Your jacket is the second-most important thing you put on. Only the lid ranks higher. We stock over 140 motorcycle jackets across leather, textile, mesh, waterproof and Kevlar, from DriRider, Rjays, MotoDry, Merlin, Oxford and our own Shark Leathers range, priced from a $129 Shark Idle up to a $1,250 full leather tourer. Built for Australian weather, from a Darwin summer to a Melbourne winter to that one Coffs Harbour downpour nobody saw coming. Where a jacket has been independently tested to EN 17092, the class is listed in the product specs. Untested jackets do not carry a class. Shop by type: leather jackets, textile jackets, summer mesh jackets, waterproof jackets, Kevlar hoodies. Every motorbike jacket ships free Australia-wide over $200 from our Gold Coast warehouse.
Shark Blank Protective Hoodie Black
Shark Single Layer Protective Hoodie
Shark Blank Protective Hoodie White
Shark Summer Cruise Jacket Black
Shark Ladies Elenore Jacket Black
Shark Ladies Summer Cruise Jacket - Black
Oxford Rainseal Over Jacket - Black
Shark Ladies Venture Pro Jacket
Leather vs textile: what Shark actually stocks
Two material families, two different jobs. Pick by the riding you do, not the look on the mannequin.
Leather motorcycle jackets ($399 to $1,250) still hold the abrasion benchmark. 1.2mm to 1.4mm cowhide is the working standard, which is what you want under you on bitumen at 100km/h.
- Merlin Alton Leather, 1.2mm cowhide, removable thermal liner, RRP $499.95 (in stock).
- Merlin Alton II D3O Leather, D3O armour shoulder and elbow, RRP $599.95 (in stock).
- Merlin Ridge Leather Cotec, waxed cotton over cowhide, RRP $599.95 (in stock).
- Berik Strada, race-styled sport leather, RRP $399.95 (in stock).
- Berik Monza, perforated race leather, RRP $699.95 (in stock).
- Shark Faction Jacket (Shark own-brand), cafe-racer leather cut to our spec, RRP from $499.00 (in stock).
Trade-off on leather: hot above 30 degrees ambient, heavier than textile by 500g to 900g, and expensive to replace after a crash. That last bit is the point of leather.
Textile motorcycle jackets ($129 to $699) are what most Australian riders should buy first. Modern textile with a laminated membrane and CE Level 2 armour protects you as well as mid-tier leather in most road crashes, and it handles weather leather cannot.
- MotoDry Rallye 2, 3-season all-weather textile, RRP $319.95 (in stock).
- Merlin Wishaw D3O, laminated waterproof tourer, RRP $699.95 (in stock).
- Merlin Chigwell Utility, urban textile with full D3O armour, RRP $499.95 (in stock).
- Merlin Shenstone II D3O, all-rounder with full Level 1 armour, RRP $449.95 (in stock).
- Merlin Stockton, waxed-cotton retro tourer with armour pockets, RRP $599.95 (in stock).
- Shark Maverick Jacket (Shark own-brand), 3-season textile with CE Level 2 back armour included, RRP $259.95 (in stock).
- Shark Venture Pro Jacket (Shark own-brand), adventure-cut textile with removable thermal liner, RRP $429.00 (in stock).
- Shark Idle Jacket (Shark own-brand), entry 3-season textile, RRP $129.00 (in stock).
Trade-off on textile: membrane jackets run warm above 28 degrees, and the cheapest jackets in this list (below $200) carry Class A abrasion rather than AA. Read the sticker before the price tag.
Kevlar-lined hoodies sit in their own category, not quite a jacket. Shark Blank Protective Hoodie at RRP $249.95 and the Shark Single Layer at RRP $179.95 carry aramid-fibre linings for slow-speed abrasion on the daily commute. Full range on the hoodies page.
Safety: EN 17092 classes and CE Level 1 vs Level 2 armour
Most riders cannot read a motorcycle jacket label. Two numbers matter. Get those right, worry about the rest later.
EN 17092 is the European standard for motorcycle clothing. It measures how long the fabric resists an abrasive test surface before it wears through, not a km/h rating. Three classes matter on this page:
- Class AAA is the top abrasion tier. Race suits and premium leather tourers. Built to protect at track-day speeds.
- Class AA is the mid-high tier. Most 3-season textile jackets on this page sit here. Strong all-round abrasion for road use up to highway speeds.
- Class A is the entry tier. Designed for urban commuter speeds under 80km/h. Lightweight mesh jackets and Kevlar hoodies live here.
Kevlar and aramid panels are not the same as an EN 17092 class. Kevlar is a brand of aramid fibre. A hoodie can carry a full aramid lining and still only certify to Class A, because Class A is what the abrasion test returned. The lining is the material. The class is the result. Buy on the class, not the lining.
Armour is certified separately under EN 1621.
- CE Level 1 cuts impact force transferred to your body to under 18kN on limb armour (EN 1621-1) and back protectors (EN 1621-2).
- CE Level 2 cuts it to under 9kN. Half the force on the same crash. On a back protector, that is the difference between a bruise and a vertebral fracture.
Most jackets in the Shark range ship with CE Level 1 shoulder and elbow armour included, and a pocket ready for a Level 2 back protector. The back-armour upgrade costs around $60 to $120 and is the single highest-return safety upgrade you can make on a sub-$500 jacket. If the product page says "armour pocket" rather than "armour included", factor the armour into your budget.
Where tested, EN 17092 class is listed on the product page. If a competitor jacket does not list its class, treat that as a red flag. A real motorcycle jacket sold in Australia in 2026 without an EN 17092 class is either older stock pre-2020, badged wrong, or not certified at all.
