An Affordable, Quality Motorcycling Suit
Sedici’s Corsa is a one piece, track focused set of leathers with an attractive price tag. Costs for one piece race suits can easily reach four figures, scaring away customers looking to head to the track or who want the full protection a one piece suit offers for any aggressive riding situation. The Corsa addresses that problem with a $599.99 price tag and substantial protection and features, but that price comes with a disclaimer. More on that later.
Cowhide thickness on the Corsa ranges from 1.2mm to 1.3mm with double or triple stitched seams while a second layer of leather covers typical abrasion zones in the seat, hips, thighs and knees. CE level 2 soft armor is located in the shoulders, elbows, and knees supplemented by plastic sliders in each of those areas. Polyurethane elbow sliders, if you want to go full Marc Marquez, are replaceable and the plastic impact protection at the shoulders is vented for comfort. TPU protects the seam on the outside of the elbow, a thoughtful detail since I have experienced stitching failure on this spot during previous pavement slides.
Polyurethane elbow sliders are replaceable with two screws.
All of this protection sounds uncomfortable, but the Sedici Corsa also abounds with comfort features. The entire suit has a mesh zip out liner that can be removed and washed to keep funky smells at bay after a sweaty track session. While this slick mesh liner makes donning and doffing the suit easier, I still recommend an undersuit for odor control, heat management and ease of use. I wear a Moto-D undersuit and like its cooling effect, comfort stretch and manageable price.
Neoprene fabric on the back of the neck aids comfort and eliminates chafing.
Neoprene lining on the neck and cuff add to the comfort and keep skin abrasion to a minimum while seamless stretch panels on the inside of the arms and groin help aid mobility on the bike. Accordion leather panels start at the seat and follow along the upper back to the rib cage for flexibility and expansion room for possible airbag deployment if you use one.
At 6’2” and 200 lbs with wide shoulders I fit into a size 46 comfortably. As a rider who uses a lot of body movement on the bike I appreciated not only the flexibility of the stretch panels on the crotch but also the grip from the TPR on the inside of the knees and silicone overlaid forearms. Feel and grip on these anchor points are essential for me and I appreciated the bike connection and feel the Corsa suit provided.
Grippers on the inside of the forearm provide positive contact with the gas tank on full lean, a feature I appreciated. Gloves are Sedici Chicane.
However, there are a few changes I would like to see in the Sedici Corsa suit. Being a taller rider, I need more stretch from the Sedici Corsa in a full tuck. When in a race crouch, the suit pulled on my shoulders, increasing fatigue. Being tall, I need more stretch when leaned over than most, more stretch than the Corsa could provide. This could be remedied by reorienting the accordion panels along the lower back to run horizontally instead of their current diagonal direction. Accordion panels provide the most stretch at a right angle to their orientation, so this tweak in their orientation would likely cure the problem. My height likely exacerbated this problem and it may not be an issue for shorter riders.
Accordion panels at the seat provide for stretch at full tuck. The crease in the leather is a sign that I could use more stretch. Changing the accordions to a horizontal orientation would provide the expansion a taller rider like me needs.
One of the outstanding features of the Sedici Corsa suit is it’s price tag of $599.99. I even found it on sale (at the time of this writing) for $479.99, cheaper than an emergency room bill. There are few, if any, suits that provide this much protection at this price tag.
The price is offset by the Sedici Corsa not including a back protector. There is not even a pocket for a back protector. So while the suit is wallet friendly, you must make an additional purchase for standalone spine protection or an airbag vest. And no, the speed hump is not spine protection. Sedici offers the Corsa as standalone jacket and pants and in this offering, the jacket has a pocket for, in fact comes equipped with, a back protector. Go figure. Do not do any serious riding or take to the track in this suit without investing in spine protection.
Elastic stretch panels along the inside of the legs and down the back of the calfs provide room to move. Zippers along the back of the calf provide expansion if needed.
Fortunately, the Corsa suit and it’s recent $120 markdown leave budget room to purchase good spine protection, but this could affect sizing. When trying on the Corsa, or any suit really, check for fit while wearing your chosen spine protector. I wear the Racing Ultra Light Level 2 spine protector from 4SR and like it’s light weight and comfort, but you choose a spine protector or airbag that works for you. I would also add a chest protector for track use, because cracked ribs are a pain, literally.
Serious racetrack grade protection at $599.99 (or $479.99 on sale as I write this) is stellar. If Sedici modified the accordion stretch panels in the lower back to run horizontally and provided CE level 2 spine protection, this suit would be impossible to beat.
Ted
*For more on the Sedici Corsa One Piece Race/Track Suit, click here:
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