CE Level II Armor Explained: What Every Rider Needs to Know

Before you buy armoured riding gear, there's one number worth understanding.

CE Level II.

It's printed on labels, listed in product specs, and referenced in every serious gear review. But most riders don't know what it actually means — or why the difference between Level I and Level II matters when you're sliding down asphalt at speed.

Here's what you need to know.

What CE Certification Actually Is

CE stands for Conformité Européenne — a European safety standard that has become the global benchmark for motorcycle protective equipment.

For motorcycle armor, the relevant standards are:

• EN 1621-1 — limb protectors (shoulders, elbows, hips, knees)
• EN 1621-2 — back protectors
• EN 1621-3 — chest protectors

Each standard defines a test method: a weighted striker drops onto the armor from a set height, and the transmitted force is measured. The armor either passes or fails — and the level it achieves determines its rating.

There is no guesswork. No marketing language. Just measured force transmission against a defined threshold.

Level I vs Level II — The Numbers That Matter

Both levels require the armor to pass the same impact test. The difference is how much force is allowed to transmit through to the body.

• CE Level I: Average transmitted force must not exceed 35 kN, with no single reading above 50 kN
• CE Level II: Average transmitted force must not exceed 20 kN, with no single reading above 30 kN

That's a significant gap. Level II armor absorbs substantially more impact energy before it reaches you.

For street riding — where crashes happen at real-world speeds on real-world surfaces — Level II is the standard worth riding in.

Which Body Zones Require Armor

A fully armoured garment covers the zones most exposed in a crash:

• Shoulders — first point of contact in a side impact or fall
• Elbows — instinctive bracing point in any fall
• Hips and knees — critical in low-side and slide-down crashes
• Back — spine protection, rated separately under EN 1621-2

Not every garment covers every zone. When reviewing a product, check which zones are armoured and at what level — a shirt with Level II shoulders but no back armor is a different proposition to a jacket with full Level II coverage.

Why Level II Matters for Street Riding Specifically

Track riding happens in controlled environments with run-off areas, marshals, and medical teams on standby.

Street riding doesn't.

On the street, you're dealing with tarmac, kerbs, barriers, and other vehicles. The impact forces in a street crash are less predictable and often higher than a controlled track fall. Level II armor is designed for exactly this environment — maximum civilian-grade protection in an uncontrolled impact scenario.

We know this firsthand. Our founder was thrown from his bike at over 100 km/h on a motorway. Wearing full CE Level II Elite gear — jacket, joggers, and gloves — he walked away with minor grazes. No bruising. No impact trauma. The armor performed exactly as rated.

That's not marketing. That's the standard working as designed.

How to Verify Armor Rating Before You Buy

Don't take a product description at face value. Here's how to confirm CE Level II certification:

1. Check the armor insert itself — it should be stamped or labelled with the CE mark and level
2. Look for the relevant EN standard number (EN 1621-1 for limbs, EN 1621-2 for back)
3. Confirm the level is stated explicitly — "CE Approved" without a level number is not the same as CE Level II
4. Check whether armor is included or sold separately — some garments are "armor-ready" but ship without inserts

All Two Wheel Appeal Elite garments ship with CE Level II certified armor inserts included. No upgrades required. No separate purchases.

The Bottom Line

CE Level II is not a premium upgrade. It's the standard serious riders should be wearing every time they ride.

The difference between Level I and Level II isn't marginal — it's the difference between armor that meets a minimum threshold and armor that's built to absorb the kind of impact that happens when things go wrong at speed.

Ride in gear that's rated for the worst case. Because the road doesn't give you a warning before it happens.

— Two Wheel Appeal

Shop CE Level II Armoured Gear

• 2WA™ ELITE ARMORED PANTS — CE Level II hip and knee armor, Kevlar-reinforced
• 2WA™ ELITE ARMORED STREET SHIRTS — CE Level II shoulder and elbow armor, street-ready fit
• 2WA™ ELITE ARMORED JACKETS — Full CE Level II coverage, built for the street