Getting Race Ready

Track day motorcycle riding is getting bigger and bigger in the UK, with riders relishing the opportunity to really let their motorcycles rip around some of the cracking racetracks that the UK has to offer. And while you are probably in less immediate danger on the track than you are on the road; riders taking to the track for the first time should make sure that their kit is in the most tip-top of order. Leading Italian motorcycle safety equipment manufacturer Dainese has plenty of offer track bikers.

Look around any professional motorcycle race series and you’ll see plenty of Dainese logos on the riders’ leathers. The logo is actually a devil’s head designed in a modern and minimalist style, and is instantly recognisable from near or far.

Dainese has been making motorcycle safety equipment since the early 1970s and the company is still run by its founder, Lino Dainese. These many decades of road and race motorcycling experience put Dainese among the very top equipment manufacturers, with many of the very top class riders choosing Dainese products over others.

Dainese boots

Making protective footwear for both road and track racing is actually a more difficult proposition than it sounds. A motorcycle boot must offer protection and stability, but it must also be flexible and light enough not to hinder the rider’s movement on the bike’s foot pegs. This is especially true of racers who make a lot of inputs through the foot pegs.

A pair of Dainese motorcycle boots will be made of a high tech combination of leather and man-made materials to offer the rider abrasion and rotation protection, whilst retaining enough feel to work the bike’s gear selector and rear brake.

They also go some way to protecting the lower shin area with an armour-plated front upper area. The outside edge of the boot will also feature a ‘slider’ to protect the body of the boot should the rider lay their foot on the tarmac when cornering.

Also built into a high quality Dainese boot will be protection for the ankle bone and a reinforced cup around the toes and heal; again to protect the bone from coming in contact with the road or track.

Some Dainese boots will also be designed for wet weather riding and will feature additional facets to their design to keep the water out. Most boots are designed to slip onto the foot and are secured by a zip on the side and a Velcro or stud fastening at the top for a snug fit and to keep the zip nicely locked.

Dainese one-piece suit

Anyone seriously considering taking to the racetrack on their motorcycle must consider the very best in leather protection from their suit, and one-piece suits are considered to be the best for abrasion resistance. Dainese make some of the most stylish and high tech one-piece race suits in the business.

A one-piece suit, as the name suggests, comes only as a whole and cannot be split in two – jacket and trousers – like some zip-together outfits. The zip-together equipment should do its job well, but the zip is considered the weakest part of the set up.

A one-piece suit does not have this weakness. Look at the professional racers and you will only see one-piece suits. Factor in a snug body fit and built-in armour and the one-piece race suit is the best safety kit you can get to take to the track.