Product Review: Track Breed motorcycle race suit

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It might not be as well known as the likes of Alpinestars or Dainese but The Breed Gear or TBG, a homegrown motorcycle riding gear brand, still produces some good quality stuff. There are riding gloves, boots, hoodies, two-piece riding suits, and of course the desirable one piece full leathers. We tried on the latter to see if it’s worth the buzz.

The suit

TBG offers three types of riding gear – Track Breed for track use (duh); ADV Breed for adventure touring; and F Breed, which is more about fashion. The suit we have here is part of Track Breed. And within that there are two options for one-piece leather riding suits. There’s the off-the-shelf variety that can be had in one design but four colour options, and then there’s the fully customised suit. The off-the-shelf variety is more affordable and follows the same sizing pattern as most international brands, and for most riders, it should fit well.

Then there’s the customised variety wherein one can choose the colour and the design – besides personal branding options, in addition to getting the sizing just right. TBG also offers a choice of patches and add-on options for the customised suit like sliders around the shoulder, knee and elbow area to cut down the chances of the suit grabbing against the tarmac when in a slide. Plus, it gives the suit a proper bespoke appeal.

The experience

We tried on the customised variety designed for our sister brand PowerDrift. The suit itself was heavy but TBG says not only did it use the best available leather (1.4mm full grain hide) on this customised suit, but also packed in what is known as SAS-TEC level 2 armour. Now SAS-TEC, something bomb squads use for the sole of their shoes (says TBG), is supposed to have foam with memory (so that the suit returns back to shape after any sort of deformation), the armour is multi impact compliant, it also is CE approved, and has long life and is comfortable.

The fit of the suit meanwhile, even though it wasn’t designed specially for me, was good. The suit comes with pre-curved elbow and knee areas for added comfort; it’s especially useful when riding bikes like the Ninja ZX10R. The suit’s flexible too, so it’s easy to pack into a bag, and then later, one can also put it on without much struggle. There’s also a removable and washable inner liner, and a practical inside pocket.

TBG has also thoughtfully placed some stretch fabric in strategic areas, which allow the rider to move about easily – on the bike or off it. There’s a large perforation area too, which for a climate like ours is a must to aid airflow. Finally, the suit also sports grippy material for the inner thigh area that does help hooking on the motorcycle’s tank.

The pricing

Getting a customised suit involves eight steps according to TBG and it involves everything from discussions regarding design and accessories to manufacturing the suit and finally delivering it home. All in all it can take up to six weeks from start to end.

Now the price. The standard issue, off the shelf race suit from TBG is priced at around Rs 35,000. The customised suit can range from Rs 55,000 for basic requirements to about Rs 75,000 for the fully decked out one. Is it expensive? Well, if you consider the likes of Alpinestars and Dainese costs over Rs 70,000 for their entry-level suits in India, the standard issue TBG clearly is dirt-cheap. The TBG fully customised suit given the good quality leather and claimed protection is a steal as well, especially given the tasty ones from the former two international brands costs in excess of a lakh rupees. But of course, the bragging rights for the homemade aren’t as high.