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Independent and unpaid. I paid for this Tangsung custom suit myself in Indonesia - no freebie, no sponsorship, no maker brief. Get in touch if I have missed anything. How I review.
Tangsung custom race suit - crash tested
- Protection4.5/5
- Comfort and fit2.5/5
- Value for money5.0/5
- Build quality and durability4.5/5
- Style4.0/5
- Price paid
- ~Rp 5,000,000 IDR to Bali (about A$500)
- Maker
- Tangsung Racing (Indonesia)
- My use
- Owned since 2024; Bangli + Mandalika; crashed at ~80 km/h
- Fit ordered
- Race fit (Tech-Air 10 under; maker told about airbag)
Best for: riders who want a true made-to-measure one-piece without big-brand money - especially if you can vet the maker at the circuit and you pick the fit you actually like (relaxed vs race) with all your under-layers on.
Pros
- Held up through an ~80 km/h slide on my backside - leather not punctured, zips and stitching intact; Tech-Air 10 inflated fine under it
- True made-to-measure process with professional measuring in Bali and Alpinestars-style custom design
- About five million IDR shipped to Bali, with interior armour, back padding, knee sliders and a free undersuit
- Maker often at Mandalika track days - after a crash you can hand the suit over at the circuit; they repair it and ship it back
Cons
- Race fit was still too tight for me with a Tech-Air 10 underneath, even though the maker knew about the airbag
- No CE / AAA label on this suit
- One to two months from order to delivery
- I should have ordered relaxed fit - that option was there and I did not take it
I had a made-to-measure leather race suit built by Tangsung Racing in Indonesia. I was measured up in Bali in August 2024, then wore it at Bangli and Mandalika. On the Mandalika day, the front locked at around 80 km/h. I went off the side of the bike, and I slid down the track on my backside for what felt like five to ten very long seconds. My Tech-Air 10 inflated. The suit took the inflation without drama. I got up uninjured. Nothing punched through the leather.
Welcome to my custom race suit review. This one is crash-tested for real. I cover the order, the measuring form, the race-fit preference call, and what the leather did when I hit the deck. Let’s dive into the review.
Key points
- Protection: crashed at about 80 km/h - leather held, Tech-Air 10 inflated under the suit, I walked away.
- Fit: race fit with airbag was still too tight for my preference; relaxed was on the form and I should have taken it.
- Value for money: about Rp 5,000,000 IDR to Bali with armour, back padding, knee sliders and a free undersuit - a fraction of entry and mid-level Dainese or Alpinestars one-piece money.
- Repair: Tangsung often attends Mandalika track days, so a crashed suit can go back to the maker at the circuit for repair and ship-back.
Why trust this review
My experience with this suit
- I own this suit and paid for it myself - Tangsung custom, measured in Bali August 2024
- Two Indonesia track outings: Bangli training, then Mandalika, where I crashed
- Inspected the leather after an ~80 km/h backside slide with Tech-Air 10 inflated
How I evaluate race suits
- Fit on the bike with everything you will wear underneath - airbag included
- What the leather and stitching do in a real slide, not a marketing claim
- Whether the maker is actually at the circuit after a tip-over, replace budget, and honest fit preference
Why I went custom in Indonesia
Cost was part of it, and not the biggest part.
Tangsung Racing builds a lot of custom suits for riders at Mandalika and for the domestic Indonesian racing scene. I had already watched those suits go down the road with someone inside them. After crashes, I spoke with the riders. They were unhurt. A lot of the local riders swore by the suits. They had crashed in them before and walked away. Often those Tangsung leathers looked better afterwards than the entry and mid-level Dainese and Alpinestars kit I watched open up on international riders at the same circuits.
I had also had a low-speed Mandalika crash earlier in a Tangsung suit that did not get punctured. When you see that with your own eyes, and you talk to the bloke who just stood up, the brand-snob story gets thinner.
There was a design reason too. I like the Alpinestars design language and I wanted that look with a few of my own changes. The specific Alpinestars suit I was after was not for sale in Indonesia, so custom got me the look instead of waiting on stock that was never coming. The finished suit wears my mrxrides branding across the back.
The last reason was repairs. Tangsung are often at Mandalika track days. If you tip over, you can hand the suit to them at the circuit. They repair it and ship it back. I have not used that loop on this particular crash yet, so treat it as the process on offer rather than a repair job I have already collected. Knowing it exists still mattered when I ordered.
How does the measuring and ordering work?
