortable, dry and more concentrated on the bike.
Breathability is measured and displayed in the unit g/M2/24.
This is very important for every motorcyclist but especially for active adventure and off-road riders.
It prevents condensation and sweat under your jacket. Note when wearing a good quality jacket you should also consider the right undergarments. This is a point we notice that is very often forgotten by people.
Laminates in our shop run up to a breathability of 25,000 g/M2/24 which means they are very suitable for active work.
For touring in all weather conditions, 15,000 g/M2/24 is a very good level in which you feel good 365 days a year in all weather conditions.
