A broken zip or a tear after a low-side does not have to be the end of your jacket. If you want to repair motorcycle clothing, many types of damage can be fixed. However, not every manufacturer accepts items directly, and with protective clothing not every repair is a good idea. This guide shows which manufacturers and workshops in Europe offer repairs, what they cost according to their published price lists and what you can do yourself. All information is correct as of 8 October 2026.
In brief
- If a defect appears within the guarantee or statutory warranty period, go to the retailer or manufacturer first, before anyone else sews anything on the garment.
- You can have items repaired directly by the manufacturer at Dainese, Modeka (own products only) and Schwabenleder, for example. Held and Louis offer repairs on request but do not publish prices.
- Outside the guarantee, independent workshops are often the most practical solution. They repair all brands and some publish example prices.
- Airbag servicing is the biggest cost item and, depending on the system, runs from roughly €50 to €400.
- Airbags, armour and the seams of the protective layer do not belong in DIY hands.
Guarantee, statutory warranty and repair: what is the difference?
Before you commission a repair, work out which claim applies. The statutory warranty (Gewährleistung) is regulated by law and is owed by the seller. In Germany, claims for defects in new goods expire after two years (§ 438 BGB, the German Civil Code). If the defect appears within the first year after handover, it is presumed to have existed at the time of purchase (§ 477 BGB). According to the consumer advice centre Verbraucherzentrale, a retailer may shorten the statutory warranty on second-hand goods to one year.
A guarantee, by contrast, is voluntary, usually offered by the manufacturer, and applies in addition to your statutory rights (§ 443 BGB). The manufacturer can largely set its own terms, and wear parts may be excluded. In practice this means: a guarantee case stays a guarantee case only as long as nobody other than the manufacturer or the retailer has repaired the item.
How long manufacturer guarantees last
| Manufacturer | Guarantee according to the manufacturer | Key condition |
|---|---|---|
| Held | 2 years, 5 years on airbag vests and GORE-TEX | Handled through the specialist retailer, 5 years after registration at garantie.held.de |
| Louis (LouisCard) | 3 years from the invoice date | Shoes and boots excluded, proof of purchase required |
| Büse | 36 months | Only through the retailer, do not send items in directly |
| Rev'It! | 2 years | Repairs by unauthorised parties are excluded |
| Alpinestars | 2 years in the EU | 5 years only on Nazca 3L GORE-TEX PRO after registration |
| Dainese | 3 or 5 additional years on selected products | Registration within 30 days of purchase |
| Rukka | 2 years, 5 years on jackets and trousers | Registration required, original buyers only, repair by third parties ends the guarantee |
| Segura and Bering | 5 years on jackets and PPE trousers purchased from 1 September 2025 | Gloves and shoes 2 years, not transferable |
| Halvarssons | 3 years on jackets and trousers purchased from 1 January 2024 | Claims go through the retailer |
| Macna and Furygan | 2 years | Claim with till receipt through the retailer |
Note the exclusions: Held excludes goods that have not been professionally repaired from its guarantee, Rev'It!, Segura and Bering exclude third-party interference, and Dainese treats patches, labels and other modifications to D-air products as tampering, which voids the guarantee. So never let a tailor repair a guarantee case first.
Right to repair: what changed in 2026
In Germany, the law implementing EU Directive 2024/1799 has been in force since 23 July 2026. If you choose repair rather than replacement for a defect, the statutory warranty is extended once by 12 months (§ 475e para. 5 BGB). The old rules still apply to purchase contracts concluded before 31 July 2026.
In Austria, the changes have applied since 1 October 2026 to contracts concluded after 30 September 2026. A repair under the statutory warranty extends the period once by one year, with a maximum of three years in total.
The new manufacturer obligation to repair outside the statutory warranty applies only to products on an EU list, including washing machines, displays, mobile phones and batteries for light means of transport. Motorcycle clothing is not on that list. You therefore have no right to have the manufacturer repair your jacket once the statutory warranty has expired.