Tangsung sent a clear measurement form. I took that form to a local suit tailoring shop in Bali and had a professional tailor follow their requirements so the measurements were taken properly, not guessed at home. The sheet in my folder is dated 3 August 2024: 183 cm, 85 kg, body-fit type on the form, with back protector and airbag options noted. I told them I planned to wear an airbag under the suit so that could be factored in.
From locking the order and measurements through to the suit landing in Bali took about one to two months. That wait is a real con if you need kit next week. For roughly five million Indonesian rupiah, including shipping to Bali - around the A$500 mark depending on the rate that week - I got the suit with interior armour, back padding, knee sliders and a free undersuit.
Race fit, Tech-Air 10, and what I got wrong
Tangsung offered relaxed, regular and race fit on the order form. I went race fit. It was the first race-fit suit I had owned.
I did tell the maker I would wear an Alpinestars Tech-Air 10 underneath, and they factored that in. The race fit was still simply too tight for me with the airbag on. I picked a fit I did not actually like. I prefer a more relaxed suit, and relaxed was sitting there as an option the whole time.
It did loosen up a bit after the Bangli training day. At Mandalika it was still too tight for my liking. Maybe more break-in would have helped a touch. I do not think more break-in would have turned it into the suit I wanted. Preference is preference. Next custom suit gets ordered relaxed, especially with the airbag staying under it.
Before this one-piece, I owned a Dainese Avro two-piece. That was more of a relaxed fit. When I bought it off the rack, I made sure I tried it on with a back protector and with everything I planned to wear underneath. Without the back protector, it felt a bit loose. With the back protector in, or with the airbag on, it sat right. The off-the-rack lesson: never buy a suit without trying it on first, and never try it on empty. Put on the airbag, the back protector, the base layers - the lot - before you hand over money. An ill-fitting suit on a track day can wreck the day and put people off track riding. I see riders skip that step constantly.
Bangli, Mandalika, and the crash
Two track outings on this exact suit so far. Bangli first for training. Then Mandalika, where I crashed.
That Mandalika outing is the one that matters. Front lock at around 80 km/h, off the side, backside down the track for what felt like five to ten seconds. The bit I had not lived through on the earlier low-speed tip-over: the Tech-Air 10 went off hard under the leather, the suit took the inflation without fighting me, and I stood up uninjured with the suit still shut.
Did the suit survive the crash?
I went over the suit afterwards. Leather not punctured. Some logos and surface graphics chewed up. No stitching let go. No holes. No broken zips. Tech-Air 10 had inflated underneath and the suit had room to do that without fighting me. One real slide, one body, airbag under the leather. That is the data point I have.
Tangsung often attends local Mandalika track days. Crash, and you can hand the suit to them at the circuit. They take it away, repair it, and ship it back. I have not used that loop on this particular crash yet.
Custom vs off-the-rack
I am not scoring a current flagship Alpinestars one-piece I have owned for years. I have owned Dainese before - the Avro two-piece - and I have lived with how off-the-rack fit works when you try it on properly. What I have on this Tangsung is seat time, one hard crash, paddock eyes, and conversations with riders who walked away from their own crashes in the same maker’s kit.
| Factor | Tangsung custom (this suit) | Off-the-rack (my Dainese Avro + paddock) | AU custom (next path) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fit | Made to my measurements; race fit too tight for my taste with Tech-Air 10 | Avro worked when tried on with back protector / airbag; empty it felt loose | Not ordered yet - I will pick relaxed and confirm airbag bulk |
| Crash evidence | My ~80 km/h slide; leather held; airbag inflated OK | Watched mixed results on other riders; locals swore by Tangsung after walking away | Not on my body yet |
| Money (this buy) | ~Rp 5M IDR to Bali | Usually a lot more for big-brand ready-to-wear | AU pricing; still often under flagship OTR |
| Certification | No CE/AAA on this suit | Common on current big-brand kits | Crux has publicly posted AAA CE on custom work - external example only |
| Repair after a tip-over | Hand the suit to the maker at Mandalika track days; they repair and ship it back | Brand service - slower if you are overseas | Local maker relationship (when I do it) |
Choose a trusted custom suit if
You can vet the maker, you want true MTM design, you care about crash leather and circuit-side repair access, and you will pick the fit option you actually like.
Choose off-the-rack if
You already fit the chart when tried on with full under-layers, you need a CE/AAA label now, and you can buy from a shop that lets you suit up properly before you pay.
Does it have CE / AAA certification?
This Tangsung suit does not wear a CE or AAA badge. If your club, insurer, or personal rule set demands labelled kit, that is a real gap. I still bought it because I had watched the product category survive crashes at Mandalika, spoken with riders who walked away, and then crashed this suit myself.
