Two-Piece Leather Racing Suits: A Buyer's Guide

A two-piece leather racing suit is a jacket and a pair of trousers that zip together at the waist. Zipped up, you ride in one continuous suit. Unzipped, you've got a race-cut jacket you can wear on the road and trousers you can wear with something else.

We make two-piece suits for riders and for other brands in our own factories. This guide covers what we'd check if we were buying one ourselves, in the order it matters.

1. The connecting zip

This is the part that makes or breaks a two-piece suit. In a crash, the jacket and trousers want to separate at the waist, and that's exactly where you don't want skin showing.

• Length of the zip. A zip that runs all the way round the waist holds the two halves together far better than a short section at the back. If you plan to ride on track, ask for the full-length connection.
• Overlap. The jacket should be long enough to overlap the trousers when you're tucked in, so the zip isn't carrying all the load.
• Track-day rules. Many organisers only accept a two-piece suit if the halves zip together all round. Check with yours before you book.

2. CE armour, and what level it is

A "CE" label on its own tells you very little. Look for the standard and the level. For shoulders, elbows, hips and knees, the standard is EN 1621-1, and Level 2 is the higher of its two performance levels. Back protectors are tested under EN 1621-2.

Every Leathers First two-piece suit comes with CE Level 2 armour at the shoulders, elbows and knees. We publish the model numbers and certificate numbers of the protectors we use on our armour certifications page, so you can check them with the testing lab yourself.

One thing to know: the armour being certified doesn't mean the whole suit is. Complete garments are classed separately under EN 17092 (AAA, AA, A and so on). Ask any maker which one they're talking about.

3. The leather

• Cowhide, 1.2 to 1.3 mm, is the usual standard for race suits. It's tough, resists abrasion well and breaks in over a few rides. It's what we use as standard.
• Kangaroo is lighter and stronger for its weight, and noticeably more comfortable on a hot day. It costs more. We offer it as an upgrade.
• Perforated panels help with airflow. They're best kept away from the areas that hit the ground first in a slide, like the shoulders, elbows, hips and knees.

4. Fit in the riding position

A race suit is cut for a tuck, not for standing up straight. When you try a two-piece on, get into a riding position and check that the jacket doesn't ride up off the trousers and that the armour stays over your joints. Our guide to how a race suit should fit goes through it step by step.

If you're between sizes or have long arms or legs, made to measure solves most fit problems. We make every two-piece suit to order, so a made-to-measure suit costs the same as a standard size.

5. Airbags

Plan for an airbag from the start, not after the suit has been made. An airbag vest worn under the suit needs room to inflate, so the suit has to be cut for it. Tell your maker the exact brand and model of your airbag before production. Read our airbag guide for what to check.

6. Two-piece or one-piece?

If you mostly ride on track, a one-piece suit is simpler: there's no join to worry about. If you ride on the road as much as on track, or want to wear the jacket on its own, a two-piece gives you more use out of one purchase. We've compared both in detail in one-piece vs two-piece motorcycle suits.

7. Price

Two-piece leather race suits from the big brands often cost over a thousand dollars. Ours start from around $600 for a complete two-piece suit, made to your size or measurements, with free DDP shipping on orders over $500. The difference isn't in the materials: we make the suits ourselves in our own factories, and sell them direct.

Common questions

Find your two-piece suit

Browse men's two-piece leather race suits and women's two-piece leather race suits, or design your own. Questions about sizing or the connecting zip? Message us on WhatsApp.