Which manufacturers repair motorcycle clothing
The overview shows what manufacturers state on their own websites. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing about repairs, that does not mean the answer is no. In that case, ask the retailer or customer service.
| Manufacturer | Country | Repair service |
|---|---|---|
| Dainese | Italy | Yes, directly at the After-Sales Centre, with a published price list |
| Modeka | Germany | Yes, own products only, individual quote after inspection |
| Schwabenleder | Germany | Yes, repair centre for leather suits, quote provided |
| Held | Germany | Service form with quote, guarantee cases through the retailer |
| Louis | Germany | Repairs by email to customer service, no published prices |
| Büse | Germany | Guarantee repairs only through the retailer |
| Rev'It! | Netherlands | Guarantee repairs, spare parts on request, airbag service |
| Furygan | France | Repairs at the Nîmes factory, only through the retailer |
| Segura and Bering | France | Guarantee repairs after the item has been cleaned |
| Rukka | Finland | According to the guarantee text, repair is the first solution |
| Alpinestars | Italy | Service for Tech-Air airbags, not documented for clothing |
| Macna and Halvarssons | Netherlands, Sweden | No own repair service documented, claims through the retailer |
Dainese: the only public price list from a manufacturer
Dainese publishes prices for repairs that the manufacturer carries out itself. You order the service online, Consumer Care sends you a courier label, and the item goes to the After-Sales Centre in Italy. It must be completely clean, otherwise Dainese charges for cleaning. Additional damage is quoted separately, and if the damage is too extensive the repair may be refused.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Front zip | €149, waterproof €179, short €139 |
| Connecting zip | €139, €169 for a two-piece suit |
| Shoulder pad | €129 standard, €159 thermoformed (pair €159 or €199) |
| Elbow pad | €139 (pair €169) |
| Knee pads | €229 per pair |
| D-air bag replacement | €249 (Smart Jacket, Smart Air, Road 2017 to 2018, Racing), €299 (Road 3rd generation 2019) |
Processing takes an average of 2 to 4 working weeks for the Smart Jacket and front zip. For Road 2017 to 2018 and Racing, Dainese states a typical 10 days to 2 weeks. During the company shutdowns in August and December it takes longer.
Held, Louis, Modeka, Büse and Schwabenleder
Held offers private customers and retailers a form for guarantee or repair service. For repairs you pay for, for example after a crash, you receive a quote in advance. The Held FAQ points out that guarantee cases go through the specialist retailer and that claims sent in directly are not processed. So ask before shipping which route applies to your case.
Louis accepts repair requests by email at kundendienst@louis.de. You send photos of the receipt, the item and the damage, and Louis handles the case as quickly as possible after receipt. Louis does not state prices or turnaround times. In a guarantee case the repair is free. The stores also offer cleaning: machine cleaning at €69.99 for a suit, €34.99 for a jacket, trousers or boots and €24.99 for gloves, and reproofing at €9.99. That is not a repair, though.
Modeka repairs its own products: press studs and zips, inner linings in leather jackets and leather trousers, damage to leather and textile, membranes and laminates are re-welded, and crash damage is assessed individually. There are also alterations such as length and width adjustments or relocated armour pockets. You make contact first and send in only freshly washed items.
Within its 36 month guarantee, Büse repairs only through the retailer. You do not send anything directly to Büse but hand the item in at the retailer complete with lining, membrane and armour. According to Büse, the repair usually takes 2 to 7 working days after receipt.
Schwabenleder in Winterbach runs a repair centre for leather suits after crashes and an alteration service, for example for shrunken leather or a changed figure. You send a request with pictures to info@schwabenleder.de and receive a quote. The company is also a service centre for Alpinestars Tech-Air.
Other European manufacturers
Under guarantee, Rev'It! repairs first and replaces only if repair is not possible or costs more than new goods. Spare parts such as FidLock magnetic fasteners, most zips and zip pullers are available through retailers or customer service, usually with free postage. Rev'It! does not stock inner jackets and hoods.
