Rider Safety — Racing Leathers

by Chris Densmore

All scooter racing organizations and tracks require riders to wear full-length racing apparel, either genuine leather or a suitably abrasion- and fire-resistant substitute. Leathers may be one-piece or two-piece. If two-piece, the top and bottom must attach securely at the waistline. This is commonly accomplished with a heavy zipper. No exposed skin may be visible, except for the neckline below the helmet. Used in conjunction with a Snell-approved helmet, wrist-covering leather gloves, and high-top boots, a rider is well-defended against the most common racing injury: road rash.
	This is a two-piece set of racing leathers. The top and bottom are zipped together here, providing complete abrasion protection to the entire torso and limbs. You can still break bones, or suffer internal injuries, but the most common and easily-preventable injuries are abrasions and burns.
Genuine leather has been used for protection from burns and abrasions since prehistoric times. New plastics can provide abrasion and burn protection, but they just don't have that bar-b-cue aroma when you slide on them. Plus, they leak. It's very important to have a one-piece suit, or for a two-piece suit to have a sturdy zipper, so that rescuers can more quickly remove all the different body parts and fluids from the track, thus enabling a quick resumption of the race.
	Accessories Here's a closeup of the legs, showing sliders and shields. Some racing leathers are fully armored, with shields permanently implanted in the suit. Others, like this suit, have minimal shielding, relying instead on the rider to provide the best protection by not spilling. Besides, scooters rarely get up to the speeds achieved by modern motorcycle racers, and full body armor is less needed.
Leather gloves which cover the wrists. Preferably comfortable and snug, so the rider can easily manipulate the small things like the choke, the kill switch, and the face shield. Rounding out this ensemblé will be lés boots. Leather, again, and extending above the ankle. Steel toes not required.	These people sell used leathers - New Enough Motorcycle Leathers 405 Clovis Road #83 Shallowater, TX 79363

Do you know something I don't know? Something relevant to scooter racing that is. Do you want to author an article about a particular safety tip or technique? Space is available to interested persons who wish to contribute information or a short article, in compliance with rules issued in the introduction.

Rider Safety — Racing Leathers

Accessories