I will start by saying that I am in no way associated with Jackson Racing or any of it's employees, nor did I recieve any discount or other benefit from writing this review!
My hunt for a full leather suit began on this very website with a question to all of you knowledgeable people - where can a 6'5" bloke get a custom made suit without paying ridiculous amounts of money?? One of the many answers I recieved was Jackson Racing (www.jacksonracing.com.au). I had never heard of this company before but checked out their website and opened up a dialogue with Martin Harvey who was most friendly and helpful. I ended up ordering a custom suit from him. The range of options for colours/styles/lettering etc. is vast but I went with an existing design that Martin suggested. After downloading the measurement requirements from the website I measured myself. I sent of my measurements to Martin and he promptly replied telling me that my measuring was sh*t and to have another crack. Sure enough it was - looking back I should have paid a tailor to measure me - but I was determined to get it right myself. Martin finally accepted my measurements (after about the 4th time) and the suit was underway. My final specs were:
2 piece, zip together
Race style close fit
Back hump
All of the usual (double stitching, YKK zips)
CE armour for knees, elbows, shoulders and hips
Velcro pocket for small removeable back protector
Room for strap on full length back protector with small protector removed (can be tight while this is on as will be used for track only)
Nylon mesh lining with internal pocket
Stretch panels in usual spots, back of knee, top of pants etc
Pant legs to go inside boots
Torso and thigh panel to be perforated leather
Velcro kneeslider attachments
No logos
After a mere 4 weeks or so (standard build time is 6 weeks I think) I had my suit.
I have since done 1 trackday on the Gixxer in it as well as quite a few spirited rides on the motard and I couldn't be happier. The suit is very snug fitting yet as soon as I click into the riding 'zone' I forget I'm even wearing it. The first time I wore it I spent a whole day at the track and did a ton of laps in it with no discomfort whatsoever. The leather is top quality and very soft - comparable to my Dainese Santa Monica jacket - and I have complete faith in it's ability to save my skin during a race-pace off. The CE armour is adequate but is easily removeable - I think I will upgrade it to some Forcefield armour (because I like to wear the best gear I can all the time) but I'm sure it would provide decent protection in a crash nonetheless.
Overall I highly recommend Jackson Racing to anyone looking for a custom suit, jacket or pants. My suit cost about $1200 and relative to what that sort of cash will buy me 'off the shelf' I reckon it's worth every cent.
Edit: By the way if you're wondering about colour coordination I'm a diehard St Kilda supporter (AFL)
My full list of trackday gear is:
Jackson Racing Suit
Alpinestars GP Pro Gloves
Gaerne GRS Boots
Forcefield L2 Pro Back Protector
Arai Vector helmet
During a CBD commute the suit is replaced with Dainese jacket and Draggins - all the other gear remains on.
Jackson Racing 2pc Suit
