When choosing good motorcycle gear there several factors to consider, such as style, comfort, quality, function and the like, but you should know that above all else, safety is your most important priority. Safety is everything. International safety ratings assess how well clothing protects you in a crash, against skin abrasions and burns caused by hitting the asphalt or gravel etc. Only safe clothing will provide you with adequate safety.

 

The CE approval
Safety of motorcycle clothing and single protectors is regulated by EU Standards and CE directives. The important things you want to look for is the CE level 1 or CE level 2 label indicating the degree of safety of the clothing or its components. Generally, there are two levels of CE protection: CE level 1 and CE level 2. Basically you CE level 1 gives you sufficient safety for most of your normal riding, the CE level 2 is going to offer you better impact protection. However, often this classification only refers to a single protectors and not to the whole piece of clothing. For example, a CE level 2 elbow protector is not going to do you any good if you can’t fit it in your jacket or if the sleeves are too loose and the protector moves around on you.

 

Motorcycle clothing protection classes
LS2 CE certified motorcycle apparel made after 2018 has a “Class” section in the CE label or marking according to the most recent testing standards of protective motorcycle apparel - EN 17092 1-6. These standards distinguish a total of five protection classes for motorcycle clothing: AAA, AA, A, B and C. These classes define basic safety performance of each particular piece of clothing.

Class	Level of Protection
AAA	(prEN 17092-2:2017) Is the highest level of protection with which to take on the highest level of risk.  Garments offer best protection, but are also heavier and less comfortable to use. Examples are 1-piece or 2-piece leather suits for track and road.
AA	(prEN 17092-3:2017) Second highest level of protection covering wide range of risks that motorcycle riding presents.
A	(prEN 17092-4:2017) Light level of protection. Class A garment is the light and comfortable to wear, but provides the least protection.
B	(prEN 17092-5:2017) Garments in this class offer same abrasion resistance as level A, but are not equipped with protectors. Jeans without protection fall into this class for example.
C	(prEN 17092-6:2017) Impact protection only. C-Class garments are for example mesh under-suits for off-road riding or underwear with integrated impact protectors.

Classes B and C are considered as additional protection.

 

Since most of the motorcycle clothing available on the market belongs to "A" protection class, it's not without significance that thanks to LS2´s emphasis on quality and safety, most of the LS2 motorcycle clothing are certified in the higher-spec "AA" class.

 

 

CE Approvals insight
Every rider knows CE markings, but most people don´t know that there are actually three different CE terms: "CE Tested", "CE Certified" and "CE Approved", and that there is a huge difference between them. This information can also help you when choosing your new motorcycle gear.

Term	Explanation
CE Tested	The term normally implies that the manufacturer tested the whole or just a piece of a garment within their own facility that might meet certain standards. However, the garment is not necessarily tested in a certified testing facility to meet officially accredited standards.
CE Certified	This is more secure, as it states that the garment samples were tested in certified testing facilities. In this case, you need to find out which part of a garment was tested
CE Approved	This means several parts of a garment were tested in certified facilities and are accredited to meet or surpass the required standards in all zones.