How Safe Is Your Motorcycle Gear? CE Abrasion Ratings Explained

Added: 2026-05-30

[00:00:05]I got to stop having pizza before these races. All right, I will be answering any and all questions in regards to abrasion resistance. Squid, >> how is the abrasion resistance measured?

[00:00:14]>> And who measures it?

[00:00:15]>> Is abrasion protection more important than impact protection?

[00:00:18]>> Is CA better than C AAA? What's the minimum abrasion rating you'd recommend for the track?

[00:00:22]>> All right, that's too much.

[00:00:25]Understanding abrasion resistant motorcycle gear can feel overwhelming.

[00:00:29]Let's say you get bucked off or you lowside your bike. The first thing that happens is the impact. That's what the armor [music] is for. But what's often times more dangerous is actually the slide. All that momentum from riding keeps you moving down the tarmac. And that's where abrasion resistance comes into play. You want to slide without tumbling until you come to a slow and steady stop. Now, this is the suit that our very own Zack Quartz was wearing when he went down in Spain. Abrasion resistant jackets, [music] jeans, and suits like this one are engineered to mitigate the destructive friction of that slide. Your favorite Levis's, and more importantly, your cheeks are not.

[00:01:08]The current bar for abrasion resistant gear is set by the CE. So, let's shed some light on who they are, how they test, and how to understand their rating system so that you can feel more confident the next time you hit the streets.

[00:01:30]While here in the US we're still arguing about whether or not to require riders to even wear a helmet or giving [music] riders the freedom to do whatever the they want. The European Union requires that in order to legally say a motorcycle jacket, pant or riding suit were built to help a motorcycle rider in the event of an accident, it must be tested [music] in a lab by the conformity European. Now, this very French sounding organization is usually abbreviated to just CE. And CE helps approve everything in Europe from electric plugs to firefighting gear. But today, we're just talking about their motorcycle certifications. Specifically, something called EN17092-20.

[00:02:10]The first half being the CE's agreed upon testing standard 17092 and 2020 being the year the latest testing standards were agreed upon. Now, you cannot sell motorcycle protective gear in the European market without the CE's approval. And before gear is even tested for the slide, it has to check a few boxes to [music] make sure it can withstand other parameters like seam strength. How do the seams withstand extreme [music] stress? Tear strength.

[00:02:35]If the fabric gets cut, does it withstand tearing open more?

[00:02:39]Innocuousness. [music] Are there any hazardous chemicals used in the manufacturing process? And dimensional stability. Can the fabric handle day-to-day cleaning, washing, and life in general while still remaining protective? If the gear passes all of these, it moves on to the big show. Now, prior to 2020, [music] the Martindale machine was the testing standard. A piece of fabric from Gear was rotated on a machine to see how many thousands of passes it could handle before it [music] wore through. Awesome information for the fabric's properties, but not super relatable [music] to a motorcycle accident. But in the 2020 update, we get introduced to the most German sounding name in the world, the Dharmmstat machine. The Dharmmstto machine uses a revolving [music] wheel to mimic the body weight of a 75 kg person about 165 lbs making contact with the road from a height of about 1.75 m and sliding to a natural stop. If the [music] fabric survives without tripping the sensor, congrats, it gets a rated.

[00:03:35]And in my opinion, the reason the US and other world markets adopted this standard is because [music] it has a simple and easy to digest grading system. Now, the product CE grade must be present [music] on a label inside the jacket, pant, or suit. And if you're shopping in a store, that's the easiest way to find out what you're working with. And if you're shopping online, that'll generally be information in the product's [music] description as a badge of honor. So, let's go over these grades and determine which one is right for you and your riding style.

[00:04:11]AAA is up first and that is tested to 120 kilometers per hour on [music] Air Dharmmat. This is often thought of as the race suit standard, although there are a bunch of products hitting this marker to show off materials and brands flagship items in [music] nearly every category of riding these days. So, yes, a lot of prolevel race suits come to play here, but also ADV rigs meant for traversing the entire [music] world on two wheels. Ideal for track junkies, canyon dancers, or those [music] emulating Yuan McGregor. And if you find yourself wondering why this standard isn't the only standard, well, cost is a huge factor. Making the best gear out of the best materials is a lot like making the fastest bike. It tends to cost a lot more to the point where your customer base gets left in the dust. But up next is Double A, which is actually [music] tested at 70 km per hour. This is where most brands are aiming for their standard products within their line, providing solid levels of comfort, affordability at typical riding speeds for most riders on the market. This is what I affectionately refer to as the Goldilocks standard. If I was shopping for gear today for the street, this would be my target. solid amounts of protection, but also a realistic approach to [music] comfort on the bike and looks for my commuter style of riding. All while usually keeping a couple bucks still in my pocket. Next after that is going to be a which is tested at 45 kilometer per hour marker approximately just fine for those ripping around town at lower speeds or taking their rider safety courses in a parking lot for example. When you look at most commuters in smaller European towns on scooters, this standard makes a lot of sense, especially when compared to countries [music] like the US where commutes tend to involve higher speeds.

[00:05:54]For me, this is where the bottom bar sits. You know, you're getting tested gear. And maybe it fits your budget and riding style just [music] fine, and that's okay. It's still better than a t-shirt or a regular hoodie. And that's a common misconception is that the entire jacket might be void of stretch or soft materials if higher abrasion levels are sought after. But 17092 also thought of that because not every area has the same likelihood [music] of meeting Mr. Asphalt during a crash.

[00:06:20]My armpit, for example, not a huge chance of hitting the deck. So things like stretch are allowed there. It's what helps make race suits and other pieces not just bulletproof medieval armor, but something that you can still comfortably move around on the bike with. And that brings [music] me to my aforementioned etc etc standards. B is the bastard child of the A testing standard, meaning it's tested to the CE abrasion rating, but the brand has opted not to include armor [music] with the gear. Think more fashion forward brands that have customers that don't want [music] or really need armor, throwing off the entire fit or style of the piece. And then there is the C, which to me makes the most sense. This is a garment without abrasion resistance, but meets all the armor requirements of level A. Best example is the entire off-road armor segment. Things like standalone chest and back armor or full armor rigs. Clearly made as PPE for riders, but abrasion resistance isn't really needed if you're riding at the MX track or down the dirt trails [music] outside of town. Both B and C are use case specific. And as someone who rides off-road as much as on, I love that they didn't have to kill the armored category just to appease the other segments that I won't be riding that given day.

[00:07:43]Now, the CE standards have steadily become something that riders all around the world look for within their gear to predict how protected they might be in an accident. But there is just one thing I want [music] to hit before we wrap up here. Just because a piece of motorcycle gear doesn't have a CE standard or tag does not mean that it isn't going to protect you in a crash. Not every brand based outside of the EU wants to raise their products price or delay the launch of their product to factor in CE testing, especially if they don't even sell in [music] the European market. If the gear you've got your eye on doesn't have a CE tag or [music] rating, do a bit more research if you really want it.

[00:08:21]If it uses quality, time-t tested materials and covers important areas most likely to hit the ground, that's a pretty good sign, albeit not perfect, that the abrasion resistance is going to be similar. But if you doubt or don't trust your own judgment, look for those CE tags. After all, that just means that someone else has already done the research and the testing on your behalf.

[00:08:42]So, hopefully that helps you down the road figuring out what gear is right for you, as well as your riding style. And [music] if you want more information on motorcycle safety in general, please check out the moto safety hub that we built over on revzilla.com.

[00:08:54]I'm Pat. See you in the next video.

[00:09:09]Heat. Heat.