Furygan repairs at its Nîmes factory, but only through the retailer. For press studs, central zip sliders, sleeves, pockets and other parts, Furygan gives a lifetime parts guarantee while stocks last. You can get press studs free of charge via the contact form. The jacket inner lining costs €52 including VAT.
Segura and Bering repair free of charge under guarantee or replace the item. You must clean the clothing beforehand and remove the lining, straps and armour. Used or refurbished goods are excluded from the guarantee, as is armour after a crash. At Rukka, repair or, if that is not possible, replacement with the next similar product is the remedy.
Hein Gericke and SAG Altensteig
Hein Gericke no longer runs any stores, and the brand rights were sold to the Perier Group in 2024. According to its homepage, SAG Altensteig is not carrying out alterations and repairs on motorcycle clothing until further notice.
Independent workshops and tailors
Outside the guarantee, specialist workshops are the main solution. They repair leather, textile and membrane across all brands, give quotes and have a clear route for sending items in.
Germany
- Motorradkombi Werkstatt (Sattlerei Würtz, Brackenheim): repair of leather and GORE-TEX, new zips and pockets, removal of crash marks and complete overhauls. You fill in a form, send in the item and receive a non-binding quote. If you decline, the item is returned free of charge.
- Reparaturservice für Motorradbekleidung (Düsseldorf): zips, seams, burn holes, minor crash damage and minor membrane damage. Processing rarely takes longer than 8 to 10 days including transport there and back. The company explicitly does not offer alterations.
- Schneiderleicht (Emsbüren): leather suits, jackets and trousers, crash damage, seams, zips, armour pockets and fixings for knee sliders.
Austria
Grötzmeier (Motodress division, Pasching) is an independent workshop with a public price overview. Seams are re-sewn from seam to seam instead of just being patched. The item should be clean, and if it is heavily soiled it is cleaned at your expense.
| Service at Grötzmeier | Price |
|---|---|
| Open seam | from €10 |
| Holes | €5 to €45 |
| Re-taping membrane | from €30 |
| Sleeves | from €45 |
| Front zip (up to 45 cm) | €70, waterproof €82 |
| Edge protection on both sides | from €90 |
According to the workshop, prices overall range from €5 to €250 or more. For the front zip, the workshop's own information is inconsistent: the price overview (as of 1 April 2024) gives the figures above, while the FAQ still says €50, or €64 for waterproof. So ask for the current price. You send a photo for an online quote or send in the item with the repair form. Shipping within Austria via Schenker costs €5.50 up to 5 kg, plus a handling fee of €6.50 per shipment. If the quote is too high for you, Grötzmeier says it returns the item at its own cost.
Switzerland
In Switzerland, repairs are offered by Racepoint (Birr), which handles leather and textile including zips, armour, seams, Velcro and press studs, Leder Atelier Keller, which does crash repairs and waterproof welded seams and createlab, which does zips, linings, Velcro and crash damage. At createlab, minor repairs take a few days and larger ones up to two weeks. For a price, ask for a quote.
Airbag service: maintenance and costs
Airbag systems have their own rules, and this is where the highest costs add up. Manufacturers specify the maintenance intervals and obligations.