The certification story is also moving. In Australia, Crux Leathers has publicly posted about AAA CE certification on their custom race suits. That does not certify my Indonesian suit. It does mean custom and labelled protection are not permanent opposites. For the garment standards framework used across the industry, see CEN-CENELEC European standardization and the EN 17092 motorcycle clothing family.
I am not claiming Tangsung matches what Alpinestars and Dainese pour into their flagship suits. A suit at this money was never going to. What I am saying is the entry and mid-level off-the-rack gear I watched fail at these circuits sometimes looked worse afterwards than the local custom stuff, at a fraction of the price. If you ride track days often enough to think about fit, repair access, and what a replacement costs, custom done carefully is often the better buy.
Who it is for
Good fit if: you ride track enough to destroy gear, you can vet a maker, you want MTM design, and you will be honest on the order form about relaxed vs race fit and what you wear underneath.
Skip or pause if: you need a CE/AAA label tomorrow, you cannot wait one to two months for delivery, or you refuse to try gear on properly before you buy off the rack and you are hoping custom will magically fix a rushed decision process.
A small weight change either way is not the end of a made-to-measure suit. There is enough give and room to move that a couple of kilos either way is normal life. If you put on or lose a huge amount of weight, yes, any suit can stop fitting. That is different from saying MTM only fits one frozen version of you forever.
Where to order / next steps
Where to start
My suit: ~Rp 5,000,000 IDR shipped to Bali (about A$500)
- Tangsung Racing (Instagram)Open profile
In Australia, I am watching local custom options such as Crux Leathers for the next suit - that will be its own review when I do it. Always confirm current pricing, lead time, fit options, and certification directly with the maker.
The scorecard
Protection is scored from this crash only: leather, seams and zips held; Tech-Air 10 inflated underneath; I walked away. It is not a CE comparison score. Comfort and fit lose points because race fit was not my preference even with the airbag disclosed. Value is the easy win at this money. Lead time of one to two months is the main process drag.
FAQ
Is a custom race suit worth it for track days?
If you ride enough to crash and replace gear, and you can trust the maker, then yes - mainly for the fit, what the leather does in a crash, and the replacement economics. If you rarely ride and a good off-the-rack suit fits you when tried on with full under-layers, premium ready-to-wear can be enough.
How long did my Tangsung suit take?
About one to two months from measurements and order through to delivery in Bali. That wait is a fair con if you need gear fast.
What did I pay and what was included?
I paid about five million IDR, including shipping to Bali, or roughly A$500 depending on the exchange rate. That included interior armour, back padding, knee sliders and a free undersuit.
Did the suit survive a crash?
Yes. Around 80 km/h, long backside slide. Tech-Air 10 inflated under the suit. I was uninjured. Leather not punctured; logos scuffed; stitching and zips held.
Can I order race fit with an airbag?
Yes - if the suit is sized for the airbag and you are actually comfortable in a tighter race fit. I told Tangsung about the Tech-Air 10 and they factored it in. Race fit was still too tight for my preference. If you like a roomier feel, order relaxed. That is a preference call, not proof that race fit plus airbag is always wrong.
How do crash repairs work at Mandalika?
Tangsung often attends local Mandalika track days. Hand the suit to the maker at the circuit; they repair it and ship it back. I have not run this particular crash through that loop myself yet.
Is this suit CE or AAA certified?
No. If you need labelled CE/AAA, look at certified off-the-rack options or a custom maker that publishes certification. Crux in Australia has publicly talked about AAA CE on custom work - that is a separate path to my Tangsung suit.
Any advice for buying off the rack?
Try it on with everything you plan to wear underneath - airbag, back protector, base layers. My old Dainese Avro felt loose when empty and right once the protector or airbag was in. Never buy without trying it on first.
The bottom line
So there you have it. I own a Tangsung custom one-piece from Indonesia. I crashed it at about 80 km/h. The leather held. The Tech-Air 10 inflated under it and the suit was fine with that. Race fit was the wrong preference call for me even though the maker knew about the airbag.
If you can vet the maker, pick the fit you actually want, and you are honest about lead time and the lack of a CE badge, I would buy custom again in this price band. If you need labelled kit tomorrow, buy labelled off-the-rack or a custom shop that publishes certification - and try it on with full under-layers first. The best alternative for me next time is an Australian custom path such as Crux, ordered more relaxed. That will get its own review when I do it.
Have you gone custom overseas, or crashed a Tangsung or other MTM suit? What held up and what did not? Let me know in the comments below.
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