Since the 21st April 2018 all motorcycle clothing sold in the U.K has been required by law to be CE approved. From that date motorcycle clothing has been classed as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and is therefore required to be tested and certified by an independent body.

The CE and UKCA testing and certification process focusses on six main areas; Dimensional stability, Impact energy absorption (class AAA & AA), Impact abrasion resistance, Seam strength, Tear strength and Fit & ergonomics. All these elements need to be tested and certified. It is not enough to just test the abrasion qualities, and then claim the garment to be fully CE approved.

Manufacturers, distributors and retailers are all legally responsible to insure the garments that they produce and sell in the U.K are CE approved. Always look for a CE label sewn into the garment, and check for the ‘User Information Booklet’ and ‘Declaration of Conformity’, both required elements for full CE certification.

The Hood K7 Infinity Jean was launched on the 21st April 2018, it was the first Jean in the U.K to be certified to the prEN 17092-3; class AA. The K7 Infinity Jean’s launch date coinciding with the introduction of prEN 17092 standard, this was no coincidence; we had been working on products for some time, and were at the forefront of testing and certification for the new standard.

From the 21st April 2018 the standard was covered by the provisional standard prEN 17092:2017 (‘pr’ standing for provisional). In 2020 the standard was finalised, and is now known as EN 17092:2020.

The “AAA”, “AA”, “A” and “B” classifications of motorcyclists’ clothing specified in provisional European Standard prEN 17092-1:2017 (February 2017) can be described as follows:

EN 17092-2 – Class AAA garments. The highest level of protection, against the highest level of risks. The AAA class has particularly high levels of abrasion resistance. Testing requirements; 707.4rpm (the velocity of the sample holder being equivalent to 120km/h) in Zone 1, 442.1rpm (equivalent to about 75km/h) in Zone 2 and 265.3rpm (equivalent to around 45km/h) in Zone 3.

EN 17092-3 – Class AA garments. The second highest level of protection. The AA class is well suited for touring riders and has a relatively high abrasion resistance. Testing requirements; 412.6rpm in Zone 1, 265.3rpm in Zone 2 and 147.4rpm (the equivalent of around 25kmh) in Zone 3.

EN 17092-4 – Class A garments. The third highest level of protection. The clothing is light, well suited for low speed urban / leisure use, it provides the lowest abrasion protection. Testing requirements; Zone 1 requiring 265.3rpm and 147.4rpm in Zone 2. There’s no requirement for abrasion resistance in Zone 3 materials.

EN 17092-5 – Class B garments. This class of garments is designed to provide the equivalent abrasion protection of Class A garments, but without the inclusion of impact protectors.

The Hood K7/B (S) and SK11/B are Class B, this option does not offer impact protection and it is recommended that they be worn with, at least, EN 1621-1 knee impact protectors, to offer complete minimum protection.

• K7/B (S) Jean: CE certified to EN 17092-5, Class B, NO impact protectors
• K7/AAA (S) Jean: CE certified to prEN 17092-2, Class AAA, D3O^® T5 X Hip and Knee armour as standard
• K7/AAA (S) Jean: CE certified to prEN 17092-2, Class AAA, D3O^® GHOST^™ Hip and Knee armour upgrade
• K7/AAA (S) Jean: CE certified to prEN 17092-2, Class AAA, D3O^® T5 PRO X Hip and Knee armour upgrade
• SK11/B Jean: CE certified to EN 17092-5, Class B, NO impact protectors
• SK11/AAA Jean: CE certified to EN 17092-2, Class AAA, D3O^® GHOST^™ Hip and Knee armour

When did the new PPE Regulation come into force? (I have read different dates, always much later, on other clothing brand websites).

The PPE Regulation 2016/425 was fully implemented on 21st April 2018. We know that some companies are suggesting it is April 2019, but this is not correct. The April 2019 date only covers products which were already certified and CE marked before 21st April 2018, and provides these products only with a one year extension to update their accreditation. It is not applicable to motorcycle clothing which was not previously certified.

We are also aware that some companies are saying they do not have to certify their clothing until prEN 17092 is officially published as EN 17092. Again, this is not correct. It is the date of full implementation of the PPE Regulation (i.e. 21st April 2018) which must be observed, and not the later date of publication of standards.

How does EN 17092 compare with EN 13595?

The existing European Standard, EN 13595:2002, covers protective clothing for professional motorcyclists, whereas the new European Standard, EN 17092, is for clothing used by non-professional riders; for example, for commuting and leisure use. The two standards will operate alongside each other until at least September 2022.

Because the two standards use different test methods, it is not possible to make direct comparisons (the abrasion test, in particular, uses entirely different criteria to establish the pass/fail outcome); however, the EN 17092 puts greater emphasis on flexibility and comfort, with a commensurate reduction in protective performance, compared with EN 13595.

For several years, Hood Jeans has regularly submitted its products for abrasion testing, for quality control purposes, using the method described in EN 13595. We have run the same check with the new K7 (S) and SK11 jeans. This provides us with test data for the new K7 (S) and SK11, which can be directly compared with the results we hold on file for the original K7 jeans, to ensure consistency of test performance from the new Infinity construction.

In tests on the K7 (S) and SK11 Jeans carried out in 2020 in accordance with EN 13595-2:2002, for abrasion resistance only; the combination of stretch denim and K-tech Infinity para-aramid received an amazing 7.2 second result. This meets the abrasion requirements for Level 2 for the tough EN 13595-2:2002 standard.