Diffusion in motorcycle clothing – a scientific look at what happens to our gear. ????

Every day we witness countless processes in nature that we don’t even think about - they’re just there. These processes can be reversible or irreversible, and we can easily see that, for example, when brewing tea and watching the water change color. That process is called diffusion - nothing groundbreaking, we know… but let’s add a bit more on how it works to get to the point.

Diffusion happens in different states of matter. In gases it occurs quickly, which we can easily notice when we smell the aroma of a meal being cooked, or the “aroma” after a meal that simply didn’t agree with us. Diffusion in liquids, whose particles move intensely, is also fast - something we can see, for example, when a bartender serves colorful drinks. The process also occurs in solids - it happens very slowly, under the influence of forces or external factors - an example being metal alloys.

It won’t surprise you that diffusion also takes place in mixed states of matter. To visualize it, imagine two tables: on one you sprinkle pigment, and on the other you pour ink. Blowing away the pigment lets you remove the mess quickly, but getting rid of ink is a much longer job.

Now to the point - you return from a motorcycle trip during which all the local flies decided to stop you. They didn’t manage to - but the result is gear forced to be cleaned. You can’t even see the jacket’s brand logo on the shoulders anymore - yet you decide it’s not the day, not the time to clean it, maybe later. The insects’ bodily fluids start penetrating deep into the pores and become an integral part of your clothing. Over time, this process becomes irreversible and permanently changes the color of your gear, most often leaving orange dots.

Of course there’s a simple solution: remove insect remains right after the ride. The intensity of diffusion in motorcycle clothing depends on many factors - porosity of the plastic or leather used, temperature impact, and the color of the material.

Colorful spots can therefore become a permanent “decorative element” of your gear - so if you’re not planning extra decorations, don’t forget about hygiene ????