Investigation: Do you need proper bike kit?

Helmets save lives. Everyone knows this. and our jeans investigation on the preceding pages makes it clear how important it is to wear decent motorcycle clothing on your legs whenever possible. But does this apply to every part of the body? And if so, can you put a figure on the difference it makes?

These are questions the Australian government has been asking. It's a pressing issue Down Under, where the typically hot weather can easily make a denim jacket look like a good idea, but it applies here too. The resulting research, led by the University of Sydney, reveals the extent to which protective clothing can reduce injuries sustained by riders, or reduce the severity of those injuries.

The researchers compared the injuries sustained by riders wearing normal clothing, basic motorcycle clothing, and motorcycle clothing with armour or impact protection. While it's perhaps no surprise to learn that proper kit does reduce the chance of an injury, it's pretty eye-opening to see how much it reduces it by.

The study also shows that wearing any boot is a far better idea than shoes or trainers. Researcher Liz de Rome explains: "Shoes tend to get pulled off in crashes, so wearing any type of boot puts you ahead of that risk."

As well as highlighting overall risk the study also analysed the way bike kit reduces the danger of getting a soft-tissue injury compared with the risk of getting cut/abrasion injuries. In every case, wearing extra armour made a measurable difference.

What conclusions can we draw from this about the kit we wear? Simply put, it really is worth wearing proper kit with armour. Fact.