INSIDE PASS
Important Info for Leather Suit BuyersAlexa KruegerPage 2
continued... The third photo is a close up of the Keprotec material on its unfinished side. To check a suit’s construction, you would remove the liner and look at the stretch material from inside .jpg?n=742 "Closeup of Keprotec. Note the color difference and yellow flecks.") the garment. This photo represents what you want to see. If the stretch material looks the same from behind as it does on the outside, it is not Kevlar reinforced and will fail in a crash.
This is a crashed Alpinestars suit that has taken damage to the Keprotec stretch material. .jpg?n=6260 "Crashed Alpinestars. Keprotec is damaged but did not fail") Notice that the material appears frayed and obviously needs replacement but has not shredded like the non-aramid stretch material. This piece of Keprotec has given its life to protect the skin of its wearer. In a perfect world, we could just tell you to stick to the name brand suits in order to avoid purchasing a garment made from inferior material. The problem is that some of the most respected brand name suit manufacturers are going to the cheaper stuff in their low-end offerings. Real Keprotec does not have any ribs and looks like a tightly woven fabric. The material should feel like it has a bit of bulk to it. If you are looking at gear that has a removable liner, pull the liner away and inspect the back side of the material. It should have a creamy or pale yellowish look. Suit makers that use Kevlar aramid fabrics exclusively are (in no particular order) the RS Taichi, Hein Gericke, Shift, Rev’ It, Dianese, Komodo and most custom builders, including Barnacle Bill, NJK, Vanson, Syed, etc.
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