Once a fashion design hopeful, fresh from Exeter Technical College, BKS (Brian Keith Sansom) was started in a back bedroom in 1986 as a one man operation. The first motorcycle suit customers were police riders from the Devon and Cornwall and Dorset Constabularies. In 1988 a small workshop saw the first of 15 staff assemble and by 1993 the business outgrew its first premises and moved again. The business had continued to flourish gaining contracts with nearly 20 Police forces and so began the operation in New North Road, Exmouth. An old printing works that had been vacant for a few years went on to become the home of BKS to this day which has grown into a fully equipped factory unit and sales studio.
New protective clothing laws were introduced in 1994 (CE Approval) and BKS were the very first company on the Planet to meet these requirements! Brian Sansom helped Cambridge University Professor of Physiology, Dr. Roderick Woods, formulate the ‘Cambridge Standard’ for Motorcycle Clothing which has since gone on to become recognised as part of the European directive for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and replaced with EN 13595 (parts 1-4).
Credibility and reputation for BKS suits really started here.
For the next 10 years or so, a visit to W.H.Smith would often reveal a BKS suit on the front cover of many a bike magazine worn by editors and road test staff from MCN, Ride, Performance Bikes, Bike, Superbike, Fast Bikes and many more.
Royalty, top entertainers, famous actors as well as high profile racers, have all had our bespoke leathers made for them.
The big budget “Impossible Dream” Honda advert used BKS suits for the road race rider in 2005 and again in 2010…
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