Our standard. Our family started Shark Leathers after Matthew crashed in 2007, at 19, and was left a quadriplegic. Nearly twenty years on, every jacket we stock gets judged the same way. Would we put it on one of our own? Full story on our about page.
Pick your jacket by riding type, not brand
Four honest use-cases. Pick the one that matches what you actually ride, not what sits in the shed.
Daily commuter, 20 to 60 minutes each way. You want a 3-season textile with AA class, fixed waterproof membrane, and CE Level 1 armour at the shoulder and elbow with a Level 2 back pocket. MotoDry Rallye 2 ($319.95), Shark Maverick ($259.95), Merlin Shenstone II D3O ($449.95). Not as cool as mesh in a Brisbane summer, not as warm as a winter tourer, but you only need one jacket.
Weekend tourer, 300km-plus days. Laminated waterproof shell, vented zips, pocket for a Level 2 back protector. Merlin Wishaw D3O ($699.95), Merlin Sayan Laminated D3O ($649.95), Shark Venture Pro ($429.00). These cost more because the membrane is laminated into the outer shell rather than clipped in as a liner. You feel the difference at hour three of sideways rain.
Track-day and cafe-racer rider. Leather, AAA class where you can get it, CE Level 2 armour throughout. Berik Monza ($699.95), Merlin Alton II D3O Leather ($599.95), Shark Faction (from $499.00). Leather is the right material here. Textile track suits exist, but leather still wins on abrasion per dollar at race speeds.
Urban commuter, under 30 minutes, slow and stop-start. Honestly, a Kevlar-lined hoodie does the job most days. Shark Blank Protective Hoodie ($249.95), Merlin Stockton for the waxed-cotton version ($599.95). Know what they are. Class A abrasion, not AA. Slow-speed tip-overs and coffee runs, not the M1 at 110km/h.
Jacket comparison, tier by tier
| Tier | Stocked example | Shark own-brand pick | Outer | Armour | RRP band | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry textile | MotoDry Rallye 2 | Shark Idle | 600D polyester + clip-in liner | CE L1 shoulder + elbow | $129 to $339 | L/P riders, short commute |
| 3-season textile | Merlin Shenstone II D3O | Shark Maverick | Polyester + fixed membrane | CE L1 shoulder + elbow, L2 back pocket | $259 to $449 | Daily commuter, all-rounder |
| Waterproof tourer | Merlin Wishaw D3O | Shark Venture Pro | Laminated waterproof shell | CE L1 throughout, L2 back optional | $429 to $699 | Wet-weather commuter, 300km+ tours |
| Adventure | Merlin Chigwell Utility | Shark Venture Pro | 3-layer waterproof + cargo | CE L1 throughout | $429 to $499 | ADV, dual-sport, multi-day trips |
| Road leather | Merlin Alton II D3O Leather | Shark Faction | 1.2 to 1.4mm cowhide | CE L2 armour | $499 to $699 | Cafe racer, weekend riding |
| Sport / race leather | Berik Monza | N/A (see race suits) | Perforated cowhide | CE L2 armour | $599 to $1,250 | Track days, sport riding |
| Kevlar-lined hoodie | Merlin Stockton (waxed cotton) | Shark Blank Protective Hoodie | Cotton + aramid lining | Armour pockets, armour sold separately | $179 to $599 | Urban commute, coffee runs |
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a waterproof motorcycle jacket in Australia?
If you commute, yes. If you only ride fair-weather weekends, probably not. Waterproof textile jackets run hot above 28 degrees and the membrane adds weight. A 3-season textile with a fixed membrane is the flexible middle option for most Australian riders. A clip-in liner that lives in the drawer is worse than no liner, because you never put it on when it starts raining.
Leather or textile for a first motorcycle jacket?
Textile. More forgiving in heat, cheaper to replace if you drop the bike in a driveway, and a modern Class AA textile with CE Level 2 armour protects as well as most road leather in most crashes. Buy leather for your second jacket once you know the riding you actually do. A new rider on a $900 race leather is almost always a mismatch.
What is the difference between CE Level 1 and Level 2 armour?
Level 1 cuts the impact force transferred to your body to under 18kN. Level 2 cuts it to under 9kN. Half the force on the same crash. The difference is often a deep bruise (Level 1) versus a fracture avoided (Level 2). Back protectors are the single highest-return upgrade from Level 1 to Level 2, and most jackets ship with an empty pocket ready for one.
What is a Kevlar-lined hoodie actually good for?
Daily commute, coffee runs, slow-speed tip-overs in a car park. Aramid-fibre abrasion protection in a garment that does not scream motorcycle gear at the office. Class A territory, not an AA or AAA textile jacket equivalent. The Shark Blank Protective Hoodie at $249.95 and Merlin Stockton at $599.95 both carry aramid linings, but neither is a replacement for a proper textile jacket at highway speed.
How should a motorcycle jacket fit?
Snug across the chest and shoulders with armour in place, not loose. Loose armour moves in a crash and stops protecting the joint it was meant to cover. Sleeves should reach your wrist bone when you are sitting in a riding position, not standing at the till. Try the jacket on leaned forward, elbows bent, the way you actually ride, not stood up straight in the shop.
Does the brand of my motorcycle jacket need to match my bike?
No. The jacket needs to match your riding, not your bike. A commuter on a superbike needs a 3-season textile more than a race suit. A tourer on a cruiser needs a waterproof more than a leather. Pick the jacket by the job it does on the roads you actually ride, not the colour that matches the tank.