| System | Prices according to the manufacturer | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| Alpinestars Tech-Air 10 | Full Service €399.95, inflator €189.95, inspection €79.95 | Service at least every 2 years or after 500 operating hours |
| Alpinestars Tech-Air 7X | €379.95, €199.95, €49.95 | as above |
| Alpinestars Tech-Air 5 | €339.95, €189.95, €79.95 | as above |
| Alpinestars Tech-Air 3 | €279.95, €139.95, €59.95 | as above |
| Dainese D-air | Bag replacement €249 to €299 | Smart Jacket: service recommended after the first three years |
| Held eVest | Cleaning €39.95, service with function test €89.94, each excluding shipping | Service after three deployments at the latest (eVest, eVest Clip-in) or five deployments (eVest 2, eVest Pro) |
| Schwabenleder (Tech-Air) | Routine service €120, Tech-Air 7x Full Service €380, Tech-Air 10 with bag replacement €399 | Inspection every 2 years recommended |
According to its FAQ, Dainese Smart Air has no mandatory periodic inspections, but you should fully charge the system at least every 2 months. After the third deployment, the bag must be replaced at an authorised Dainese centre. With Alpinestars, you charge the battery at least every 6 months. With Helite, you replace the CO2 cartridge yourself in about two minutes, but only if the airbag is undamaged and only with original cartridges. A guarantee return goes to Helite complete with mechanism, lanyard, cartridge, return form and invoice.
Factor in these costs before you buy an airbag system. If you wear an airbag vest inside a jacket or suit, follow the manufacturer's instructions after every deployment and do not open the system yourself.
How sending in an item works
- Find out whether it is a guarantee or statutory warranty case and who is responsible. This saves you costs and prevents the guarantee from being lost.
- Prepare proof of purchase and photos: an overall view, a detail of the damage and the label in the collar.
- Clean the clothing and, where the manufacturer requires it, remove the lining, straps and armour. Empty the pockets.
- Get a quote and compare it with the price of a comparable new jacket. The Motorradkombi Werkstatt returns the item free of charge if you decline, and Grötzmeier says it does the same at its own cost. Still ask about the terms beforehand.
- Send the item well packed and keep the order and invoice. At Held and Büse a guarantee case goes through the retailer, at Louis by email to customer service.
Repairing motorcycle clothing yourself: what works
You can often fix minor damage to textile without a workshop. When it comes to protective functions, though, there is no room for DIY.
Zips
If the slider no longer closes, you can carefully squeeze the widened spot together from the side with flat-nose pliers, in small steps. If the tape is torn or teeth are missing, the only option is replacing the whole zip, which you should leave to a workshop. For zip repairs on outdoor clothing, Globetrotter quotes prices from about €13 in an interview and from €12 in its stores. What it actually costs depends on the damage.
Membrane and holes
For small holes in GORE-TEX items, Gore itself names the GORE-TEX Fabric Repair Kit. You clean the spot, press the pre-cut patch on firmly and can warm it with an iron or hairdryer. According to Gore, however, a patch is not a permanent solution: the patched piece no longer meets the criteria for permanent waterproofness and falls outside the waterproof promise. Larger damage, such as to the zip, belongs with an authorised repair point. On sewing, Gore says that needle and thread will puncture the jacket.
Cordura, seams and reproofing
For Cordura, an abrasion-resistant nylon 6.6, the retailer extremtextil recommends threads such as Polyester 80 or Nylbond 60. You can seal open edges with a lighter or soldering iron. Waterproof seams need seam sealer or tape. For reproofing, Nikwax recommends Tech Wash first, then TX.Direct Wash-In (100 ml per garment), both in a 30 °C synthetics programme with a low spin speed and without drying before reproofing. This is an outdoor guide, not explicitly approved for motorcycle membranes.
What you should not do yourself
- Airbag systems: manufacturers or authorised service centres carry out servicing and bag replacement. On Dainese D-air products, modifications such as sewn-on patches count as tampering and end the guarantee.
- Armour: the armour maker Viscotec recommends replacing it after a crash.
- Seams, zips and armour pockets: they are tested individually in the EN 17092 test (test method per EN 13594:2015), so the quality of the workmanship is safety-relevant.
Standards and safety after a crash
Clothing under EN 17092 comes in classes AAA, AA, A, B and C. AAA offers the highest protection, B has no impact protection, and C protects only against impact and not against abrasion. For AAA and AA, armour at the elbows, shoulders, knees and hips is mandatory. EN 1621-1 tests joint armour and EN 1621-2 tests back protectors. Gloves follow EN 13594 and boots EN 13634.
