COVER STORY
Tested: Komodo Sport R/T Suit
Author: TrackdayMag.com Staff
Trackday-specific but no less protective
 Komodo builds the most durable and protective racing leathers we've yet tested, so we were excited when they announced their intention to offer a suit aimed at the trackday/street rider. It got more interesting when Komodo asked TrackdayMag.com to consult on the project during the design phase. While this magazine's opinions are not always taken seriously by some suit manufacturers, Komodo was one company which we felt sure would give consideration to our suggestions.
With many brands, the terms "Race," "Trackday" and "Street" often seem to denote descending rungs on the ladder of protection. We heartily disagree with this philosophy. Does a track crash offer less potential for bodily harm if trophies aren't at stake? Wouldn't it seem that there is a much greater chance for a falling rider to be smashed, sliced or abraded on public roads than in the sanitized environment of a racetrack? Our design statement to the company was simple: Regardless of its mission, your new suit needs to crash like a Komodo. The Sport R/T is aimed at track riders who also use their bikes on the street and want a no-compromise suit that works well in both environments. If you've used a one-piece on a road trip, you know the embarrassment caused by bashing everything in sight with your sleeves when your leathers are pulled down to your waist. Worse is when the suit slides to your knees, exposing your Sponge Bob undies for all to see! The Komodo Sport R/T is, for this reason, a two-piece design. Obviously, a jacket and pants joined by a torso-encircling zipper will never be as strong as a one-piece suit, which is why Komodo advises that this gear is not intended for racing use. In reality, we've seen plenty of one-piece race suits that were less robust than the Sport R/T and after looking it over, we're pretty confident that it would pass tech inspection with most racing organizations.
|