Motorcycle clothing should ideally be marked as approved to EN 17092 or EN 13595.
‘CE approved’ often just applies to the integral body armour.
Leathers probably give riders the best protection, although good quality textile clothing should be good enough. Two piece suits, whether textile or leather are better if the top and bottom can be zipped together, or if the jacket has a robust crotch strap.
We don’t accept kevlar jeans, as we don’t know how good they will be.
Both textile and leather suits should have CE armour in elbows and knees as a minimum. Fitting shoulders, back and hip protection should also be considered. There are also chest protectors available, and ‘boxes’ for your soft bits (guys).
Check your jacket has a CE marked back protector and not a piece of thin foam. Consider fitting a CE protector in the pocket, or using a separate back protector.
Trousers may also just have foam hip protectors.
The European standard is EN1621-2 (Level 1 for regular use and Level 2 for sport/track).
Boots should have a steel insert – check by standing the boot on its side and standing on the edge of the sole – it should support your weight.
Gloves must be leather, ideally with reinforced palms with a second layer of leather or Kevlar. They should have a wrist strap to prevent the gloves from coming off.
Some leather suits are made from very thin leather, or could be sheepskin. The quality of the stitching is also vital. Leather is not automatically better. Kangaroo hide is considered by some as the best material.
Here is some interesting general information and advice from Byson Leathers:- http://www.bysonleather.co.uk/BYSON%20LEATHER%20AboutLeathers.htm
British Superbike School 