There has been 12 months, thousands of kilometres of riding, and about 250 metres of sliding down the road since receiving my Alpinestars Atem race suit, and I can say I’ve tested them high above and far beyond the call of duty.

So far the testing regime has involved two very high-speed crashes – racing ASC Supersport at Wakefield Park, plus a perfect binners-double of a highside and lowside, both at MG corner while racing for the Aussie team at the AMCN International Island classic.

To say I’m thankful of having the protection of Alpinestars’ Atem suit, particularly in the Wakefield Park crashes, is the understatement of the century.

Both crashes would have been in excess of 140km/h. They involved sliding up the tarmac for a considerable distance before being tumbled and thrown through air as I hit the disgraceful rubble that constitutes the Wakefield Park run-off areas. Both times I walked away without a scratch, and the leathers were good to go again.

If I were to be picky, I’d say the suit is a little on the heavy side when compared to other high-end race suits made with kangaroo hide, including Alpinestars’ own GP Tech suit. But this is certainly a compromise I’m willing to make knowing my skin is in safe hands, and no one knows racing safety better than Alpinestars.Being a slightly oddly shaped fellow, I often have problems with the fit of off-the-rack clothing. I have notoriously short arms (but shallow pockets) so, as is usual for me, I had to get the arms of these leathers shortened. Other than that, I found them to be a comfortable cut for racing, straight out of the box.

This racer’s baggy-arsed look may not appear overly flattering from the rear, but it all makes sense when you are tucked in behind the bubble at 250km/h.

If, like me, you love living life on the edge of adhesion, eventually you will fall. Like me, just make sure you are in kit you can trust.

1. Hip
Hips are a critical point of impact, particularly in a highside like Youngy’s Phillip Island crash. The CE certified hip protectors in the Atem suit are not only highly effective in impact absorption, they are also extremely good at isolating your skin from the heat generated by sliding on bitumen.

2. Knee
As The Sunscreen Song says: “Be kind to your knees. You’ll miss them when they’re gone”. So look after them with the best kit. The outer shell is designed to slide rather than dig in, saving you from potential fractures, dislocations, muscle and ligament damage.

3. Elbow
The Atem’s elbows also get the anti-friction outer shell to stop potential wrenching injuries, and the inner protectors fully encapsulate the delicate elbow joint. Aramid fibre stretch panels on the inside of the elbows ensure maximum freedom of movement.

4. Forearm
Youngy’s got more forearm scars than you would believe, but his brittle ageing bones have been right-as-rain with the fuller length forearm protectors in the Atem suit. Both sides have copped a pounding, but the stitching, leather and stretch panels have all withstood the punishment.

Sizes: 48-60
Colours: Black/white, black/white/red, white/black/flouro yellow
Price:$1599.95
Supplier: Monza Imports|(03) 8327 8888 | monzaimports.com.au

This article appears in AMCN Vol64 No16