When you’re choosing riderwear, protecting yourself from the elements is just as important as protecting yourself on the road. That’s where Triumph’s TriTech comes in, a riderwear technology developed by Triumph for Triumph riders.
Built to perform in real riding conditions, Triumph’s TriTech is engineered from the ground up to deliver dependable all‑weather performance. Every garment is designed with the rider in mind, balancing comfort, protection and capability without compromise. The advanced system offers tiered performance levels, including 5K/5K and 10K/10K waterproofing and breathability ratings, so riders can choose the right solution for their specific riding needs.
If you’ve ever shopped for riderwear and seen numbers like 5K/5K or 10K/10K, you’re looking at a quick way of showing how well a fabric protects you from rain while still letting your body breathe. These two numbers represent waterproofness and breathability.
The first ‘K’ number refers to the waterproof rating - how much water pressure the fabric can resist before it starts to leak, and the second number refers to the breathability rating - how much moisture vapour (your sweat) can escape through the fabric over 24 hours.
For example, a rating like 8K/10K means:
8K waterproof
10K breathable
Waterproof ratings are measured in millimetres, this is how much water a fabric can resists. In testing, water is pushed against the fabric through a tube. When the first drops start to seep through, the height of the water in the tube at that time is measured. For example, if a fabric is rated 10,000 mm (10k), it means it can hold back a 10‑metre‑tall tube of water before it begins to leak.
Breathability is about how much water vapour (perspiration escaping as moisture) can move through a fabric over time. It is measured in grams and shows how much water vapour can move through a square metre of fabric over 24 hours. During testing, moisture is pushed through the material, and the total amount that escapes is weighed. So if a fabric has a rating of 5,000g (5k), it means 5,000 grams of water vapour passed through that area in a day. The higher the number, the easier moisture can escape, and the more breathable the fabric is.
The garments generally have 3 layers: a lining, membrane and outer layer. Finished with a robust seam sealing to ‘tape’ over the construction stitch lines and close any tiny holes that the needle has made where water could leak through.
LINING
This is usually a mesh fabric, and is loose on a garment. On a 3 layer construction, the lining is bonded to the membrane and outer fabric to protect the membrane.
MEMBRANE
This is the key part of a waterproof garment that stops the water droplets from entering through, but allows perspiration out for breathability.
OUTER LAYER
This is the main fabric which is intended to protect the rider from the elements, impact abrasion and tearing. Treated with DWR to allow the water to bead up and roll off to avoid heavy absorption of water.
