Piling on a load of weight over Christmas left me in need of a new set of leathers for an upcoming track day. The problem, I am an awkward size, short and fat, not exactly the shape of a racer. A new 4SR one-piece suit sorted that out. Check out the thoughts on my 4SR James Ellison replica suit review here.
Off the peg size suits can be a maze, trying to find one that fits in all the right places can be a hard task. The alternative is a pair of made to measure leathers, but due to being custom, this pushes the cost up, unfortunately out of my budget.
How have leathers changed in 20 years?
Speaking to Dean Ellison at MCA in Leicester he sorted me out with an off the peg size 44, 4SR one-piece Ellison replica suit. The same suit he uses for his track day coaching, and his younger brother James uses in the British Superbike Championship, except they have custom sizing.
The 4SR One-piece suit is the same as used by world-famous racers!
The Czech companies leathers are becoming more prominent in the UK racing scene with 4SR sponsoring some high profile riders. World Endurance championship rider James Westmoreland, Wee Wizard Alistair Seeley, and Ex-Moto GP, and BSB new boy Hector Barbera are all on the roster.
4SR leathers, make your trackdays better.
With 4SR standing for ‘For Street Racing’ and the companies slogan of ‘making your track days better’. Aimed at racers and track day enthusiasts, it is a racing-style suit packed with features. Built into the suit are a hydration pouch and a lap timer pocket.
Protection is exquisite, with 18 ergo protectors, which look after chest, back, elbows, forearms, knees, hips and tailbone. These are comfortable and don’t feel out of place or obstructive.
Back and chest protection is included on the Ellison replica suit and it’s fully CE approved. Back and chest protection are normally costly extras with other brands like Dainese and Alpinestars suits. The 4SR suit is the same suit the racers wear bar being off the peg sized. The pros suits will have a custom-fitted to their dimensions.
The suit is comfortable to wear both on and off the bike. It has a saggy bottom when walking around, but this allows stretch room when crouched over the tank. Stretch panels are in all the right places allowing excellent flexibility with no restricted movement. Wrist cuffs end with stretch material providing a soft edge allowing ample wrist rotation. The slim profile also makes it easier to tuck into gloves.
The styling and quality of the suit instantly won me over. Being an off the peg size it’s slightly long in the limbs when off the bike, but when riding it’s not noticeable. The more modern suit definitely does feel heavier and bulkier than some other suits, but this comes for the added armour, and protection tailored into the suit. It’s well worth the slightly extra weight.
Quality materials and construction saved me from injury.
The 4SR suit definitely made my track day better. After a low-side and slide down at Donington’s Goddards, (4 Days after buying the suit). The masses of protection and quality materials saved my skin and me from injury, the only lasting damage was a bruised ego
I fell off on the Ron Haslam race school. Read about it here
The suit looks well used, but it’s battle scars are a testament to the fantastic work 4SR put into the suit. Despite looking rough around the edges, the leather has not worn through anywhere and all the stitching remains intact. I am quite happy to continue wearing it, telling the story of my embarrassing off.
Suit prices start at 499 Euros, (£450) up to 1500 Euro (£1350) for a made to measure race suit. The Ellison rep I have been using is 849 Euros (£765) but worth every penny.
Both 1piece and 2 piece suits are available from 4SR, and the company also do a range of armoured jackets, jeans, gloves and casual wear.
Thanks to Dean Ellison from MCA Leicester, for taking the time to size the suit properly, and supplying endless amounts of coffee.
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