Ixon Vortex 3 – Track Armour or Designer Onesie?

There's something mildly humiliating about trying to squeeze into a full leather race suit - especially with a dad-bod in your 40s, in 40-degree heat, with a film crew watching. It's equal parts second skin, straightjacket and style statement, depending on your success at the gym. 

But here we are, gearing up to ride a 216PS Ducati Panigale V4 S around Buriram Circuit, zipped into Ixon's top-drawer Vortex 3 race suit -courtesy of the folks at Reise Moto, who continue to make waves in the Indian market with their tyres and their riding gear launches.

And trust me, you want to trust your suit when you're hammering through Turn 1 at 150kmph with a litre-class superbike trying to high-five the sky beneath you. The Vortex 3, as it turns out, is built exactly for that sort of lunacy.

Fit and Finish

The first thing you realise - apart from how unfit you are - is that this suit is not built for casual strolls or Instagram reels by the paddock. It's made for the crouch. The tuck. The aggressive lean. It's unapologetically race-focused, with a pre-curved shape that forces you into a riding position. Stand straight, and you look like a penguin that's lost its luggage. But once you swing a leg over the bike, it all falls into place. The ergonomics are spot on, the suit wraps around you like it's been tailored for your track persona rather than your street self.

It's made from premium French leather, with stretch Kevlar in all the usual trouble zones, and a large aerodynamic hump that's hydration-pack compatible. The mesh liner is removable, the laser-cut perforations actually do something above 60kmph, and the entire construction feels impressively premium. Buriram's punishing climate tried its best, but once I was up to speed, the suit ventilated surprisingly well for something that weighs almost as much as a quarter-litre naked.

Also, it looks properly sorted. The panelling is aggressive without being flashy, the logos are restrained, letting our custom OVERDRIVE branding stand out, and the cut makes you feel at least one league faster than you really are.

Protection and Performance

CE Level 1 armour comes as standard at all major points - shoulders, elbows, hips and knees - with external sliders on the shoulders and a dual-compound elbow area that's clearly designed for people far more talented than I am. It's also ready to accept the IX-Airbag U03 system. That's what modern bravery looks like - airbag compatibility.

More importantly, the Vortex 3 never restricted movement. Whether I was hanging off mid-corner or re-enacting a MotoGP post-race celebration (read: limping back to the pits after delivering my video bytes), it always moved with me, not against me. The accordion stretch zones at the lower back and knees are placed exactly where they need to be, and the inner liner stays put even when you're soaked in sweat and late on brake markers.

The knee sliders are replaceable. Mine, incidentally, are still brand new, thanks to an arm injury at the gym that I'm still nursing. The 40s, I tell you...

Comfort and Climate Control

Let's be honest - leather suits are not designed for comfort. They're designed to stop your body from grating against tarmac. That said, the Vortex 3 is surprisingly civil once you've zipped up and strapped in. The cuffs are finished neatly, the zippers feel robust without being a wrestling match, and there's enough give in the right places to avoid that "stuffed sausage" feeling once you've parked the bike and gone looking for hydration.

Thailand's hotbox conditions aren't the most forgiving test bed, but the suit held up admirably. It didn't smell like a biology experiment by the end of the day, and I didn't need to be peeled out of it with a crowbar. That counts as a win.

Verdict

The Ixon Vortex 3 isn't trying to impress your riding group at a breakfast meet. It's quite versatile, but it's primarily a track-focused race suit engineered for serious speed, real-world safety, and enough comfort to survive a long day at the circuit.

Is it expensive? Yes, but not unreasonably so for the spec. Is it for everyone? Absolutely not. If your idea of fast is a quick overtake on the expressway, this is overkill. But if you've started chasing apexes and not just social media likes, this is a suit you'll grow into, both literally and metaphorically.

A massive thanks to Reise Moto for kitting us out in time for the Panigale V4 S test. It made us feel fast, protected, and maybe just a little bit like we belonged in a world where lap times matter. And on the off-chance I had to test the crash protection, I'm fairly certain the suit would've come off looking better than I would.