Getting your measurements right is the most important step in ordering a custom motorcycle racing suit. Unlike off-the-shelf gear where you guess a size and hope for the best, a custom suit is built around your exact body dimensions. This guide shows you exactly what to measure, how to measure it correctly, and what common mistakes to avoid so your suit fits perfectly from the moment you put it on.
Why Measurements Matter More Than Sizing
Standard motorcycle suit sizing uses generic measurements averaged across thousands of riders. The result is a suit that fits most people adequately — but not any particular person perfectly. Armor sits approximately over the right zones. The arms and legs are approximately the right length.
With a custom suit, armor placement is precise to your body. Your shoulder armor sits exactly over your shoulder joint. Your knee armor covers your knee regardless of whether your legs are long or short relative to your torso. This precision is the entire point of custom construction — and why Teghrix builds every suit from individual measurements rather than size categories.
What You’ll Need
- A soft measuring tape (the kind used for clothing, not metal)
- A second person to help — self-measuring gives inaccurate results on key points
- Fitted clothing to measure over — not loose or baggy
- A notepad or phone to record the numbers as you go
Step-by-Step: The 8 Key Measurements
1. Chest
How to measure: Wrap the tape around the fullest part of your chest, under your armpits. Keep it horizontal. Don’t puff up — breathe normally and measure at rest.
This is the most critical measurement for upper body fit. An incorrect chest measurement affects the shoulder width, armor positioning, and how the suit zips at the front.
2. Waist
How to measure: Measure at your natural waistline — roughly where you’d wear a belt. Keep the tape comfortably snug, not tight.
For one-piece suits this affects how the suit moves when you’re in a riding crouch. For two-piece suits it determines where the connection zip sits on your body.
3. Hips
How to measure: Measure around the widest part of your hips and seat. This is usually 7–9 inches below your natural waist.
Hip measurement determines the fit of the lower section. Too tight here causes restriction when you’re on the bike in a bent position. Too loose means the leather bunches and the knee armor moves off position.
4. Inseam
How to measure: Stand with feet about 15cm apart. Measure from the crotch to the floor along the inside of your leg.
This sets the trouser leg length and, critically, where the knee armor will sit. Riders with a long inseam but short torso need this measured independently — standard sizing never captures this correctly.
5. Shoulder Width
How to measure: Measure across the back from the outer edge of one shoulder to the outer edge of the other. Your helper should hold the tape across your back at shoulder height.
Shoulder width determines where the shoulder armor cups sit. This is one of the most commonly incorrect measurements when people self-measure — always have someone else do this one.
6. Arm Length (Sleeve Length)
How to measure: With your arm slightly bent (simulate a riding position), measure from the shoulder seam point down to your wrist. Do both arms — most people have a slight difference.
A sleeve that’s too short exposes the forearm in a crash. Too long and the elbow armor slides down off your joint. This measurement is measured in riding position, not with your arm hanging straight.
7. Torso Length
How to measure: Measure from the top of your shoulder (where the shoulder seam would sit) straight down to your natural waist.
Torso length is critical for one-piece suits. It determines how the suit proportions around your body when you’re crouched over the bars. Short-torso riders often find off-the-shelf one-piece suits bunch badly at the waist — custom construction eliminates this completely.
8. Height and Weight
Include your overall height and weight as reference points. These don’t override individual measurements but help the construction team sense-check the numbers and flag any unusual combinations before cutting the leather.
Measuring for Riding Position — Not Standing Position
This is the most important concept in custom suit sizing and the one most guides skip entirely.
A motorcycle racing suit is not worn standing up. It’s worn crouched over fuel tank, weight forward, arms reaching for bars, knees bent around the tank. This changes how the suit needs to fit compared to a suit fitted standing upright.
When you measure sleeve length, bend your arm to simulate the position your elbow is in when you’re gripping the bars. When you measure torso length, understand that your back will be stretched in the riding position — a suit that fits standing up may be too short across the back at speed.
At Teghrix we account for riding position in our construction pattern. But having measurements taken in a slightly forward, bent position gives us the most accurate starting point.
Common Measuring Mistakes to Avoid
- Measuring over thick clothes — always measure over a t-shirt or similar fitted layer
- Measuring chest while holding a breath — measure at normal rest
- Self-measuring shoulder width — always get someone else to do this
- Measuring sleeve length with arm straight — bend it to riding position
- Rounding numbers down — if you’re between measurements, go with the larger
Submitting Your Measurements to Teghrix
Once you have all 8 measurements noted, you’re ready to order. Add your chosen suit to the cart and you’ll be prompted to enter your measurements during checkout. If you have any questions about a specific measurement or aren’t sure you’ve taken it correctly, contact us before ordering and we’ll walk you through it.
Production starts after we confirm your measurements and design choices. Turnaround is 3–4 weeks. Free worldwide shipping on orders above $1,000.
→ Ready to measure up and order your custom suit? Visit the Teghrix size guide page or browse our full range of custom motorcycle racing suits.