What makes this jacket so special? After all, it has seen better days. It’s tattered. Ripped to shreds in some areas, and unscathed in others. Though the thank-you note written in Spanish, in permanent marker, on the bottom left corner speaks volumes.

The rider who was wearing this jacket was unfortunately in an accident. They slid across the pavement, suffered no injuries, and walked away, body in-tact and a smile on their face. They then sent his jacket back to REV’IT! to say “gracias” for saving their skin.

Looking at the jacket, it did exactly what it was supposed to do: it protected the rider. The lining was still perfectly in place, though the outer shell suffered noticeable damage. The stationary protection at the elbows and shoulders didn’t move an inch, though it had some war wounds.

In the end, the jacket respectively won the battle against the unyielding pavement.

Knowing how materials behave when faced with adversity is why riders put their trust in specific brands. It’s also what makes the lab so fundamental to development of motorcycle garments. To add to that, our clothing must pass stringent tests in order to be introduced to the market, though our lab does much more than that. It also serves as a tool for research and innovation projects.

The analysis of data is cornerstone of the work done in the facility but not the only task at hand. Part of the lab’s mission is to find out how the materials perform – whether that’s leather or textile – and how well they perform. It’s also to find out if there are better solutions or better constructions when creating new collections.

Sometimes, high-tech fabrics are tested, and sometimes some of the more conventional ones are. Regardless of quality, it’s about bringing the rider something they can feel safe in, as well as look good in.

While some might think the lab is solely used by the technicians, it’s not. For our product developers, as well as our Research and Innovation team, the lab is at their disposal to test new fabrics, constructions and create and test prototypes. You can find them frequenting the lab for continued betterment. Tests are done every day and also on-demand and the data can be readily processed. In the early days, materials had to be sent out to external facilities and then the waiting game started. Now, results can be produced, quickly, effectively and accurately.

A REV’IT! standard is essentially determined by our riders; meaning how it’s used, feedback from the market, wishes from clients, feedback from ambassadors/testers. We need a standard that’s adapted to real-life motorcycle use. Here, we analyze the mechanics of how we end up with the results that we get to.

What that means is that we don’t just look at the outcome of the test, but we dig deeper into the whole process. We look at how the materials have performed on a microscopic level.

In a dynamic test, we gradually build up hydrostatic pressure via an air compressor. At first, the material lays flat and then raises and raises. Essentially, it forms the shape of a balloon. What we’re checking for is water penetration in terms of droplets. It’s not about saturating the fabric, but as soon as three droplets get through the fabric, the test is over. Three droplets are the norm because of the EN standard.

In the end, we can derive the water column of a fabric. Though sometimes a fabric explodes under the pressure of the test! We make sure these materials are not used in our garments. It also shows how much water and pressure are pushing a fabric.

Because the fabrics we test are for motorcyclists, we have a higher demand for water column. That’s because these garments are more susceptible to the elements while riding due to riding position, speed, etc.

The static test is based on pressure and time. We can mimic a motorcyclist riding in the rain, for instance, for a couple of hours through a rain shower - which can be light, heavy, long, and a scope of tests. But in order to make full use of this test, we also gather the feedback from our global riders, to make sure we – to determine if the fabric withstands a shower over a period of time. We make this endurance based.

In terms of waterproofing, we also test taped seams, too. We investigate their breaking point, leakage, strength. We carry out same both the dynamic and static procedures as with materials. Leave no leaf unturned, right?!

Instead of replicating a slide in the dry, they can make the conditions wet. Or instead of it being on a smooth surface, it can be replicated on a more abrasive surface.

Those are just a few examples of the limitless possibilities they can mimic. Creating the real-life situations as best and as accurately as possible without having to risk human lives in the process is what makes this so effective.