All European Sold Motorcycle Gear To Be Certified
Posted by Mike Werner on Oct 4th 2016
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| Until now, all vital motorcycle gear (helmets, boots, gloves and insert impact protectors) needed to be certified (the good old “CE” label - Conformité Européenne or European Conformity) if they were to be sold in Europe. These items undergo strict testing before being certified, so when you buy a helmet certified in Europe, you know that at least it will protect your grey matter in case of an accident. |
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| But now the European Parliament wants to go a major step further: they want ALL gear sold for motorcycles to be certified! |
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| This means jackets, trousers, socks and yes, even bandanas. But if you think about it, would you ride with a bandana on your head that can inflame at a moment’s notice? Or would you prefer something more reliable? |
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| But what does this really mean? First fear is that all motorcycle gear will become more expensive, since the manufacturer will be required to undergo testing and submit all the obvious paperwork. |
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| On the other hand, motorcycle clothing will become more “sure”. You know you can depend on anything that has the “CE” label…. Or can you? |
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| The issue here is dependability. The European authorities will ensure that the testing is adequate and done right. But if you are about to buy some motorcycle gear and you’re looking for the “CE” label, who is to say that that specific product has been approved? In today’s age of fakes and replicas it’s not going to be easy to see through the maze of falsies… But then again, today you can’t see anything at all. You just have to depend on reviews and word-to-mouth. So it’s one additional measure to ensure that you can survive an accident. |
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| Anyway, do not start looking for the “CE” labels on those biker socks you are about to buy for the upcoming winter riding. This was just the first salvo shot by the European Parliament. It’s going to be years before we actually get to see this pass as a law. And then there will be no law “forcing” you to use only “CE” certified gear. If you want to use a low cost, badly designed and probably lethal piece of gear, go just ahead. |
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