For this Tech Tuesday, maybe we should rename it “Textile Tuesday” because Italian company Virus Power has developed a textile alternative to age-old leather racing suits that are mostly made from cowhide and sometimes kangaroo.
Kangaroos are my favorite animals on earth. I just love the crazy-legged things, even though I know I could suffer a death punch, or worse, a death kick from one of those sweet, gigantic furbabies. So, it definitely caught my attention when I heard about Virus Power‘s armor- and airbag-equipped, fully recyclable racing suits that are 100% free of animal-derived components.
What caught my attention even more is that, in World Superbike, MGM Bonovo Racing Ducati rider Scott Redding is wearing Virus Power’s non-leather racing suits this season.
In an article published in Motorcycle News, Redding said, “For me, it’s the future of motorcycle racing suits, so I’ve taken a chance with it. Comfort-wise, it’s absolutely amazing. I want it to be an elite racing suit, and it’s all made in-house, fantastic.
“When I put it on and rode the bike, I immediately had full range of motion. When I put it on, it was like it had been worn for two races already, it was perfect. It’s so different, and I like that it has no animal products.
“The suit isn’t perforated, and that was a question mark to me, but I wore it in the rain at Jerez, and they told it’s water resistant, and it’s true.”
Manufactured in Italy from a high-strength polyester that scores the highest AAA standards for abrasion and impact protection, Virus Power racing suits are also machine-washable.
With Virus Power suiting up a World Superbike rider this year, as well as riders in the Italian and Spanish national championships, the European Moto2 series, and they will also supply all the suits for the FIM MiniGP World Series Finals, it’s only a matter of time before we see more Virus Power suits on the grid here in MotoAmerica.
Stay tuned. You, too, moo-cows and my beloved kangaroos. Stay tuned.
EDITOR’S NOTE: We received word from BellissiMoto, the U.S. retailer for Virus Power, that rider Jeff Lane did, in fact, wear a Virus Power racing suit in competition during the 2024 Mission Super Hooligan National Championship. Lane purchased his suit from BellissiMoto, and they are also currently available for the 2025 MotoAmerica season.
