Best two-piece motorcycle touring suits | MCN's top tested touring jacket and trouser sets

Thinking of loading your adventure bike or sports tourer up and heading out on an amazing adventure, but not sure what you need to wear? A two-piece motorcycle touring suit offers versatility with great protection, warmth and waterproofing for riding long distances in comfort on your touring bike. You have the option of zipping the two pieces together or you can match the jacket or trousers with other garments, such as a pair of jeans.

When touring by motorbike, there are huge demands placed on your clothing and choosing the right textile motorcycle touring suit to cope with that is an important decision. It needs to keep you warm in case you encounter cold conditions; dry in case of the inevitable rainstorms or showers that can affect almost any ride; dry quickly in case you do get rained on so that you don’t start the next section of the ride in wet clothing; allow you to cool down in case the weather takes a turn for the better and, of course, keep you fully protected while you’re on the bike in case things don’t go to plan. This way you shouldn’t need to have a full set of summer kit and winter kit in your kit packing list, as your suit should cover you for most eventualities.

What to look for in a two-piece touring suit

When buying a two-piece motorcycle touring suit it can be a good idea to choose top and bottoms from the same manufacturer this way the jacket and trousers are designed to work together and will usually have zips that can join the two to prevent gaping at the back, for example or to increase their security in use. The jacket and trousers will also have similar warmth and dryness characteristics and should offer similar levels of protection top and bottom. On a pure vanity point, they also match and look cohesive with the same colouring and fabrics.

As with any motorcycle clothing, you should be looking for what CE rating they have been awarded. When it comes to the overall rating of the garments, this is depicted by a letter system; B, A, AA and AAA, with the latter being the highest rating for protection.

Similarly, with armour, this can either be CE Level-1 or the better Level-2 which absorbs more energy in an impact and hence, protects you better. Also look for a back protector with the jacket or at least a pocket for one, alternatively you could opt for a standalone back protector that can be worn under all jackets. Ideally you are looking for hip protectors and knee armour in the trousers and trouser legs that will fit over boots so that if it rains, the water doesn’t run straight into your boots.

Other features to look in motorcycle touring suits for are a detachable thermal liner, to keep you warm when it’s chilly but also you want to be able to remove it when the sun pops out and warms things up. For the same reason you will want zipped vents so that you can allow additional airflow in when it’s warm but zip them shut in poorer conditions.

Having a few good sized pockets is always useful particularly on a long tour, for places to stash wallets or cards for tolls, ideally these pockets will be waterproof too, no one wants soggy pockets. Most Jackets will offer a couple of external pockets and additional pockets internally to allow you to have lots of options.

The overall construction is important too; if you can afford a proper laminated outfit, then this should help shed water instead of absorbing it and increasing its weight. The jacket will also be cut longer than say a sports-style version to prevent gaping at the small of the back and offer greater protection from the elements.

Here are some of our favourite two-piece motorcycle touring suits

Frequently asked questions

Why do I need a textile suit for touring?

Strictly speaking you don’t necessarily need a textile two piece suit for touring, you could tour in any motorcycle gear of your choice, be it a sports leather jacket or a retro wax jacket, but life is definitely made easier on a long tour if you have versatile, practical kit with you to tackle all weather conditions.

How do I look after my touring suit to give it the best life span?

If your textiles get grubby it can make them less effective but clogging up the breathability and hold onto water. You will need to wash your gear with a special tech wash for this type of clothing, once you have washed it, you should then treat it with a re proofing solution. See our full textile washing and care page.

What should I wear with my two-piece suit to be completely prepared?

Being prepared for a tour in really important for making sure you have the best time you can. You will want to pair your suit with a good pair of multi-season waterproof motorcycle gloves and touring boots. You want to ensure that your packing kit list covers you for as many situations as possible, this allows you to relax and have more fun on your trip.

How MCN tests touring motorcycle suits

At MCN, our team of expert journalists have decades of experience gained over hundreds of thousands of miles. We don’t usually test our touring two-piece suits to destruction; we use them exactly how you do, in the real world and in all conditions, while also being on top of the key safety regulations. That means we can deliver impartial buying advice you can rely on.

Each of our writers has an in-depth understanding of the needs of today’s biker… because they are one, and regularly test and review summer kit.

To find out if a touring two-piece suit is worth spending your money on, our testers use them in the way you will. That means riding in them in whichever conditions they are designed for, which in this case means all conditions.

We test against various criteria such as the weight of the products, its venting, any thermal liners and waterproof membranes, how it performs stationary in traffic as well as travelling at motorway speeds, and of course, which safety ratings they adhere to.

This allows us to give a full overview of which areas each product performs well in. We asses how the products fit; are they true to size, and they comfortable to wear while riding but also off the bike too? Do the products feel like the level of quality matches up to the price, or does it exceed in this area?

If you can’t see a review against an item on this page, it’s because we haven’t tested it yet. These items will only be included if we think they’re important and relevant in the market, and rest assured, we will be working on bringing you a review as soon as we’ve done the miles.

To find out more, head to our dedicated page explaining how we test motorcycle products.

What our star ratings mean

When we review a product, we award it a score out of five. In the ratings tab of a given product, you may also find more specific scores for the different aspects of a product’s performance to help you make an informed decision. Here’s a guide to what each number score means:

• 1 star – Poor performance in this category or overall. A product with a single star rating has fallen below the expected standard and should be avoided.
• 2 stars – Basic performance in this area or overall. A product with a two-star rating has managed to perform to a barely acceptable level and there is room for improvement.
• 3 stars – An average performance in this area or overall. A product with a three-star rating has achieved a basic level of performance and is deemed adequate.
• 4 stars – A product has performed over and above the accepted averaged in this category or overall. A product with a four-star rating has surpassed expectation and delivered in a particularly impressive way.
• 5 stars – A product has performed at the highest possible level in a particular category or overall. A product with a five-star rating has delivered to the highest possible level, impressing the tester with its performance. We would happily spend our own money on it.

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