After a crash, you should replace armour. For more serious damage to the clothing, a specialist workshop decides whether repair makes sense. For very large safety-relevant damage, Dainese may refuse to repair an airbag system.
Repair or buy new?
The sum is simple: when you get a quote, you compare it with the price of a comparable new jacket. A new front zip costs €149 at Dainese and €50 to €70 at Grötzmeier. For a cheap jacket, a manufacturer repair can exceed its current value. For a high-quality leather suit that fits well, on the other hand, the trip to a specialist workshop may well be worth it.
These questions help with the decision: is the protective function restored after the repair? Is there still a guarantee claim? How long does the repair take, and can you ride in the meantime? For airbag vests, it also matters that only the manufacturer or an authorised service centre may service the system.
Practical tips for fewer repairs
- Keep the proof of purchase and register the item straight after buying it. Dainese requires registration within 30 days, at Held the 5 years apply only after registration, and the same goes for Rukka.
- Preferably buy from an authorised retailer. Several manufacturers handle guarantee and repair only through them, and Rukka, Segura and Bering exclude second-hand goods.
- Care for leather and textile regularly so that seams and material do not tire prematurely. Rev'It! excludes care errors from the guarantee.
- Have minor damage fixed early, before an open seam turns into a tear.
Frequently asked questions
Who repairs motorcycle clothing?
Manufacturers such as Dainese, Modeka and Schwabenleder repair items themselves, Held and Louis on request. Outside the guarantee, independent workshops such as Grötzmeier in Austria, the Motorradkombi Werkstatt in Brackenheim or Racepoint in Switzerland do the work.
How much does a new zip on a motorcycle jacket cost?
Dainese charges €149 for a front zip, €179 for a waterproof one. Grötzmeier in Austria quotes €50 to €70, or €64 to €82 for waterproof, depending on which figure on its own site you use. For zip repairs on outdoor clothing, Globetrotter names prices from about €12 to €13.
Do I lose the guarantee if I repair it myself?
That depends on the manufacturer's terms. Held, Rukka, Rev'It!, Segura, Bering and Dainese exclude third-party interference or end the guarantee. The statutory warranty against the seller applies independently of the manufacturer's guarantee.
Does the manufacturer have to repair my motorcycle jacket?
In a statutory warranty case, the seller is responsible. If you choose repair in Germany, the statutory warranty is extended by 12 months. In a guarantee case, the manufacturer decides on repair or replacement according to its terms. The new manufacturer obligation to repair outside the statutory warranty applies only to products on an EU list, and motorcycle clothing is not one of them.
How often does my airbag need servicing?
Alpinestars requires Tech-Air servicing at least every 2 years or after 500 operating hours. For the Held eVest, servicing is due after three or five deployments at the latest, depending on the model. For the Smart Jacket, Dainese recommends service after the first three years.
Sources
- Held: service request, guarantee, eVest service, Louis: complaints, LouisCard guarantee, service offers, Modeka: repair service, Büse: 3 year guarantee, Schwabenleder: repair centre
- Dainese: services, price list, Alpinestars: Tech-Air service, maintenance, Rev'It!: guarantee
- Furygan: Fury Care Center, Segura: guarantee, Bering: guarantee, Rukka: service and guarantee, Helite: airbag FAQ
- Grötzmeier: service and repair, Motorradkombi Werkstatt, Reparaturservice Düsseldorf, Schneiderleicht, Racepoint, createlab, Leder Atelier Keller
- § 438 BGB, § 477 BGB, § 443 BGB, § 475e BGB, BGBl. 2026 I Nr. 212
- oesterreich.gv.at: right to repair
- Gore: repairing GORE-TEX gear, Nikwax: Tech Wash, TX.Direct, extremtextil: Cordura, TOUR: repairing a zip
- SATRA: EN 17092, SATRA: EN 1621, SATRA: EN 13594, SATRA: EN 13634, Viscotec: note on replacing protectors (PDF)
Last checked: October 2026. Prices, terms and laws can change.
