the history of motorcycle armor
Motorcycle armor is a fundamental part of riding, but it hasn’t always been as protective as it is today. While motorcycle-specific gear is almost as old as motorcycling itself, the CE Level 1 and 2 armor we’ve come to expect in our riding apparel has, of course, not always been available. Motorcyclists from the 40s and 50s wore the iconic, ever-fashionable leather jackets and boots, but before that, riders settled for even less protection. Over the last 125 years, safety precautions and technological innovations have inspired the evolution of motorcycle gear, and its continuing journey reflects the adventurous spirit of the motorcycle community itself.
The History of Motorcycle Armor
While we might think of 1950s Marlon Brando in his legendary leather jacket when we think of vintage riding culture, motorcycle-specific style came about several decades earlier. When the first motorcycles hit the streets in the early 1900s, riders wore military or equestrian-inspired clothing like skull caps, horse riding boots, and tweed jackets.
This style of clothing, however, wasn’t protective enough for riders in the 1930s. Motorcycles got faster, and people started street racing. Faster bikes meant more dangerous crashes, and motorcyclists started to understand the need for more protective gear. Racers began wearing thicker skull caps, more layers of clothing, and even aircraft goggles. When war dispatch riders were required to wear tin or cork helmets in the 1940s, the general public followed suit, and helmets became the standard.
Just a decade later, The Wild One’s 1953 premiere triggered an explosion in motorcycle popularity — and the style to go with it. Despite being made in 1928 by Schott NYC for Harley Davison, Brando’s effortlessly cool leather jacket inspired a growing subculture whose fashion has stuck around to this day.
With more bikers than ever hitting the road, the growing cafe racer subculture of 1960s and 1970s brought about some of the most dramatic innovations in motorcycle gear yet. Bikes were often modified to reach speeds over 100 MPH, and bigger crashes caused more serious injuries and fatalities. Racers began to wear leather gloves and sometimes full-body leather suits to protect themselves from abrasion during accidents.
Specialist gear manufacturers, like the Italian maker Lino Dainese, started to appear, too. All types of motorcyclists across the world began wearing specialized gear — and Dainese began dreaming even bigger.
Dainese Invents the First Back Protector
In 1979, the design team at Dainese’s self-named brand took inspiration from the protective shell of the lobster when manufacturing strong but lightweight protective back gear made from interlocking layers of plastic reinforced by impact foam. True to the adventurous nature of the hobby, many motorcyclists rejected this type of gear, viewing it as excessive or a sign of weakness.
Dainese, however, required his sponsored riders to wear protective back armor. This requirement would change how other riders viewed protective armor for good when famous Dainese-sponsored rider Freddie Spencer (aka Fast Freddie) participated in the 1985 motorcycling World Championship in South Africa. During one of his practice sessions, Freddie’s back wheel exploded, sending him flying off his bike. He landed hard on his back onto a tarmac curb — but he walked away unharmed. The plastic shells on his back had cracked, protecting his spine from the same fate.
After Freddie’s accident in 1985, the development of protective armor for motorcycling saw its biggest renaissance to date. Manufacturers started experimenting with hardshell plastics, aerospace-grade aluminum, and other innovative materials that would offer more protection from impact and abrasion than traditional gear. During the mid-90s and early 2000s, big brands like Alpinestars and KLIM patented new materials like TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), D30 (a rubbery plastic that stiffens on impact), and Poron (a non-Newtonian impact foam that was lightweight but durable).
Today, manufacturers are constantly perfecting their materials, using impact foams, Kevlar, UHMWPE, and other aramids (heat-resistant, strong fibers) to create the most lightweight and safest motorcycle gear imaginable. If the last 40+ years of innovation are any indication of the future of motorcycle gear, it’s hard to imagine what might be possible in the next 40.
How Does Today’s Motorcycle Gear Work?
Much of today’s highly advanced motorcycle gear works well to prevent injury or even death when used correctly. Gear like our Tripleflex Upper Body Armor, paired with our Armored Riding Hoodie, works to protect you by absorbing and dissipating impact force so that your body stays protected in the event of an accident.
Good riding jackets are designed to reduce skin abrasion, using materials like aramid and Kevlar® (which we use in all of our riding apparel, like our Armored Slim Cargo Riding Pants) protect your body from road rash. The ultrastrong and heat-resistant aramid fibers protect you from abrasion or scraping during an accident and can reduce serious injuries that require longterm recovery.
High-quality and well-fitting gear is crucial. Thanks to the incredible innovations in gear and armor apparel over the last century, riding a motorcycle is safer than ever. We can’t wait to see what kind of progress is made in the motorcycling world within the coming years, but, as always, please remember to wear your helmet and the protective gear that’s right for you.
