The “EN” stands for “European Norm.” You might also notice armor listed as “CE”. The letters “CE” are the abbreviation of the French phrase “Conformité Européene” which literally means “European Conformity”. The term initially used was “EC Mark” and it was officially replaced by “CE Marking” in the Directive 93/68/EEC in 1993. “CE Marking” is now used in all EU official documents. All of this has to do with the European motorcycle safety standards. America has unofficially adopted these standards, but they are not required by law for street use. In contrast, to ride a motorcycle in Europe, you have to have protective apparel that meets these standards. Since April 2018, all motorcycle garments fall under the scope of the PPE regulation, which basically means that if it is sold as protective motorcycle apparel, it’s deemed to be personal protective equipment and should be tested at an official notified body under a strict set of standards to comply with the PPE regulation.
How are CE-standards and PPE related? Very much, actually. Motorcycle clothing (specifically jackets and pants/trousers, notwithstanding gloves, boots, and impact protectors) is grouped into what’s called Personal Protective Equipment – aka PPE. And like your kitchenware or electronics, PPE is governed by their own specific set of rules and regulations depending on how these products are used and how they are classified, and which group/subgroup they fall under. Here’s where it gets quite complicated. The set of standards that “govern” PPE – specifically motorcycle clothing – for leisure use is CE-standard EN 17092, which has now become a harmonized European standard.
Harmonized standard, meaning that it is a recognized throughout the EU as a tool that’s widely accepted for the certification of PPE motorcycle garments. That said, we’ll disclaimer here and say that this is intended to be a general overview of an incredibly complex subject that is both politically and economically charged. The purpose is to help riders understand that even with an arguably imperfect system in place, the CE-certification label/marking does mean something. It means that the garments have been tested to meet at least the minimum safety requirements, so you actually know what it’s intended use is. And that’s Personal Protective Equipment in the form of motorcycle clothing.
A major impetus behind standard EN 17092 coming into play is because of aforementioned reason: to make sure riders actually get something protective when shopping for motorcycle clothing without any prior knowledge of materials, constructions, or test methods. Just because it looks strong, doesn’t make it so in an emergency situation. And just because it feels sturdy, doesn’t make it appropriate to be worn at riding speeds. The application of the EN 17092 standard means that clothing that looks like protective motorcycle gear, actually is protective motorcycle gear!
Linked article provides a good, clear explanation of European safety standards for motorcycle garments. These standards are unofficially used in USA, which otherwise does not have its own standards. Article explains the reasoning behind the standards and how to determine what fits your needs. ABN
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